Learn how to make salt dough ornaments. This easy, old fashioned, handmade recipe is a great craft idea for kids and adults.
This recipe has become such a favorite among so many across the world. I love that it is not only being used at Christmas but other holidays as well. When I originally created this recipe, we used it for ornaments. Now, others are using it for a wide variety of crafts.
So, while you may see Christmas ornaments shared in the photos. Feel free to adapt this recipe for any holiday you wish.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclosure policy.
Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments
Scented Christmas salt dough ornaments are the perfect touch to a homemade Christmas feeling. More than likely, all the ingredients that are needed for this recipe are already in your kitchen.
Salt dough ornaments are easy for kids to make. Kids can make a wide variety of designs and styles using cookie cutters. My children love this recipe and we also love making the chocolate salt dough version.
After these are baked, the ornaments can even be painted.
Salt Dough Ornaments
The smell of scented Christmas ornaments will fill the air of your home with the scents of the season. Using natural spices of ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg with a hint of orange essential oil is the perfect holiday scent.
I try to focus the holiday season on making memories with the children and creating traditions that they will always remember. We started making homemade ornaments a few years ago and plan to carry that tradition on year after year.
Whether you make this recipe or the chocolate scented version, salt dough ornaments will last for years to come.
Handmade ornaments are also a great gift idea to give. Tie them on packages, or personalize them and give them to loved ones to hang on their Christmas tree.
The Best Salt Dough Recipe
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
ginger – 2 tsp
cinnamon – 2 tsp
ground clove -2 tsp
nutmeg -2 tsp
10 drops Orange essential oil (optional but it adds to the amazing smell)
How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments
1. Mix the flour, salt, spices and the orange essential oil if you are using it.
2. Then, slowly add the water until you have a workable piece of dough. You don’t want it to be gooey and sticky, so I always start with a little bit less water and add if I need more. The dough should be close to the consistency of play-dough.
3. Roll out the dough and cut out the desired shape that you want for your ornaments. If you are hanging the ornaments, you will need to use a skewer, straw or something to create the hole for your string.
How to Bake Salt Dough
1. Place the ornaments on a baking sheet and put in the oven at the lowest temperature possible. My oven was set to 170 degrees.
2. Bake the scented salt dough ornaments for 1 hour, then, flip them over and bake another hour.
3. Lastly, remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Then, be creative because you can leave them plain, paint them, create a garland, tie them on packages or simply use as ornaments.
How Long Does Salt Dough Last?
Homemade salt dough ornaments can last a very long time. Salt is a preservative that will ensure that your ornaments don’t get moldy.
At the end of the season, simply wrap them up, very carefully in some tissue paper or newspaper. Place them in a storage location where they will be safe from getting smashed or destroyed. One of the safest ways to store ornaments is in a box designed for ornaments.
How to Make Christmas Scented Salt Dough Ornaments
Learn how to make Christmas scented salt dough ornaments. This easy, old fashioned, handmade recipe is a great craft idea for kids and adults.
Materials
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground clove
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 10 drops Orange essential oil (optional but it adds to the amazing smell)
Tools
- Cookie Cutters
- String
- Skewer
- Rolling Pin
Instructions
1. Mix the flour, salt, spices and the orange essential oil if you are using it.
2. Then, slowly add the water until you have a workable piece of dough. You don’t want it to be gooey and sticky, so I always start with a little bit less water and add if I need more. The dough should be close to the consistency of play-dough.
3. Roll out the dough and cut out the desired shape that you want for your ornaments. If you are hanging the ornaments, you will need to use a skewer, straw or something to create the hole for your string.
4. Place the ornaments on a baking sheet and put in the oven at the lowest temperature possible. My oven was set to 170 degrees.
5. Bake the scented salt dough ornaments for 1 hour, then, flip them over and bake another hour.
6.Lastly, remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Then, be creative because you can leave them plain, paint them, create a garland, tie them on packages or simply use as ornaments.
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It is my favorite. My boys and I enjoy making ornaments every year for our trees. We decorated an entire tree this year just using the ornaments we made from this recipe. It looks so beautiful and smells amazing! I also love your orange garland and have made it these past two years. Thank you for sharing your life with all of us. You are a blessing! -Andrea
Andrea,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me such a sweet comment! I am so thankful that you have made the ornaments and garland. You are making some incredible memories with your boys.
Sounds like a great recipe! Have you ever tried the cinnamon and applesauce recipe? I teach 3 yr. olds in preschool and use this recipe every year. It makes my classroom smell so good. Use equal amounts of cinnamon and applesauce. Mix together, roll out on aluminum foil, and cut with cookie cutters. Pull away the unwanted part and re-roll and cut more. It takes several days for this to dry. I usually turn them over after a couple of days to dry out the back of the ornament. No baking required. Don’t forget to punch a hole at the top with a straw so that you can hang them.
I am gathering ingredients to give this a try; I am a week away from a Young Adults progressive dinner at my house…this garland wld be amazing at my sun porch windows…could I ask how you knotted the bakers twine as you spaced out the stars? Thank you.
wcloss94@gmail.com
Thanks for the comment! I simply pulled my sting as long as I wanted it, then I formed a loop where I wanted a star. Put the star through the loop and then tie a knot. Push the star up to the knot. Then, move down the string where you want another star, make another loop, put the star through and make the knot. If you are doing a long garland you will want to make your string about twice the length that you need so that you have enough. I hope that is helpful. It is the same process that I used to make my orange garland last year. https://www.rockyhedgefarm.com/blog/diy-orange-garland-homemade-holiday-series/11/10/2017
I hope you enjoy making these!
Is the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit?
Fahrenheit
FYI… the directions do not say how thick to rollout the “dough” but I found that 1/4-1/2” is best. The thicker the better. I also used a straw to make the holes. I cut the straws in fourths and thirds as a “new” straw works best. The dough stays in the straw making it a neat job. I also found that the garland requires two knots; one in front of the star and one behind. I used a small, 1” cookie cutter that made about 132 stars!
Thank you for sharing these added instructions!
Hi Sarah, I wanted to thank you for this lovely recipe ! I made them with my grand daughters this week all the way over here in New Zealand and they turned out wonderful, and like you said the house smelled fantastic !!. I am loving your blog 🙂
Blessings to you this Christmas ~ Linda
Hello! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know that you made them. I am so glad that they turned out well!
Thank you Sarah! My "cookies" turned out perfectly!
Wonderful! So glad to hear that!
Have you used other scents as well? For instance, pine or lavender…
I haven’t but I imagine that you could
Where did you get the tiny star cookie cutters?
It is a vintage find but you can find them on Amazon.
If you want to paint them, what do you suggest? I have other cookie cutters that I would like to use.
I made these today. I had made salt dough bears for years. This recipe was easier to work with than the one I had been using. However I felt they did not have enough scent. I will make them again but with more cinnamon or cinnamon essential oil. The string was very hard to tie but I loved the look. Thank you for sharing this recipe for salt dough stars.
I am glad that you liked the recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Can you put these stars on outside Christmas tree?..?…?.
I wouldn’t. Depending on how thick or thin they are, they may get damaged in the wind. And, I am not sure how the weather may hurt them.
I got this from my granddaughter Angel Benavides she’s the one that told me about scented cookies I think that this cool for making these cookies for Christmas decorations
Thank you! I hope you enjoy.
Can you use these for potpourri with different shapes placed in a container? Also, how long does the scent last?
Hello, I am thinking about making these with my son for Christmas. I have a question do you think glitter would work in these?
I think you could definitely add in some glitter.
This were great to make, but I found cooking for and hour and touring they tend to curl some, so I turned them after 30 minutes, was able to press gently on them to make them flat and then repeated the process of turning again in 30 minutes. Other wise they were great and the aroma fills the house nicely and my grandson thought they smelled yummy enough to eat.
Thank you for sharing!
That is wonderful to hear! So glad that you made them and enjoyed the aroma.
To prevent curling I would place another cookie sheet directly on top with some parchment paper between while baking. If it needs to be flipped take hold of both sheets and turnover.
I love this recipe! We made them over the weekend, but one side does not seem to be drying. ? I rebaked them with that side up for another 2 hours. Any suggestions? We did make them a little thicker as we used it for handprints and my little boy broke one of his prior year prints. ?
Great way to have fun with the kids on a cold winter day!!!
Yes, it is a great way!
Hi so I did the recipe and they came out awesome and smell amazing. However I set my oven to 170 lowest setting did the two hour bake with the flip in the middle and let them cool. They were still slightly soft when they came out thinking they would harden up after cooling but they are still slightly soft. Should I rebake or is it a lose u think
Try putting them back in a little bit longer. Just keep an eye on how dry they are getting.
I made these with my 3 year old today. They smell great, but I had to use lots of flour when rolling them out to keep them from sticking to the rolling pin/counter. Unfortunately, now my ornaments look a bit frosted, but not in a good way. : ) Did I miss a step? Thanks!
I made these with my 3 year old today. They smell great, but I had to use lots of flour when rolling them out to keep them from sticking to the rolling pin/counter. Unfortunately, now my ornaments look a bit frosted, but not in a good way. : ) Did I miss a step? Thanks!
Hmmm… not sure what could have went wrong. Did you try rolling them out on parchment paper?
How much dough does this make. I’m trying to figure out how much to make for 47 students.
It makes quite a bit but I can remember just how much.
I’m wondering if this recipe could be made and wrapped tightly to give as a gift or would the dough dry out?
I imagine the dough might dry out. I have never n it this way before.
Do you think food coloring could be added to the dough prior to baking?
I do think that you could do that! Great idea!
If we paint these will it seal in the fragrance?
Hi! I am totally making these this year, but I also want to make a few circular ones and decorate them with “botanicals” – loose tea stuffs. Do you think they’ll be okay in the oven too? Thanks
I have never done them that way but it would be fun to try!
This is such a fun idea! What a fun holiday project or present for kids to make!
Thanks for sharing! Could I add dye to them too?
Hi there.
Your links above aren’t working. You must have moved them to a new location and the saved URL link isn’t updated. I found them eventually, but it was a bit disappointing to not have the right link.
MORE DIY CHRISTMAS IDEAS
Air Dry Clay Ornaments
How to Dry Cranberries for Decorating
Dried Orange Garland
Thank you for notifying me. I will go look and get that updated.
Hi, love this, thank you. Just made them with husband and 16 &14 yr old girls! All had a great time and much fun.
Wonderful!
Can’t wait to try these with my 4 year old baby girl this weekend! Thank you for sharing!
Made these yesterday with regular cookie cutters. Added lavendar buds to the top – Love these. Will use for gift tags, ornaments and in a garland! 🙂 Thanks for the inspo
Thank you so much for leaving feedback and letting me know that you love this recipe!
Great recipe. I had a great time making these with my grandsons.
Wonderful! I am so glad you love them!
I just made these and they are in the oven and the smell is making me so happy! I can’t wait to hang them up. Thanks!
I love this idea! Valentine’s Day is coming up next and I’m thinking I’m going to make some little hearts and string them like you did the Stars. So cute!
This looks so good! What a great activity for kids to make ornaments for their grandparents!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?