Salt Dough Recipe for Handprints and Ornaments
An easy salt dough recipe for handprints and ornaments. Salt dough is an easy combination of flour, salt, and water. The end product is salt dough handprints and ornaments that your family will cherish!
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Salt Dough Recipe for Handprints and Ornaments
Salt dough ornaments are a fun and easy craft to do with your kids. You can make them at Christmas time as a gift or year round as a keepsake. Personally, I try to make the handprint ornaments in the first year of life for each of my kids. It is an easy way to capture their sweet handprints or footprints.
A huge perk of this DIY craft is that you likely have these items already in your house. Table salt, all purpose flour, and water. This creates the dough that will be baked. My kids always have a blast playing and molding the dough. This recipe makes a large batch so there likely will be some extra for them to play with while their ornaments are baking.
Ingredients for salt dough
To make the salt dough, you will need:
- All purpose flour: I try and find the cheapest all purpose flour. NOT self-rising flour.
- Salt: just your typical table salt
- Water
How to make salt dough ornaments
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and water. You will want to mix with a large spoon. I typically end up using my hands as well. Tip: wet your fingertips in cold water to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Once mixed, knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth. Add a tablespoon of water as needed if the dough is too dry and isn’t absorbing all the flour. Add a tablespoon of flour if the dough is too sticky/runny.
- Roll out salt dough onto a flat surface with a rolling pin.
- For handprints: Place child’s hand and press down in the dough. To cut out the handprint, place a bowl mug, or cup that is large enough over the hand print. Press it down to make a crease and then you can use a knife to cut along the outline.
- For ornaments: Press down in the dough with different cookie cutters
- Use a straw to make a hole at the top to hang as an ornament.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the ornaments on the baking sheet.
- For larger handprint ornaments: bake for 2-3 hours. Flip the ornaments halfway through.
- For smaller ornaments: bake 1 – 1.5 hours. Flip the ornaments halfway through.
- Once cooled, paint as desired.
- When the paint has dried, seal with mod podge. Use a clean paintbrush to cover one side with mod podge. Allow it dry, then flip and do the other side of the ornament.
Other materials needed
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Cookie cutters for the ornament shapes
- A straw to poke holes
- Paint and paintbrushes (if you want to paint them afterwards)
- Mod podge
- String, ribbon, or twine to hang the ornaments
What type of paint to use on salt dough ornaments
There are 2 types I have used:
- Non-toxic acrylic paint: This paint’s color appear brighter
- Non-toxic washable tempura paint: The colors won’t be as bright, BUT this is worth it to me as it easily washes out of clothes and off of skin. If you have younger kids doing this craft and want to lower the stress level, I recommend washable tempura paint.
Do I need to use a sealer on salt dough ornaments?
Yes, I recommend covering with mod podge to seal the ornament. This is after the paint has completely dried! Mod podge is a water based glue that seals and finishes the ornaments. This allows them to last longer with this protective layer.
Cover one side in mod podge. Let it dry. Flip, and cover the other side in mod podge.
Can I let the salt dough ornaments air dry?
You can, but I don’t recommend. Depending on how thick and large your ornament is, they could take several days to dry.
Why is my dough not smooth?
If the dough isn’t appearing smooth when you roll it out, continue to knead it for several more minutes until elastic and smooth.
What else can I make with salt dough?
- Instead of handprints, try a baby footprint!
- Oher cookie cutters including flowers, dinosaurs, or unicorns.
More Christmas crafts to make
Here are several more budget friendly Christmas crafts your kids can make!
Salt Dough Recipe for Handprints or Ornaments
Materials
- 3 cups all purpose flour NOT self-rising flour
- 1 cup table salt
- 1 ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and water. Use a large spoon or fingertips*
- Add a tablespoon of water as needed if the dough is too dry. Add a tablespoon of flour if the dough is too sticky/runny.
- Once mixed, knead the dough for a few minutes until smooth.
- Roll out salt dough onto a flat surface with a rolling pin.
- For handprints: Place child's hand and press down in the dough. To cut out the handprint, place a bowl mug, or cup that is large enough over the hand print. Press it down to make a crease and then you can use a knife to cut along the outline.
- For ornaments: Press down in the dough with different cookie cutters
- Use a straw to make a hole at the top to hang as an ornament.
- Place the ornaments on the baking sheet.
- For larger handprint ornaments: bake for 2-3 hours. Flip the ornaments halfway through.
- For smaller ornaments: bake 1 – 1.5 hours. Flip the ornaments halfway through.
- Once cooled, paint as desired.
- When the paint has dried, seal with mod podge. Use a clean paintbrush to cover one side with mod podge. Allow it dry, then flip and do the other side of the ornament.
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