We’ve been making Salt Dough Christmas Decorations (ornaments) for our Christmas tree. They are so much fun and super easy to make! The most wonderful thing about making salt dough decorations is that it is great for all ages to participate in and the final product is something that you can keep and treasure for many years to come.
What you will need?
You will need salt dough, baking paper, rolling pin, Christmas theme cookie cutters and straws.
Click here to find out how to make salt dough: Easy Salt Dough Recipe
Step by Step Instructions
- After preparing and making the Salt Dough, place a ball of the dough onto a sheet of cooking paper and roll our flat with a rolling pin. The cooking paper helps make it easier to transfer onto an oven later.
- Press christmas shape cookie cutters into the flattened salt dough
- Using the straw place a small hole into the salt dough. This hole will later be used to thread a piece of string or ribbon through it for hanging.
- Place in the oven and bake until completely harden. Some browning will occur and this is fine because we plan to paint our Salt Dough Christmas Decorations.
Painting Our Salt Dough Decorations
The wonderful thing about making Salt Dough Decorations is that it can spread it out and make them over a period of a few days. We decided to paint our hardened and cooked salt dough decorations outside because it was a beautiful evening. Sprinkling on some glitter onto the wet paint adds a nice touch to the decorations. When the paint was dry, using a black permanent marker pen, I carefully wrote each child’s name and the year they made them on the back of the decoration. I am sure that years to come they will enjoy looking back on the things they had made.
Hanging our Salt Dough Decorations
We thread a piece of ribbon through the hole that was made using the straw earlier and tied a knot to create a loop for hanging. My kids hung them onto our christmas tree and they look absolutely wonderful, adding a personal touch to our christmas tree.
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I think I’m going to be using this recipe for next year. I’d love some more animals hanging in my Christmas tree!
I love the sound of that Penny, can’t wait! 🙂
We made something similar recently though used water colour. Yours look great on the tree with acrylic, I also love the decorative ribbon.
Such a classic Christmas decoration aren’t they, and they turned out beautifully and colourful. We made some last year and it was really nice thinking about that activity when we decorated the tree this year 🙂
Oh, these are so sweet and they turned out beautifully!
THanks for the recipe. Need to make these too 🙂 Pinning
They turned out so well…just lovely! Must say your little elves and work area look a lot less messier than my version lol! Not sure we understood the whole ‘a little glitter’ phrase 😉 Absolutely love the addition of the ribbon!
They all look wonderful, just a quick question can you bake a Photo in the Salt Dough? I remember as a kid making ornament frames and baking the picture in it to make little tree ornaments. Can this be done? I am assuming so cause I remember doing it but just wanted to make sure and if you would know how long to keep them in the stove. Any information would be greatfully appreciated.
Hi Gene, the photo idea sounds great but I am sorry I have never done this before. If you try it out….let us know how you go! Thanks!
My great grandsons and I will be making some hearts for valentines day (I think)
We made salt dough ornaments and added food coloring to the dough. When we baked them, they expanded and did not look good. Any suggestions to keep the ornaments flat? Thanks.
It may have been the type of flour used. Plain flour (not self-raising flour) is recommended for the recipe. I hope this helps. Good luck!
I’ve currently got a batch of them in the oven! I’m so excited to give these to my mom this year! Thank you so much for this tutorial and happy holidays!