Christmas gifts don’t have to be expensive with these unique, homemade ornaments using this easy salt dough recipe!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Christmas is one of the most financially stressful times of the year for single-income families but it doesn’t have to be! There are so many budget-friendly, or homemade options to provide thoughtful, unique presents for family and friends. This year I found the best salt dough recipe for homemade handprint ornaments to gift to family!
What is Salt Dough?
Salt dough is a quick and easy dough made of water, flour, and salt to make a play-dough consistency. Once shaped how you want it, you can bake it, paint it, and seal it to create a lasting Christmas ornament or craft! The final product is a hardened, lightweight but sturdy creation.
Is Salt Dough Edible?
Yes, salt dough is edible, however, it tastes very strongly of salt and I do not recommend ingestion.
The Best Salt Dough Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Baking Sheet
Materials
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour*
- 1 cup Salt
- 1 cup Hot Water
Instructions
- Mix salt and hot water together in a bowl.
- Once some of the salt has dissolved, mix in the flour.
- Knead dough until it becomes a play-dough consistency. This may take 3-4 minutes.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼" thickness.
- Cut out your shapes then make a hole for the string before baking**.
- Place the ornaments onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 200℉ for 2.5-3 hours
Notes
Shaping Your Ornaments
There are so many fun designs you can make with this salt dough recipe! I chose handprints, but you can also use footprints or cookie cutters. A quick Pinterest search will show you loads of different ideas! Make sure you make a hole in the ornament to hang it from later. I used a straw to cut a small round hole.
If you’re doing handprints, you might find it difficult to get good cooperation from your child depending on age. Babies will often close their hand into a fist which can make getting an early handprint hard. I also noticed that my 18-month-old did best with his fingers spread apart while my 3-year-old preferred to keep his fingers together. Either way they still made a cute Santa design but they were definitely unique from one another!
Decorating Salt Dough Ornaments
Once you’ve used this salt dough recipe to make your creations, allow them to cool before painting. You can use any acrylic craft paint you have lying around the house. If you don’t have the right colors, I found this paint for under $1 at Walmart! If you need to use multiple layers of paint, allow each layer time to fully dry.
Sealing Salt Dough Ornaments
Once you have finished baking and painting your creations, it’s time to seal them. Sealing salt dough helps smooth out the porous dough and helps preserve it for future years. To seal, you can use a spray sealant or paint it on with a brush. The spray would probably be slightly faster but I opted for the paint brush method because it was cheaper. With either sealant, make sure to cover only 1 side at a time and allow it to dry before flipping over and sealing the other side.
Hanging Your Ornament
If you put a hole into your ornament before baking, now is the time to run a ribbon or twine through it to help hang your creation on the Christmas tree! If you forgot to make a hole before baking, you can still make it hang by hot gluing ribbon or twine to the back. I found cheap a Christmas ribbon at the Dollar Tree for mine.
Total Cost of Homemade Ornaments
Because I already had salt, water, and flour on hand I only needed to pay for the ribbon, paint, and Mod Podge. The total cost for this project was under $8. Using this salt dough recipe I created 8 toddler handprint ornaments so each cost me under $1 to make.
Why Salt Dough Ornaments Are Perfect For Frugal Living
This salt dough recipe yields lots of unique, custom ornaments yet costs next to nothing to make. They are a cheap and easy activity for kids of any age. Whether you’re looking to make gifts for grandparents, or decorating your own tree, these ornaments will always hold happy memories of small handprints or time spent together creating them. That’s something a store-bought gift just can’t match!
Let me know if you try this recipe and what designs you come up with in the comments below!
You Might Also Like:
Comments are closed.