How to Make Salt Dough Christmas Tree Ornaments
Have you made salt dough ornaments? These salt dough Christmas tree ornaments make the cutest homemade gifts!
Every year since my older daughter was born, I’ve made homemade Christmas ornaments to give out as gifts to friends and family. They always feature either a picture of my kids, or are created by my kids. My older daughter, Ella, helped with most of the steps in creating these sweet ornaments, and they came out so cute!
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY TERMS OF USE POLICY FOR MORE INFO.
Materials Needed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup water
- Rolling pin
- Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter
- Straw (for making holes)
- Baking sheet and parchment paper
- Acrylic paint (we used green and yellow)
- Paintbrushes
- Buttons (for ornaments on the tree)
- Hot glue
- Twine or ribbon for hanging
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Making the Dough
- To make your salt dough, combine flour, salt, and water in a large bowl.
- Mix until it forms a dough consistency (add more flour if too sticky, more water if too dry).
- Rolling Out the Dough
- Sprinkle flour on a flat surface.
- Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Cutting Out the Christmas Trees
- Use the Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes.
- Transfer shapes to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Making Holes for Hanging
- This is the perfect time to use a straw to poke a small hole near the top of each ornament for hanging later.
- Baking the Ornaments
- Before baking, we left our trees out to air dry for a few hours. This step is optional but helps to speed up the process a bit!
- Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).
- Bake ornaments for 2-3 hours or until fully hardened. Flip halfway through for even drying.
- Decorating the Ornaments
- Once they cooled, Ella painted the trees green.
- After the green paint dried, we painted the very top yellow for the “star”.
- Next we got glued colorful buttons onto our Christmas trees for ornaments (make sure a grownup helps with hot glue!).
- Adding Ribbon or Twine
- Thread a ribbon or twine through the hole and tie a knot to create a hanging loop.
Suggestions for adding personal touches:
- We wrote Ella’s initials and the year on the back of each ornament with a sharpie.
- You could choose to add glitter or small rhinestones for a sparkly touch!
Tips for Success
- Use a toothpick to create smaller details on the ornaments.
- Ensure ornaments are completely dry before decorating to avoid cracks.
- Store them in a dry place to use for future Christmas seasons.
More Christmas Fun
We all know the Christmas season is a fun time for memory making, seasonal learning, cute crafts, and more! If you’re looking for more fun and easy Christmas crafts and activities, be sure to check these out:
- Printable A-Z Christmas Ornament Craft
- “Dear Santa” Letter Writing Printables
- Christmas Bible Lesson with Wheel Craft & Activities
- Preschool Christmas Activities Bundle
And you won’t want to miss this hot cocoa sensory bin (with printable recipe cards!)
Finally, take a peek at some of our favorite Christmas books:
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
- The Christmas Blessing by Erin Guendelsberger
- Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck
- The Grumpy Reindeer by DK
- Pig the Elf by Aaron Blabey
- Santa Duck by David Milgrim
Will you try making these fun and easy salt dough Christmas ornaments? If you do, I’d LOVE to hear about it! Comment below or message me on Instagram to tell me about it!
