Homemade Salt Dough Ornament Recipe
Our Christmas tree is full of sentimental and handmade decorations. One of our family’s favorite annual Christmas traditions is this simple homemade salt dough ornament recipe. This year, the kids made a batch for our tree as well as their Nana and Papaw’s Christmas tree.
How to Make Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments
Making salt dough ornaments is actually pretty simple. The kids do all of the steps except putting the homemade ornaments in the oven. Gather these ingredients and materials and start making holiday memories with the whole family!
Salt Dough Ornament Recipe
This salt dough recipe only requires 3 ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry- flour, salt, and water.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup salt
- ⅓ cup warm water
- Food coloring (optional)
Materials:
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula (a spoon works fine, too)
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters
- Toothpick
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Sheet
- Acrylic paint
- Glitter or sequins (optional)
- Paint brushes
- String, Twine, or ornament hooks
Homemade Salt Dough Ornament Directions:
STEP 1: Combine
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Slowly add in the water until a dough forms. If you choose to use food dye to color the dough, add a few drops in now. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this step as well. Add more flour or water as needed. You want the dough to be soft, but not sticky.
STEP 2: Roll
Roll out the dough on a non-stick mat or a floured surface. I like to roll to about ¼” thickness, but you can choose your own preference for the thickness of your ornaments.
STEP 3: Shape
Use cookie cutters to shape the ornaments out of the salt dough. You can also create shapes by hand if you don’t have cookie cutters. Another cool idea is to shape the dough into a flat circle and press your child’s handprint into it for salt dough handprint ornaments.
STEP 4: Make a Hole
Create a small hole at the top of each homemade salt dough ornament large enough for string, twine, or ornament hooks to fit through. I like to use a toothpick for this, but a straw is another great idea.
STEP 5: Bake
Place the ornaments on a lined baking sheet (parchment paper works great) and bake at 195 degrees F for one hour.
STEP 6: Cool
Allow the salt dough ornaments to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet.
STEP 7: Paint
Once cooled, you can begin to decorate! Use acrylic paint to decorate the cooled ornaments. You can also leave them as they are for a more natural look. If you want to add glitter or sequins, add them after you apply the sealant.
STEP 8: Seal
Seal your painted ornaments with Mod Podge or a polyurethane spray sealer. Seal one side of the ornament, allow it to dry, and then seal the other side.
STEP 9: Hang
Thread the string, twine, or hook through the hole and tie it in a loop. Hang the ornaments on the tree and enjoy the view!
How to Store Salt Dough Ornaments
Homemade salt dough ornaments can be stored from year to year if they are sealed as mentioned in step 8. Wrap the sealed ornaments in bubble wrap or newspaper strips to protect them from breaking.
Homemade Salt Dough Ornament Recipe
Materials
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup salt
- ⅓ cup warm water
- Food coloring (optional)
Tools
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula (a spoon works fine, too)
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters
- Toothpick
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Sheet
- Acrylic paint
- Glitter or sequins (optional)
- Paint brushes
- String, Twine, or ornament hooks
Instructions
STEP 1: Combine
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Slowly add in the water until a dough forms. If you choose to use food dye to color the dough, add a few drops in now. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this step as well. Add more flour or water as needed. You want the dough to be soft, but not sticky.
STEP 2: Roll
Roll out the dough on a non-stick mat or a floured surface. I like to roll to about ¼” thickness, but you can choose your own preference for the thickness of your ornaments.
STEP 3: Shape
Use cookie cutters to shape the ornaments out of the salt dough. You can also create shapes by hand if you don’t have cookie cutters. Another cool idea is to shape the dough into a flat circle and press your child’s handprint into it for salt dough handprint ornaments.
STEP 4: Make a Hole
Create a small hole at the top of each homemade salt dough ornament large enough for string, twine, or ornament hooks to fit through. I like to use a toothpick for this, but a straw is another great idea.
STEP 5: Bake
Place the ornaments on a lined baking sheet (parchment paper works great) and bake at 195 degrees F for one hour.
STEP 6: Cool
Allow the salt dough ornaments to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet.
STEP 7: Paint
Once cooled, you can begin to decorate! Use acrylic paint to decorate the cooled ornaments. You can also leave them as they are for a more natural look. If you want to add glitter or sequins, add them after you apply the sealant.
STEP 8: Seal
Seal your painted ornaments with Mod Podge or a polyurethane spray sealer. Seal one side of the ornament, allow it to dry, and then seal the other side.
STEP 9: Hang
Thread the string, twine, or hook through the hole and tie it in a loop. Hang the ornaments on the tree and enjoy the view!
How to Store Salt Dough Ornaments
Homemade salt dough ornaments can be stored from year to year if they are sealed as mentioned in step 8. Wrap the sealed ornaments in bubble wrap or newspaper strips to protect them from breaking.
Other Christmas Craft Ideas:
- 16 Simple Family Christmas Traditions
- DIY Dried Citrus Ornaments for the Holidays
- The Advent Cards Pack: Countdown to Christmas
- 55+ Gifts for Homestead Kids: Farm Kid Gift Guide
- DIY Naturally Scented Pine Cones
Pin this post for later!
