Salt Dough Ornaments

Who remembers making Salt Dough Ornaments?  I'm sure many of you do.  I remember my mama making some when we were small.  Years and years later I made lots and sold them as well as my clay ornaments.  They were simple and inexpensive to make but so pretty.

I'm sure you may have seen these online.
 They are simple and pretty.

 Oleander and Palm Christmas Ornaments credit

video below

Recipe for Salt Dough

• 2 Cups Flour

• 1 Cup Salt

• 1 Cup Water

Mix with mixer with a paddle beater or by hand


You will need

• Gallon Plastic Zip Lock Bag: to hold salt dough and keep moist.

• Cookie Cutters or glass

• Optional:  Stamps and Stamp Ink Pads Stamp Ink Colors your choice

• Optional:  Food Coloring or Acrylic Paints

• Wax or Parchment Paper

•  Rolling Pin

• Oven for baking

• Cookie Sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent sticking

•  Clear Acrylic Mat, Satin or Gloss Pray or Varnish, you decide the finish you would like on your project.  (Use well ventilated space to spray or do so outside).

•  Drinking Straw for your hole to be used for threading twine, ribbon or thread to hang the ornament

Some Design Choices:

•  Stamp design if you wish with stamp with colored inks of your choice then bake.  Note* Press just hard enough to get the design but not too hard because you don't want that ring around the design.

• Add Food Coloring to the water then to sections of the salt dough Before baking for beautiful pastel color results
• Use white dough bake ornaments then when cooled paint with acrylic paints and seal with acrylic sealer. 

 Love this Starfish Garland idea below from Desperate Craftwives

You can make so many things for any number of uses.

photo credit and instructions 

You can use your imagination and use any decorative items you wish to decorate your ornaments. (providing the items you use can be heated to 250 degrees in the oven)  Or of course you can glue them on later.

Snowflake Gift Ornaments from Just Crafty Enough credit and the DIY instructions

Simple Instructions

• Work with a small amount at a time to prevent drying out. Keeping rest in bag.

• Place your wax or parchment paper on surface

• Place a piece of dough on top

• Cover with another piece of paper

• Roll dough evenly 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick 

• Bake in oven set at 250 degrees for approximately 3 hours.  It may take a little longer but watch closely at the 3 hour time to make sure it doesn't brown around the edges or even burn.  You wouldn't want that to happen it isn't pretty.

• Spray when cool with the acrylic sealer. This seals/protects and gives a good finish.

I thought I'd share these videos to help you just in case you've never made salt dough ornaments before.

The first one is from Oleander and Palm which shows how she makes them.
 

The next video is from Beautiful DIY 

LINKS FOR MORE

MODGE PODGE EASY SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS THAT LAST FOREVER

FAUX COOKIE GIFT TAGS

TUTORIAL LINK HERE

I made some in the 1980s and forgot and stored them up in the attic for a year.  Most survived some however didn't mice had a snacking good time on those.  I wouldn't advise storing them in an attic but you could store them in a closed container in the home for use later.  If sealed with several coats they would last at least a year if not more.
This is as always a traditional fun way of making something creative and memories!  Have fun!