Get the whole family involve in this sluttish craftsmanship labor — hand-crafted ornaments make great gift and whimsical additions to the Christmas tree diagram .

To make a colourful set of salt - dough ornaments , start up by looking in your kitchen cabinet — you probably already have all the provision you need for this light craftiness project . Just flux up a simple dough of saltiness , flour , and water ( seriously , that ’s it ! ) , and use cookie cutters to produce playfulness shapes . Once you broil the ornamentation , you could paint them or accessorize them however you like .

practice the ornament asfun natural endowment toppersfor vacation orbirthday gifts , string up them into a merry wreath , or only hang the ornament from a Christmas orEaster tree . This at - domicile craft is easy enough for the whole family to make . Get everyone in the vacation spirit by start off with someeggnogand a littlesweet treat .

clay mushrooms gnomes trees

Credit: Marty Baldwin

How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments

Supplies Needed

Use board saltiness , not cosher common salt , which has bigger crystals and will dissolve more quickly .

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Mix Dough

For the salt dough recipe , in a large mixing bowling ball , mix 2 cups flour , 1 cup common salt , and 1 cupful warm water . Stir or knead the bread until it ’s smooth and not muggy ; we added a few pinches of flour as we arouse to get it to the veracious consistency . Let the dough sit for 20 moment . Then rick the dough out onto a floured aerofoil and use a rolling peg to roam the loot out to about ¼-inch heaviness .

Step 2: Cut Shapes

The best part about this craft is that you may completely customize your ornaments with Christmas cookie cutters or any other kind and then decorate them however you like . Dip the cookie cutter in flour before you use it to make out out shapes . To turn over each shape into an ornament , use a bamboo skewer or a straw to horn in a pickle at the top of each cutout .

Step 3: Bake the Ornaments

Place the cut bod about ½-inch aside on an ungreased cookie sheet . ( They do n’t spread out very much during baking so you’re able to place them pretty close together . ) The baking clip will depend on the heaviness of your ornaments , but for ¼-inch cutouts , plan to bake at 250 ° degree Fahrenheit for 90 minutes . pitch them and then bake them for another 90 minutes . If your shapes are on the thick side , they may take a little longer . You want the finished shapes to be firm and juiceless . take away the pan from the oven and have the cutout cool completely before moving on to the next footfall .

Step 4: Decorate the Ornaments

After the shapes have completely cool , grace the salt lucre ornaments with acrylic paint . you could also glue on embellishments like diamante or glitter , if desired . Let your conception dry completely . If you contribute the hole to turn the shapes into ornaments , string a thin ribbon through the yap to make a hanging loop . and add to aChristmas tree . Or , utilize one long strand of twine or ribbon to string the ornamentation into a festal garland .

Frequently Asked Questions

Salt dough ornaments can become treasured kin memories with a little TLC . After your ornament has whole cool , do n’t forget to pen the date that you made it on the back with a nock pen or a paintbrush . After the pigment has dried , add a light acrylic sealer to protect the ornament and add radiance .

This is a large activity for little ones . With all the wheeling and modelling , they will work on fine motor skills . And when you aid them assess out ingredients , such as 2 cups of flour , they mold on their number , not to advert teamwork .

Mann , Heather and Donily , Summer . “ Get creative with salt lettuce ornaments . ”Statesman Journal .

clay mushrooms gnomes trees

Credit: Marty Baldwin

“ sport and determine with saltiness - clams ornament . ” Michigan State University Extension .