Simple. Inexpensive. Fun. The best salt dough Christmas ornament recipe you will find – and full of tips – to help you try them this year!
Living out Christmas simplicity
Simplicity…remember that word? Certainly not one I typically associate with Christmas! And yet, simplicity was the mark of the first Christmas, and what we are called to as Catholics as we enter into the festive season.
Personally, Advent is a time I tend to get lost in anticipation and planning, with too many projects and social occasions all competing for my attention. All the more since becoming a mother and trying to balance the myriad of different extra tasks that I try to stuff into December. This year I resolve to remain grounded in the simple tasks of everyday life and carve out time to prepare my heart and home for the birth of Jesus. The first Christmas was a humble homemade affair – why shouldn’t mine be too?
Whether or not you identify as a ‘crafty mum’ (I don’t), doing simple crafts with your children during Advent is a beautiful way to bond during a very busy period. Such activities also offer a fantastic opportunity to talk about the true meaning of this season as a family. The goal is not a finished product but living the true simplicity and wonder of Advent with our children.
The ultimate – salt dough ornaments – epitomise the rustic simplicity of bygone Christmases. If you have never given them a go, this is your cue to try them this year!
Reasons to make salt dough Christmas ornaments
So without further ado, here are five reasons you should make salt dough ornaments this Christmas season:
1. Child friendly
Salt dough is a completely non-toxic option for little people. While it may not taste very nice (bonus), it doesn’t contain any of the preservatives, fragrances, or colours which are present in commercially produced modelling dough.
The ornaments are also very straightforward to make and can be easily executed as an activity with children. My three year old had a ball at every step of this process and was very proud of her ornaments which she painted with singular focus, as we listened to Christmas carols.
2. Inexpensive
Salt dough uses store cupboard ingredients and equipment you are likely to have in your kitchen. The ingredients themselves are extremely inexpensive, and one batch will make a large amount. The ornaments are versatile and you can adapt your designs to suit whatever craft supplies you have on hand. You do NOT need to rush out to the shops to execute this project effectively!
3. Versatile
You can spend as little or as much energy on this project as you like. While you need to factor in sufficient time to allow your ornaments to dry, the shape and decoration of your ornaments is entirely up to you.This means you can determine how long you would like to spend on them as well as control the aesthetics of your Christmas tree.
While this project is fun and educational in its own right, you can also adapt it to any Advent or Christmas learning relevant to your family. For instance, you might make star ornaments and use this as an opportunity to discuss the Star of Bethlehem and its significance to Christmas.
4. Long-lasting
Salt is a powerful preservative. Dried and sealed properly, these ornaments should last your family for many years. Without the use of a sealant, they will start to deteriorate after a couple of years.
Making salt dough with your children offers a fantastic opportunity to discuss the power of salt and its role both in the Bible and within Catholic tradition.
5. Non-edible gift
I will admit that I have a hard time coming up with homemade Christmas gift ideas that don’t include sugar. Salt dough ornaments are a fantastic option when you want to make a personalised homemade gift, but not send the recipient into a diabetic coma! Even better, salt dough ornaments can be made well in advance, are shelf stable, and will last for many Christmases to come.
What you will need
Ingredients
The ingredients to make this dough could not be simpler: plain flour, table salt and water. You can make a batch of any size using the following ratio: 4 parts flour, one part salt, one and a half parts water.
For a large batch that makes roughly 24 ornaments (depending on the size of your cutters), use:
- all-purpose plain flour
- table salt
- water
Note: Unused dough can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Equipment
- Large bowl, for mixing your dough
- Rolling pin
- Baking paper
- Cookie cutters, or any other decorative tools
- A reusable plastic straw
- Acrylic paint, glitter, embellishments (optional), for adding colour to your ornaments
- Mod Podge (or equivalent), to help seal and preserve your ornaments
- Paint brushes
- Ribbon, twine or wool, for hanging
Decorating your salt dough ornaments
What I used
- Themed cookie cutters: I used a Christmas tree, snowflake and gingerbread man. You could easily make the same shapes freehand or using some tracing paper and a butter knife. Here is a set.
- Cookie stamps: These leave impressions in the dough, rather than cutting out a particular shape. Mine came with a 3 inch round cutter. There are a myriad of different designs available, and they don’t need to be Christmas themed to look effective!
- Fluted round cutters: Sometimes simple is best, especially if you are painting with little ones. A 2.5 to 4 inch diameter is a good size for this shape – anything bigger will look too large on your tree. This is a suitable set, and it’s double sided.
Other simple child-friendly ideas
- Alphabet stamps: Personalise your cookies with alphabet stamps. I bought these ones, and they allowed me to print all sorts of words onto my ornaments. You could use this to incorporate the names of your family members, patron saints or favourite bible references into your Christmas decor!
- Glitter: Don’t hate me, the kids love it! Simply sprinkle glitter onto your wet paint or Mod Podge to give your ornaments an extra sparkle. A less messy option could also be to add sparkles directly into your paint/sealant and then apply it using a paint brush.
- Paint pens: This is a great way to decorate your ornaments if you don’t feel that comfortable with a paint brush! Paint pens also allows you to write directly onto your dough without the need for alphabet stamps.
- Textural implements: Get creative with whatever you have on hand that can add interest and texture to the surface of your ornaments. Forks, lace, hessian, stencils, or playdough rollers all work well!
- Handprints: Great fun for kids and a lovely way to mark their growth over the years! In order to get a good imprint, you will need to leave your salt dough thicker for this activity, so expect it to take much longer to dry in the oven. Don’t forget to name and date your ornaments so you know who each hand belongs to in the years to come!
Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments
Equipment
- large bowl
- Rolling Pin
- baking paper
- cookie cutters or any other decorative tools
- reusable plastic straw
- acrylic paint, glitter, embellishments optional
- Mod Podge or equivalent, to help seal and preserve the ornaments
- paint brushes
- ribbon, twine or wool for hanging
Materials
- 4 cup all-purpose plain flour plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 cup table salt
- 1.5 cup water plus more if required
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 120 degrees C.
- In a large bowl, add together all the ingredients.
- Stir until incorporated and then knead for three minutes until smooth.
- On a floured surface, roll out of the dough using a rolling pin. You want your dough to be roughly the thickness of a gingerbread biscuit or about 0.3cm thick. You can make thicker ornaments, but they will take longer to dry and be heavier on your Christmas tree.
- Cut out your desired shapes using a cookie cutter, and transfer the ornaments to a lined baking sheet. Use the tip of a straw to make a hole in the top of each ornament for hanging.
- Bake your ornaments for two hours, or until set to the touch. They do not need to be rock hard coming out of the oven, as they will harden further. Depending on the shape and thickness of your ornaments, you may need to leave them in the oven longer (up to four hours). Don’t worry if they take a long time - you can’t overdo them!
- Once dried, remove the ornaments from the oven. Allow them to cook and then place on a wire rack to dry fully until you are ready to decorate.
- If desired, paint your ornaments using acrylic paint. Once dried, follow this with an even coat of Mod Podge, which will seal and protect them.
- Hang your ornaments and add them to your Christmas Tree!
Notes
Hannah is a single mother of one and part-time librarian, living in Melbourne. A self-professed type A Martha (in the best possible sense), she loves to witness to her faith through service and hospitality. In her spare time, Hannah can be found reading recipe books, eating cheese or staking out Melbourne’s best delis.
