Christmas Crafts: Dough Ornaments

I know Christmas is almost here, but if you’re looking for some good old-fashioned fun for the kiddos and maybe the start of a pre-Christmas tradition, why not make some of your own ornaments? They could even make sweet gifts for neighbors, friends and family members!

Here are three different kids of homemade dough perfect for ornaments:

Salt Dough

This dough is great for little kids as it’s completely safe to eat and works pretty much the same as playdough, just a little sandier. It looks great painted and varnished and will keep for quite a while.

2 c. flour

1/2 c. salt

3/4 c. warm water

Mix flour and salt well in a large bowl. Gradually add water until a dough forms. Knead, roll out and shape however you want. Keep ornaments in the 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness for best results. Place finished ornaments on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 1 hour or until dough is hard, but not brown. Let cool completely, then paint and varnish to preserve.

Cinnamon Dough

This dough smells great on your Christmas tree and holds up really well over the years. You can paint these, add gliter or leave them as they are!

1 c. cinnamon

1/4 c. applesauce

1/2 c. glue

Mix together the cinnamon and applesauce using a spatula. Stir in the glue ntil the dough is smooth and dry. Let stand 1 hour. Knead the dough until it is smooth and pliable in your hands. Cut, mold and form into whatever shapes you like. You can air-dry ornaments on a rack lined with paper towels for 24 hours, turning them over every 6 hours to keep them flat, or bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours, flipping once midway through.

White Clay Dough

These ornaments are from CookieDoughCreations on Etsy, but you can make your own!

This smooth dough creates beautiful ornaments that resemble ceramic and look great painted or just left white! You can also dye the clay by adding food coloring to the water or by adding glitter.

2 c. baking soda

1 c. corn starch

1 1/2 c. cold water

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat on medium high, stirring constantly. The mixture will bubble and eventually begin to form a claylike substance. When it is the consistency of mashed potatoes, remove from heat and spoon into a large bowl. Place a damp cloth over the clay until cool. When cool, knead until the dough becomes smooth. If it is sticky, add corn starch in small quantities until you can handle it easily. Cut, mold or shape into whatever you like. You can let the dough air dry for about 24 hours or bake at 200 degrees for about an hour until hard, but not brown. Paint, varnish and enjoy!