6 Weeks of Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas - Week 2: Salt Dough Ornaments


This is week 2 in the Homemade Holiday Gift Series and this week's project is fun for adults and kids.  This likely brings back childhood memories for many.  Salt dough ornaments are extremely easy and quite quick to make and  I think they are adorable as both ornaments and tags for gifts or cards.

For tools you need stamps, ink, circle or shape cutters {I used a couple of small cookie cutters and a small baby food jar for the circle that the bee stamp is on}, a rolling pin and just about 20 minutes of time.  That's it!  Once they are in the oven, you'll need to give them about an hour, but the work is done.

I left mine unfinished but you could certainly put a coat of polyurethane on top if you would like a glossy finish.  A bit of ribbon, twine or yarn for the top and that's it!




Salt Dough Ornaments

1/2 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.



Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer {or in a bowl with electric mixer}  until a smooth dough forms.   Roll the dough out to a 1/4" thickness, cut dough into shapes.  Carefully transfer to prepared baking sheet.  Stamp with desired stamp {using ink if you would like the image to "pop"}, and, using a straw, cut a hole for the top.


Bake for approx. 1 - 1/2 hour, depending on the size, or until firm.  Watch them after about 50 minutes so the don't get too brown.  Remove to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Thread hole with twine, string, ribbon, etc. to hang ornament by.

Happy Crafting!!



15 comments

  1. How fun! I've actually never made these before, but always wanted to. My problem is I think I'd want to eat them, even though they wouldn't taste good at all! Haha. I love the different ones you did, especially the bees and hearts :) I can't believe how easy the dough is!

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  2. Thank you so much for this post. I'm going to make these with my niece! I've been looking for a holiday craft that we could do together and I think this would be perfect!

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  3. I forgot all about this stuff! I kept trying to eat it as a kid. I actually gnawed quite a few of them—very salty as ornaments go, and not much nutrition. Nevertheless, they were fun to make and hang up. What a funny little thing to be reminded of decades later.

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  4. I would love to make these for the holidays! Definetely going to give them a try. Thank you for sharing!
    Jessica
    www.barefootbysea.blogspot.com

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  5. Tammy - it really is easy!

    Leslie - I'm so happy you'll be making these with your niece! I think you'll have a great time. :)

    Reifyn - don't you love when something reminds you of the little things?

    Jessica - happy to share and hope you enjoy!

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  6. Those are really cute. And much cheaper than buying cinnamon for cinnamon ornaments. Thinking my kiddos would love!

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  7. LOVE! These are adorable! Now I regret selling all my stamps at our yard sale this summer. Bummer! I'm going to look in my storage room to see if there are any I forgot to put out for the sale. :-)

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  8. How adorable are these!?!

    What great gifts they would make and you could personalize them so easily. Thanks, Staci!

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  9. Staci - this post brought back wonderful memories of making these ornaments with my mother. I still have the ornaments we made over 40 years ago. They are not in the best of shape, but I still bring them out each year and put them on the tree.
    Thank you for the recipe and the memories.
    Looking forward to making these.
    xok

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  10. It has been a long time since I made any salt dough ornaments, and as I have been cruising through pinterest looking for easy gift ideas, this one is perfect, and something that even "I" can do--THANKS again for another great suggestion!!!

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  11. These are so cute! We're having a (mostly!) homemade Christmas this year and these will be great gifts and fun to make with my kids!

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  12. Good morning, Staci. I've featured your post at today's HomeAcre Hop. I hope you'll stop by to get a Featured button.

    Kathi @ http://www.oakhillhomestead.com

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  13. Adorable! Thanks for sharing on The HomeAcre Hop! I hope you'll stop by and share your posts with us on The Thankful HomeAcre Hop today!
    http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/11/the-thankful-homeacre-hop.html

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  14. I have not made this dough since I was a kid. I LOVE the idea of making tags out of them and I will have to try this, so fun and creative.

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