Flour dough ornament recipe

The Best Salt Dough (for Ornaments and Crafting!) to Make with the Kids

Learn how to make classic salt dough with the kids, with baking, painting, and storage info. This method is straight forward, easy, and thorough—and they a perfect kids holiday gift for grandparents, teachers, and loved ones!

Salt Dough

This salt dough is a staple of childhood and I love doing this Christmas activity with my kids each year—and throughout the rest of the year too! We love to make salt dough handprints, ornaments, and sometimes, just any old shape they want to. It’s an easy project that we can do together—and then share as kid-made holiday gifts, keepsakes, or house decorations.

Salt Dough Recipe

Making salt dough at home is as easy as combining three pantry staples together into a dough. It’s fairly fool proof (as long as you follow the measurements!) and is a recipe that even little kids can help make.

Ingredients in Salt Dough

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

table salt
all-purpose flour
water

TIP: That’s it! (I buy store brand, cheap flour for this since project to keep it very budget-friendly. )

How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments Step-by-Step

Here’s a look at how to make the dough for this salt dough. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.

Measure out the flour and water. (photo 1)
Add the water. (photo 2)
Stir with a wooden spoon. (photo 3)
Keep stirring until the dough is mostly together and is hard to stir any longer. (photo 4)
Knead a few times with hands to bring the dough together. (photo 5)
Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out. (photo 6)

TIP: You can divide the dough in sections so multiple kids can have their own dough to work with.

How to Cut Out, Bake and Decorate Salt Dough Ornaments

Once you start rolling, here’s a look at what will follow if you want to make these into ornaments. (Skip the hole poking if you want to just make these as shapes for the kids to paint. )

Roll out, changing directions occasionally, until about 1/4-inch thick. (This may not get precise if you’re working with kids and that’s okay!) (photo 1)
Stamp cookie cutters. (photo 2)
Remove the dough around the shapes, then either transfer the whole piece of parchment paper to a cookie sheet OR transfer just the shapes to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. (photo 3)
Poke holes so you have a place for a string to hang as ornaments. (photo 4)
Press in a hand to make a handprint, if desired. (photo 5)
Bake, let cool and decorate! (photo 6)

TIP: Re-roll any remaining dough after Step 3 here to make additional ornaments.

Salt Dough Handprint Ornament

Capturing a handprint in salt dough is a perfect grandparent gift, or a keepsake ornament to make for your own tree. I love pulling out our little collection year after year. Know that getting a good print may take a few tries if doing a baby’s hand!

TIP: Check the size of your round cookie cutter against your child’s hand to make sure that it’s big enough. You may need one that’s 4-5 inches in diameter.

Best Paint for Salt Dough Ornaments

If the kids are wearing smocks, the table is protected, and you are reasonably sure they won’t paint all over their hands and faces, I like using regular acrylic craft paint since it holds up best on crafts. With younger kids who may wind up wearing more of the paint, I’d recommend tempura washable paints.

TIP: We put our paint into the base of old egg cartons since we always have those on hand. You can also use paper plates.

How to Preserve Salt Dough Ornaments

To help preserve your finished dried ornaments, you can coat with a layer or two of Mod Podge or spray with a sealer. Either work well. I’d recommend coating or sealing both sides, so do one side and let it dry, and then do the second side. If using the sealer, do it in a well ventilated area without the kids too close by.

TIP: To store these ornaments from year to year, you’ll want to wrap in bubble wrap. Store in a container that won’t be banged around, dropped or exposed to excess moisture.

Why is my salt dough puffing up?

If you mistakenly use self-rising flour, they may puff. And sometimes it happens randomly. Keep the oven temperature low and if it happens consistently, you can try baking at an even lower temperature for a slightly longer amount of time.

Tips for Making the Best Salt Dough Ornaments

If the dough is too wet and sticky, knead in a little more flour. If it’s too stiff, add a little more water. There is a big range in the way different flours absorb liquid, so there is a normal range of variation in liquid needs. It should be easy to work with—soft and not too stiff and not excessively sticky.
Use paper lollipop sticks or a skewer to make your holes.
Use a 4-5 inch round cookie cutter to make handprint ornaments.
Tie on baker’s twine or thin ribbon to hang as ornaments.
Try to get the dough to an even thickness before baking so the ornaments bake evenly.
Bake for the time indicated and then longer if your ornaments still feel soft. They should be firm to the touch without much give.
Let cool fully before painting.
If you want to paint the background of a handprint ornament, do that before you paint the inside of the hand. Let dry before adding a second color. Some people like to paint the whole thing white or cream to give it a more finished look.
Use acrylic craft paint for older kids who can be trusted with paint and tempura washable paints with younger toddlers.since it holds up best on crafts. With younger kids who may wind up wearing more of the paint, I’d recommend.
To help preserve your finished dried ornaments, you can coat with a layer or two of Mod Podge or spray with a sealer.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this project and what your kids thought of it, so please comment below to share!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Holiday

Calories 1kcal

Servings 2 dozen ornaments

▢ 4 cups flour
▢ 1 cup table salt
▢ 1. 5 cups water

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. When it becomes too stiff to stir, use clean hands to bring the dough together.
NOTE: If the dough is too wet and sticky, knead in a little more flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too stiff, add a little more water, about 1 tablespoon at a time. There is a big range in the way different flours absorb liquid, so there is a normal range of variation here. It should be easy to work with—soft and not too stiff and not excessively sticky.
Knead a few times until the dough is uniform and soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Divide dough into 2 or 4 sections and roll out to about 1/4-½ inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. This will help prevent sticking.
Cut out with cookie cutters. Transfer shapes to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Repeat rolling and cutting out shapes to use up the dough.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Do a 4-5-inch circle and press in a child's handprint if desired.
Use a paper lollipop stick or a skewer to make a hole to hang as an ornament.
If making ornaments, bake for 90 minutes to 2 hours; if baking handprints, bake for 2-3 hours. Continue baking both ornaments and handprints as needed until they are until just firm to the touch, checking every 20 minutes. (It's not a problem if yours take longer than the initial baking time—it varies based on thickness and size...which will likely vary if you are baking these with kids!) They do not need to be rock hard, but should not feel squishy. Handprints will likely take longer than smaller ornaments and may take closer to 4 hours.
Remove from oven, let cool, and paint if desired with acrylic or washable tempera paint.
Once paint is completely dry, seal with Mod Podge if desired.

Mixing Bowl
parchment paper
Mini Cookie Cutters

Divide the recipe in half to make a smaller portion of dough if desired.
Use paper lollipop sticks or a skewer to make your holes.
Use a 4-5 inch round cookie cutter to make handprint ornaments.
Tie on baker's twine or thin ribbon to hang as ornaments.
Try to get the dough to an even thickness before baking so the ornaments bake evenly.
Bake for the time indicated and then longer if your ornaments still feel soft. They should be firm to the touch without much give but do not need to be rock hard. It is not a sign of a problem if yours take longer than mine did to bake—flours and ovens vary!
Let cool fully before painting.
If you want to paint the background of a handprint ornament, do that before you paint the inside of the hand. Let dry before adding a second color.
Use regular acrylic paint for older kids who can be trusted with paint and washable tempera paint with younger toddlers.
To help preserve your finished dried ornaments, you can coat with a layer or two of Mod Podge or spray with a sealer.

Calories: 1kcal, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 6mg

Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

Salt Dough Ornament Recipe - The Best Ideas for Kids

KimPosted: 11/16/2063 Comments

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Salt dough ornaments are the perfect Christmas craft and activity to do with your kids. Make them to give as gifts or simply to hang on your own tree. We will walk you through our easy salt dough ornament recipe and answer any questions you may have on how to make salt dough!

RELATED: Salt Dough Handprint Recipe

Table of Contents

Salt Dough Ornament Recipe
Ingredients Needed to Make This Salt Dough Ornament Recipe
How to Make Salt Dough – Ornament Recipe
Get the Recipe

Salt Dough Ornament Recipe

The best part about making salt dough is it’s easy! And you typically already have the ingredients on hand – salt, flour and water. Don’t worry if you don’t have the decoration supplies just yet. Make your batch of salt dough, bake and then let them air dry for a few days before decorating.

Just a friendly reminder that salt dough can be dangerous to pets if ingested – please keep out of reach of pets.

We’re going to show you how to make these glittery salt dough ornaments. Your Christmas tree will be glistening with these homemade ornaments!

Ingredients Needed to Make This Salt Dough Ornament Recipe

– 4 cups Flour

– 1 cup Salt

– 1.5 cups Water (maybe a little more)

– Christmas Cookie Cutters

– Acrylic Paint

– Glitter

– Clear Glue

– Gold Twine

– Clear glaze spray or Mod podge

How to Make Salt Dough – Ornament Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Note: Check what temperature your oven setting is. If your oven temperature is Celsius you will need to bake at a much lower temperature (the lowest setting is usually a good one to start with).

Adults will need to do the baking part, but kids can help decorate!

2. Combine your flour, salt and water and mix well. Knead for 10 minutes. If your dough is too dry, add a little bit more water. If it’s too sticky, add a little bit of flour. It will help to place flour down on your surface when kneading and on your hands.

Keep kneading until the dough becomes really smooth. This takes about 10 minutes.

3. Once you’re done kneading, roll out the dough to about 1/2 cm thickness. The thinner you make the ornaments, the better they will thoroughly bake and dry through. If you make them too thick they will take too long to dry.

4. Using your Christmas cookie cutters, cut out different shapes for your salt dough ornaments.

5. Using a straw, make a hole in the top of the ornament for where you would like the twine to hang.

6. For a faster baking process, we like to let the dough air dry for a day.

Bake for 1-2 hours. If your ornaments are not completely dried through when you pull them out put back in for another hour. The baking time will vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of your ornaments. Larger ornaments will take longer whereas smaller ornaments will take less time. You can also let them air dry for a day before baking and this will cut down on the baking time.

Make sure to flip them when air drying or baking so that the bottoms of the ornaments dry also.

Note: If you notice puffing when baking, it is likely because the ornaments are too thick. In this case, let them air dry for a few days before baking and make sure they are baking at a low temperature for your oven (200 degrees Fahrenheit).

7. Once cool and completely dried, paint with non-toxic acrylic paint. We used white for the snowflake, red for the mitten, green for the Christmas tree and gold for the bell.

8. Before adding the glitter, you’ll need to seal the ornaments. This will help them keep longer. Make sure your ornaments are completely dried through before sealing. Spray with a clear glaze spray (adults only) or finish with mod podge.

9. Now add clear glue on top of your ornament. Shake glitter on top until you fill the ornament with glitter. Kids will love helping with this part!

Once you’re done, add your gold twine for hanging them on the tree.

Storage Tip: Keep in a cool, dry place when not in use.

Prep Time15 mins

Active Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 15 mins

▢ 4 cups flour
▢ 1 cup salt
▢ 1.5 cups water *Maybe a little more water needed once kneaded.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Important: Check what temperature your oven setting is. If your oven temperature is Celsius you will need to bake at a much lower temperature (the lowest setting is usually a good one to start with).
Adults will need to do the baking part, but kids can help decorate!
Combine your flour, salt and water and mix well. Knead for 10 minutes. If your dough is too dry, add a little bit more water. If it's too sticky, add a little bit of flour. It will help to place flour down on your surface when kneading and on your hands.
Keep kneading until the dough becomes really smooth. This takes about 10 minutes.
Once you're done kneading, roll out the dough to about 1/2 cm thickness. The thinner you make the ornaments, the better they will thoroughly bake and dry through. If you make them too thick they will take too long to dry.
Using your Christmas cookie cutters, cut out different shapes for your salt dough ornaments.
Using a straw, make a hole in the top of the ornament for where you would like the twine to hang.
For a faster baking process, we like to let the dough air dry for a day.
Bake for 1-2 hours. If your ornaments are not completely dried through when you pull them out put back in for another hour. The baking time will vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of your ornaments. Larger ornaments will take longer whereas smaller ornaments will take less time.
Make sure to flip them when air drying or baking so that the bottoms of the ornaments dry also.
Once cool and completely dried, paint with non-toxic acrylic paint. We used white for the snowflake, red for the mitten, green for the Christmas tree and gold for the bell.
Before adding the glitter, you'll need to seal the ornaments. This will help them keep longer. Make sure your ornaments are completely dried through before sealing. Spray with a clear glaze spray (adults only) or finish with mod podge.
Now add clear glue on top of your ornament and shake glitter on top until you fill the ornament with glitter.

To preserve longer - it is recommended to seal your ornaments.

Storage: Keep stored in a cool, dry place when not in use.

These have to be our favorite salt dough ornaments we’ve made and they look great on the Christmas tree!

Looking for more fun Salt Dough Ideas?

See over 25+ Salt Dough Ornament Ideas – these are such cute keepsakes!

These Salt Dough Handprint ornaments are our most popular salt dough ornament. See how to make these adorable handprint keepsakes!

And for another ornament idea – make these salt dough star ornaments. These look great with the bell added!

7 decorations for baking and Easter cakes / The best ideas for simple decor - an article from the "What to eat" section on Food.ru

How to decorate pastries

1. Dough flowers

They can be made flat or voluminous. For example, prepare roses. To do this, using a stack, cut circles from the dough and lay them overlapping. Then carefully roll the resulting strip into a roll. Spread the petals and get a rose.

If you are preparing an open cake, you can first decorate it with a classic braid, and arrange spring roses along one of the sides.

2. Die cutters and molds

If you are unsure of your modeling skills, use pastry cutters. They can be purchased at specialized bakery stores. Spring motifs that are sure to cheer you up:

flowers;
birds;
foliage;
clouds.

Tip

If you want to easily decorate your baked goods, you can use stencils. To do this, print a suitable template from the Internet, cut it along the contour. Apply the resulting blank to the cake and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Simple and beautiful.

3. Curly buns

You can bake intricate muffins that will delight your family and friends. The easiest way to make roses, hearts or birds.

For example, warm buns stuffed with marmalade.

Advice

The lark buns are made from rich pastry. To do this, roll out the bundles 1-2 cm thick, cut them into pieces of 15 cm each. Roll each into a knot. The tip at the top will be the head - pinch off the beak and add raisin eyes. The second end is the tail, it needs to be flattened with a knife and cut into four parts.

The small figurines can be used as a three-dimensional baking decoration.

4. Heart buns

It is easy to form beautiful sugar hearts from dough. You can prepare an independent dessert or use them as a decoration.

Tip

Try making pink buns by adding some beetroot juice or food coloring to the dough. And hearts can be sprinkled with non-melting powdered sugar.

How to decorate Easter cake

Easter is celebrated in spring, one of the most important holidays in Christianity. And, of course, all believers must buy or bake Easter cake for Easter.

If you are tired of the usual sugar fudge or mastic, here are some tips on how to decorate a dessert for the festive table.

5. Hybrid Easter cake

These unusual Easter cakes have recently come into fashion. Kraffin, baked in the form of a rose, looks quite interesting and does not require additional decorations.

It is not necessary to be a professional confectioner; with some skill, making such a dessert is not difficult at all.

You can bake one large cake or several small ones. In any case, it will turn out very elegant.

6. Icing for Easter cake

Icing is the most popular decoration for Easter cake. However, not everyone wants to eat pure sugar. Then you can decorate the pastry with a luxurious white hat, but cook it in a different way.

Gelatin glaze

Tasty and sour glaze keeps its shape perfectly and does not dry out. Even beginners in cooking can cook it.

Italian meringue

This type of decoration is a bit more difficult to make. The meringue is glossy, beautiful and keeps its shape perfectly. It's also delicious and pairs well with citrus fruits. So you can think about making lemon dough.

Tip

Cake icing can be more than just white. For Easter, it is better to choose food colors in pastel colors: blue, pink, pale yellow, pistachio.

7. Decorate with packaging

You can make an Easter cake with fondant sugar or simply sprinkle it with powdered sugar, and make the main decoration inedible using ribbons and wrapping paper.

To decorate with a ribbon, take a piece of a bright color, such as red, and tie it in the center of the product. Complete the composition with a voluminous bow.

You can wrap the cake with pastel-colored tissue paper, first wrinkling it a little. Do not worry if it comes out sloppy or the edges stick out - negligence to such a decor is only good.

Cakes can be decorated with craft paper. It also needs to be crushed, and then intercepted with ordinary twine. Such packaging looks especially successful in combination with a sprinkle of nuts and dried fruits.

What can be done?

Use ready-made decorations. In addition to a variety of confectionery toppings, dried flowers or dried pieces of fruit, such as oranges or other citrus fruits, are suitable for these purposes. Garnishing dessert with candied berries is another easy option.

Flour recipes

Without flour dishes, any table seems meager, because without a cake, pie or biscuits it is already difficult for many to do without. These include: dumplings, dumplings, pies, pies, kulebyaki and much more.

If we talk about homemade pastries, then the appearance and taste of homemade sweets are in the full power of the housewife. Here all kinds of molds, mixers and whisks, confectionery syringes, jigging bags and cornets will help her.

Bakery products and sweets prepared at home cannot be called dietary, like factory-made ones, but they also have benefits. They are rich in magnesium, the filling for them is natural - from jam and jam to the actual hand-made cream.

In addition, the homemade bun is not treated with chemicals to give it an additional taste and fragrance to the product, the dyes are of natural origin.

For impregnation of cakes, use compote syrup, coffee, other liquids with a pronounced aroma.

It is customary to sprinkle pastries with nuts, shavings, and you can also fill the surface with icing, whipped cream, jam or jelly with a dense consistency.

Baking ingredients need to be fresh, from eggs to butter. The flour must be sifted.

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