Easy Salt Dough Ornaments

Making salt dough ornaments is such a fun Christmas tradition! They’re easy, inexpensive, make the house smell great, and they make cute gifts! We started making them 4 years ago and they hold up perfectly, even sitting in our hot attic outside of Christmastime! If you’re looking for an activity to do with your kids then look no further. I bet you already have all the ingredients on hand, too!

What you’ll need:

• Flour
• Salt
• Water
• Cookie Cutters
• Paint or Sharpies
• Glitter (optional)
• Ribbon/string (to place on tree)
• Rolling pin (optional)
• Baking sheet or wax paper
• Toothpick or straw (to poke hole at the top to run string for hanging)
• Large bowl
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Sealing spray (optional, but highly recommended)

This is the perfect activity to let the kids take the lead, though, admittedly, it’s hard not to just take over when they’re little,  I always love that the final product is ALL kid!-imperfections and all! You will create memories for years to come when you decorate your tree together.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Mix 4 cups flour and 1 cup salt in the mixing bow. Stir well.
3. Slowly pour in 1.5 cups warm water while continuing to stir.
4. Stir he water, flour, and salt well. Knead with hands if it gets too difficult to stir. (Kids enjoy this part!)
5. Once it’s all mixed, roll it out with the rolling pin, or you can mash it out with your hands until it’s flat, but not too thin.
6. Use cookie cutters!
7. Using a toothpick or a straw to make holes on each shape large enough to stream ribbon or string through. I used a toothpick and stretched the hole by moving it back and forth.
8. Bake for about an hour and a half.

Please know the baking time isn’t an exact science. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the cookies you made. Check them after an hour and if they are soft at all then you will need to place them back into the oven. We’ve had to bake ours for almost 2 hours when they’ve been thicker. I recommend baking in 15 minute increments after the hour and a half is done to continue checking them.  Consider turning them over to bake additionally if you find the underside is also mushy. They should be rock solid.

If you overcook them, don’t worry! They’ll just be a dark brown color, but you’re going to paint over them anyway!

Ready to decorate?

You will need to let them cool completely before decorating them. This usually takes about 2 hours to completely cool.

You can decorate using paint or even Sharpies. I recommend using a sealing spray to seal it. If you have modge podge that will work as well.

They make great gifts for teachers or family members. Personalize by putting dates or a handprint on the back!

Have fun!