Easy Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments
Did you know that the first official Christmas tree ornament wasn’t made until the 1840s? Until then, holiday trees had been decorated with natural goods, such as apples, beads, paper, painted nutshells and pinecones, and tinsel. Then a German glassblower made a holiday ornament, and a new tradition was born.
I was reading all about it in this season’s issue of Magnolia Journal, and thinking that for as much as I treasure the beautiful and sentimental ornaments I’ve collected and received over the years, natural and handmade traditional crafts hold a meaningful sweetness all their own.
So I decided to let my keepsake ornaments rest in their boxes this year and try my hand at decorating my tree with only what I could gather and make. At times the process has been messy (popcorn garland), unexpectedly adventurous (foraging for fallen pinecones in suburbia), and taken hours longer than expected (dehydrated citrus). It has also kept me busy, happy, and appreciative of every single detail, so I say mission accomplished!
Below is a recipe for simple salt dough Christmas ornaments. Salt dough is both easy and affordable to make, requiring only three ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. Their real richness comes from whatever creativity you decide to pour into them. In other words, PLAY!
And if you’re looking for more holiday inspiration, here are some ideas:
DIY Pine-Infused Vinegar Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Easy Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 cup salt
2 cups flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir water and salt together, then gradually add the flour.
On a dry, flat surface, knead the dough, then roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Don’t forget to make holes for string!
Transfer dough shapes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 200F for 3 hours. Let cool completely after removing ornaments from the oven.
Add ribbon, string, or wire to as ornaments, garlands, gift-wrapping decor, or anything else you can think up!