How to Make Ornaments From Dough

Using dough is one of the simplest - and cheapest - ways to make your own ornaments.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 c. salt
• 4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. warm water
• Brushes
• Ribbons
• Watercolors
• Paints
• Varnish
• Groceries
• Cookie Cutters
• Drinking Straws
• Flour Sifters
• Rolling Pins
• Permanent Markers
• Permanent markers

1. Mix salt and flour together. Add water.

2. Knead dough until smooth. The dough should be very stiff. Add more flour if it's too sticky.

3. Roll dough out and cut out ornaments with cookie cutters, or cut out your own figures and shapes by hand.

4. Push a straw, pen or other thin object through ornament at top to make a hole for hanging.

5. Bake ornaments for 1 hour in oven at low setting.

6. Allow to cool.

7. Decorate. You can paint ornaments with watercolors or other type of paint, or use colored markers. Be creative.

8. Coat ornaments when dry with a clear protective coating.

9. Put ornament hanger or ribbon through hole and hang.

Tips & Warnings

• Making your own ornaments adds a personal touch to Christmas. Plus, it's something the whole family can have fun doing.
• Although nontoxic, the dough is extremely salty and is not suitable for eating.
• Decorated ornaments may be toxic and should not be eaten.

[riefderrico]

on 10/1/2009 I loved making Christmas Ornaments with my children at the Holidays - so much fun. Now that they are older (14-20) they love getting them out to trim the tree and bring up all the old memories!

[patmcaudel]

on 10/1/2009 good article, i love these dough ornaments

[jkbrown]

on 11/21/2006 how to make fur/hair -- Put the ornament dough through a garlic press in order to create fur for a horse's mane, or hair for an angel, etc.

on 11/22/2005 Cut the shape, then use a rubber stamp to make impressions in the dough. Then after painting them, antique them by rubbing on a thinned brown paint and wiping off excess. The paint will stay in the crevices and look old world.

on 11/22/2005 Instead of painting ornaments after baking, you can add small amounts of craft paint to dough cut out or form ornaments of choice and dry then spray with clear protective coating 5 or 6 coats. They will keep for years in a dry place. I usually divide the dough and make many colors so i can use as needed. Keep stored in refrigerator in plastic bags and container till used up.