Over the years, I have made more salt dough ornaments than I can count. I have collections that go back to when our oldest kids were very small. Salt dough is a wonderful inexpensive way to make ornaments, and you can use the salt dough in so many ways, from shaping and sculpting, to rustic cookie cutter gingerbread type ornaments. The kids have always enjoyed making them, and I have too. I tweaked the dough a little, this time around, by adding ground cinnamon and essential oils to it, it is simple, smells heavenly and comes out with that old fashioned "ginger bread", "Little House on the Prairie" primitive look.The aroma begins while mixing the dough, continues through the baking and is still heavenly while hanging on the tree… the only negative is that you can't eat them when you take them out of the oven… and you will wish you could.
Gather together ingredients. You will need:
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Cinnamon
1 Cup Salt
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups water
Make the dough as follows:
Measure dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
Stir well….
…..until completely blended.
Reserve a 1/2 cup of the mixture to dust the bottom of your work space with, and set aside.
This will prevent sticking when rolling out the dough; you could also dust with powdered cinnamon.
Drip several drops of Essential Oil into the water and stir well.
Pour water into the mixture gradually, stirring as you pour.
Continue to add and stir until mixture becomes a nice ball of dough;
You don't want a sticky consistency, but a smooth consistency.
Place dough onto the floured surface.
Pat down.
Roll out like cookie dough to about 1/4 an inch thick.
Cut out the shapes and move them quickly to a greased cookie sheet.
Left over dough from the cutouts can be worked into another ball of dough and rolled out again.
It re-rolls very nicely. Keep the dough in the refrigerator while not using, or allow to sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes, if the dough gets too soft.
This one's for you "Shorty".
Cut holes where you desire them, using a toothpick, or a straw. If you use a tooth pick, work the hole with the toothpick, until it is the desired size. You can allow the toothpick to remain while baking, to keep the hole from closing (I did this for the smaller ornaments that I wanted smaller holes… but didn't want them to close up). A straw makes a nice clean opening, but is a little large for the smaller ornaments.
Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes to an hour or more, until the ornaments are dry.
Tie up with string, ribbon or strips of "Homespun" type material.
You can use peppercorns or cloves for eyes if you like (put them into the dough before baking).
If you want to try Chocolate Salt Dough, click here
Cinnamon Salt Dough Ornaments
Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup ground Cinnamon powder
1 cup salt
1 /1/2 to 1 3/4 cup water
Essential Oils
Extra Ingredients:
Pepper Corns, cloves or beads for eyes
Straws or Toothpicks to make holes to hang the ornaments
Paint
Glue
Glitter
Ribbon, twine or strips of "Homespun" type material
Instructions:
1. Mix together Flour, Cinnamon and Salt.
2. Stir well and until completely blended
3. Add desired amount of Essential oils to water and stir well.
4. Pour water into flour and salt mixture, stirring as you pour. Mix until well blended, using just
enough water to make a workable dough.
5. Form, shape or cut out ornaments. Place on greased cookie sheet (you can also use parchment paper, or sprinkle flour or Cinnamon on the Cookie Sheet to prevent the ornaments from sticking).
6. Bake at 300 degrees 30 minutes to an hour, until the ornaments are hard.
Decorate however it suits you. I have sometimes finished these ornaments in three different ways; 1). Lacquer, 2). Lacquer spray, 3). Paraffin Wax (melt the wax in a double boiler, and then dip the ornament). This year they are rustic and unfinished… they look like cookies this way. Store in a dry environment, and they will last for many years.
Little glitter fingers…. scrumptious!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!
