These projects are a fun way to make your own decorations
By Aldona Bird
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
Make your own holiday décor is a fun way to spend the long evenings on these short days of the season.
With supplies you probably already have on hand you can easily make decorations in any shape your heart desires.
Salt dough ornaments are a tried and true way to make decorations. To make them, you will need:
- Salt
- Flour
- Water
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Straw, chopstick or skewer
Mix one cup table salt and one and three quarters cups all purpose flour. When combined, mix in a cup of warm water. When the mixture is too thick to stir, knead on a lightly floured surface.
The dough should be soft and easy to work with. If it is too stiff, add a teaspoon of water at a time until it softens. If it is too soft and sticky, add a little flour until it becomes comfortable to work with.
Roll a portion of the dough out to about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and use a reusable straw, chopstick or other tool to poke a hole at the top to hang the ornament by.
Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in the oven at 250 degrees for two hours, or until hard. Flip ornaments over half way through.
Once the ornaments cool you can get more creative by painting them.
Salt dough ornaments are a classic way to create fun ornaments and fun memories. But there are other dough ornaments you can make too, for different effects and experiences.
To make air dry clay ornaments, you will need:
- Baking soda
- Corn starch
- Water
- Medium sauce pan
- Spoon
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Cookie cutters
Mix one cup of baking soda with a quarter cup of corn starch and three quarters cup of water. Bring to a boil (stirring constantly) and then turn the heat down to medium and keep stirring until the mixture is too thick to stir. Cool, and then roll out and cut, or sculpt. Keep this clay covered until you are ready to use it, because it starts to dry quickly.
Air dry on a parchment lined baking sheet lightly dusted with corn starch, or bake at 170 degrees for two hours to make a stronger finished product.
This air dry clay makes whiter and slightly crisper edged ornaments than salt dough, and is also a good base for painting.
If you want ornaments that make your home smell nice, make cinnamon dough ornaments by mixing equal parts cinnamon (you can add other spices as well such as nutmeg, clove or allspice) and apple sauce. Add more cinnamon if the dough isn’t thick enough.
Roll on a cinnamon dusted surface to a quarter inch thick, and cut out with cookie cutters, make a hole, and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 200 degrees until hard, or let air dry for two to three days.
When ornaments are done, string a ribbon through the hole and tie in a loop.
Kids will love making dough ornaments. Make any or all of these dough ornaments to make holiday or any type of décor. The ornaments can also be used as gift tags to make presents look extra special.
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