Holiday Traditions: Making Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

A good Christmas tradition involves the entire family. And making dough ornaments is something the entire family can do. Many people are familiar with these type ornaments because the dough is the same type that was used to make various projects, such as ornaments, in elementary school. The basic recipe is listed below, but there are many ways to change it and make it unique to your family. You can add cinnamon to the mixture to add a nice scent. You can use one ornament for the entire family, or you can make an ornament for each member. You can paint or glaze them any color you choose. Just make sure you put the date on the ornament, so that you can look at them each year and remember that Christmas fondly.

To make the dough, you need 1 cup water, 1 cup salt, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix the salt and flour, and then slowly add the water to the mixture to create your dough. If you need additional flour or water, feel free to add it, but it should be the consistency of an uncooked pie crust. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough mixture out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Place the cookie cutters into flour so that the dough won't stick to them, and then press it into the rolled out dough. Carefully pick up the Christmas ornament shapes and place them onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Make sure to poke a small hole in the top with a toothpick so that you can thread a ribbon or string through the Christmas ornaments. Also, make any carvings at this time, before they are baked. This can include names or dates, or those can be applied with paint after baking. Bake the Christmas ornaments at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, then flip them and cook for another 30 minutes. If you want to, you can air dry the ornaments instead, but it will require several days, so make sure you allow enough time. Paint these Christmas ornaments however you want, and if you have not yet painted the names and dates, make sure to do so now. Also make sure to use a spray shellac to seal the Christmas ornaments.

Using various shapes of cookie cutters, you can make virtually any shape Christmas ornament. If you are making a peppermint stick shaped Christmas ornament, add a small amount of peppermint oil in place of the water (make sure not to add too much or replace all of the water). If you are making gingerbread men shaped Christmas ornaments, put small dots of dough, or candies for buttons and eyes. As long as you apply a good coat of sealant, the candies will stay fresh for years. If you are making bells, you can apply a fine coat of glitter to make it shimmer. Glue on ribbons or bows, or decorate it in any way you see fit.

However you personalize your dough Christmas ornament, it will be a special family heirloom that you can enjoy for years to come. Each year, as you make a new Christmas ornament, you can get the old ornaments out and look at them to remember the special times you have had through the years.