Salt Dough Ornaments

Every year when I visit my parents’ house for the holidays one of the first things I do is look at the ornaments on their Christmas tree. The tree is a place of memories from my childhood. Ornaments made by me and my three brothers that instantly take me back to simple times. All of us sitting at a table together talking, painting and simply being a family. As a mom I am eager to fill my own tree with memories. Here is an easy recipe for Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments to share with your family.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS

2 C flour
1 C salt
1 C lukewarm water
cookie cutters
rolling pin
cookie tray
parchment paper

AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT ENHANCED MAKING SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS

gross motor development
fine motor development
artistic expression
color exploration
language development
mathematics (measurement, counting)

HOW TO MAKE SALT DOUGH

Mix together the three ingredients. Roll out on a floured surface. Create shapes using cookie cutters.

Place shapes on cookie trays covered with parchment paper. Using a toothpick or skewer make a small hole at the top of each ornament. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour or until ornaments are completely hard. Let cool.

Decorate the ornaments using paint and glitter. I gave each of my children a paper plate with small amounts of red, blue, yellow and white paint. Using only primary colors, plus white, gives children the opportunity to explore color mixing. Self-discovery of how different colors are created is a much more profound experience than simply saying to a child “red and blue makes purple”.