How to Make Dough Ornaments

Materials

To make most dough ornaments, you will need cookie cutters in popular Christmas shapes, such as snowmen, candy canes, gingerbread men, and Christmas trees, as well as a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Basic craft supplies such as white glue, acrylic paint, small paintbrushes, and glitter will be needed to help decorate the ornaments. You will also need toothpicks or plastic drinking straws to punch holes in the ornaments to hold ribbon or metal ornament holders and to make designs on the ornaments before baking them. Scented oils, such as peppermint oil, that may be found in the spice or baking aisle of most major grocery stores, can also be added to the dough before cutting out ornaments to give them a festive sent. A clear glaze or varnish may also help the paint color from fading and chipping.

Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments are one of the most traditional types of dough ornaments and contain a few simple ingredients. To make a simple salt dough ornament recipe, mix 2 cups of flour with one cup of salt and one cup of water. Once the dough is mixed and kneaded until smooth, you may roll it out flat and use cookie cutters to make ornaments or mold the dough into unique shapes. Poke a hole in the dough before baking it with a plastic drinking straw. Bake the dough in a 325-degree oven for at least one hour to allow the dough to dry. Once it cools, it may be painted or decorations may be glued on.

No-Bake Dough Ornaments

No-bake dough ornaments take longer to dry than traditional dough Christmas ornaments but provide a fun option for younger children or for classrooms where an oven is not available. Mix one cup flour with one-half cup salt and one-half cup of hot water. Roll out ornament dough and allow it to dry for at least one day before decorating ornaments. Keep ornaments around 3-inches tall or shorter to avoid cracking during the drying process.

Cinnamon Dough Ornaments

Cinnamon dough ornaments spice up your Christmas tree and provide a classic look. Cinnamon dough ornaments are brown in color, so they make a natural Christmas décor, but they may be painted with brighter colors to stand out. Mix one cup of cinnamon with one-fourth cup of applesauce to make the basic dough and add one-half cup of white glue to help the ingredients bind together. Knead the dough until it is smooth and roll it out to cut out ornaments. Bake the ornaments at 200-degrees for two hours or allow them to air dry for approximately 24 hours.