How to make ornaments out of flour

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. 

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

1. 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) 
2. Stamp cookie cutters. (photo 2)
3. 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)
4. Poke holes so you have a place for a string to hang as ornaments. (photo 4)
5. Press in a hand to make a handprint, if desired. (photo 5)
6. 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

Kim Posted: 11/16/2060 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

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!

– 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

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!

Simple cake decoration

Simple cake decoration - openwork pancake chips! Spectacular decor that costs almost nothing! A detailed master class with step-by-step photos and detailed explanations - only with us!

Have a good day and good mood everyone! It seems to me that every day (or maybe every hour) something new, special, made from a variety of, sometimes very unusual ingredients, is born in the confectionery world. You look at the next invention, and immediately want to try to make it yourself! Well, then you figure out how many products and tools you will have to buy for this and ... Well, you understand :)

Therefore, today we will make an excellent and very effective decor that costs almost nothing! Yes!) Of course, skill is required, but this does not scare us, right?) The technology for preparing such a simple decoration for a cake resembles baking pancakes, which is why in the confectionery environment this type of decor is called pancake chips.

Well, let's go?

Ingredients

Flour - 10g

Water - 90g

Butter - 40g

Food coloring

Let's prepare the ingredients

To prepare the decor, we only need 10 g of flour, 90 g of water, 40 g of odorless vegetable oil and food coloring.

Let's knead the dough!

Add a third of the water to the flour and stir until smooth. If all the water is poured out at once, it will be more difficult to mix until smooth. Then add the remaining water and mix thoroughly again.

Add oil

Add oil and stir again.

Add dye

Depending on how many chips you want to make, you can either dye the whole mixture one color or divide it into two or three colors. The main thing when you pour into bowls, remember that fat accumulates on the surface, and the flour settles down, so you must first mix everything thoroughly, and then immediately, immediately separate it so that it doesn’t turn out that you only have butter in one half, and in the second - flour with water.

Let's bake!

And now the real magic will happen!

Heat a frying pan (preferably with a non-stick coating, otherwise it will be very problematic to remove our chips) to a very hot state and pour a spoonful of the mixture onto it.

Attention! Keep the lid of the pan ready, because the mixture mercilessly begins to splash in all directions! Pour the dough and immediately cover (but do not close completely!) With a lid. If you have a splash guard, you can use that.

At first, the pancake will bubble violently and the oil will shoot, but after a while, the active actions will stop and the pancake can be removed.

If your pancakes are too bubbly, brittle and breakable, try adding a little flour, or if they are too thick, add a little more oil and water.

Remove excess fat

Put the finished chips on a paper towel to get rid of fat. I must say right away: unfortunately, it will not be possible to get rid of all the fat in this way, but then the pancake can be dried in the oven or in the microwave (literally 5-10 seconds).

Result

That's what we got!

Nice, isn't it?

If you have prepared this simple cake decoration in advance, keep it away from damp places.

Good luck!

Friends, we have a wonderful VKontakte community! Join. Anita0005

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Openwork tuile for decoration | Sweet menu

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Cook with pleasure, please your family and friends! Let your cakes be the most beautiful!

Dear friends! I will be very grateful to you for mentioning the site "Sweet Menu" and my name in the social. networks.

Tags: decoration, porous cake, tuile, crispy

1. To make tuile we need flour, water and vegetable oil. Color dyes are added by default. You can make tuile without dye. It will turn out to be a delicate cream color, this also has a place to be. If you want to make the decor brighter, then of course use a dye. Helium is better suited for this, as it dissolves faster in the mixture.

2. Then everything is very simple. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients with a whisk. It is not necessary to beat, mix until the mass is combined.

4. Preheat a non-stick pan. Pour a little mixture, cook over medium heat. The mixture in the pan will begin to boil and splatter very strongly (this is a dirty business, I tell you). Be careful not to get burned! We are watching what is happening. As soon as the water evaporates and stops forming bubbles, carefully remove the chips from the pan with a silicone spatula. He is very fragile!

5. Spread the resulting tuile on a paper towel. Do the same with the rest of the test.

6. I wanted to experiment with other colors too. I want to note that in the process of frying the tuile, the color changes, it darkens a little. If you want to get a lighter decor, add a little dye. Enjoy your experiments!

This decor is very fragile, it is difficult to prepare it for future use. But there is a way out! You can prepare colored dough, store it in the refrigerator in a closed container, and if necessary, quickly "fry" in a pan.

Olga Doninistudio

Hello, thank you!

Olga, cook for your health! :))

Uliana Kuzmenkova

Thank you very much for new technologies!

Ulyana, I'm glad you liked the decor! Cook with pleasure! :)

Lena Akulova

Great, thank you))

Lena Isayeva

Larisa, thanks for the great master class! This is something new! At the beginning I read "tulle", but it really looks like tulle, thin, airy. The beauty! I will definitely try!

Lena, thank you for your feedback and interest in the recipe! Yes, the decor is amazing! Be sure to use the recipe, the cake will turn out very beautiful! :))

Natalya Mitrohovich

Larisa, please tell me how long this decor can decorate a cake, for example? I mean, does it get wet quickly?

Natalia, thank you for your question and interest in the recipe! I didn't check. I can assume that the tuile on a wet surface will quickly become sour. I think it's best to decorate shortly before dessert is served.

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Natalia, thank you for your feedback! I'm glad you liked the dough. I love him very much too.

Natalia Dzyga

Good afternoon! I made my Napoleon cake several times from this dough, it turns out crispy, melting in your mouth, that’s exactly what I like - I call it dry, I made the cream from the Napoleon cake recipe, it turns out very tasty, I’ll add that I cut the cakes after baking.

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