As you all know, the week before Christmas is usually absolutely chaos. Between last minute shopping, meal planning, wrapping presents and everything else in between, it's hard not to get caught up in the busyness of the season. I’ve been trying to be intentional about the time I spend with Isla and Elliot this holiday season, so I thought that making salt dough ornaments would be the perfect activity to spend quality time together and also make a few gifts for family members all while letting them have a sensory experience.
We made your basic salt dough ornaments (salt, water, and flour) but switched it up a bit and made one batch of rosemary dough and one batch of cinnamon dough. Isla was such a great helper and helped get the ingredients together, mix the dough, and roll it out.
I’ve always been a super type A person so it’s hard for me to not take the lead when doing activities, Isla on the other hand is a very free spirit so I have been trying to be better at letting go and just letting things work themselves out. Isla very much took the lead on this project. She may have added way too much flour (oops) because she didn’t like how it felt on her hands but nonetheless the kids had a great time getting to play with the dough and make different shapes.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup water
- Acrylic paints (if you want to paint them)
- Paintbrushes
- Cookie cutters
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet
- Twine or ribbon for hanging
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Salt Dough:
- Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Gradually add water, stirring until the mixture forms a pliable dough.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
2. Roll and Cut:
- Roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness using a rolling pin.
- Use festive cookie cutters to create shapes.
3. Bake:
- Carefully transfer the cutouts to a baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 250°F for approximately 2 hours, or until the ornaments are thoroughly dried and hardened.
4. Paint:
- Once cooled, decorate each ornament with festive colors, patterns, and personalized details.
5. Add a Finishing Touch:
- Attach a loop of twine or ribbon to each ornament for easy hanging.
As you hang these handmade ornaments on your Christmas tree, take a moment to appreciate the memories embedded in each ornament. Next year Elliot’s little hand print will be bigger and Isla’s circles will be a little bit more round. It’s always fun to look back at year’s past ornaments to see how much has changed.
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