DIY Cinnamon Salt Dough Ornaments
A step-by-step tutorial to make cinnamon salt dough ornaments that look just like gingerbread cookies, smell amazing, and last for years.
When I was in preschool, I remember making a salt dough plaque of my handprint for my mom and proudly presenting it to her on Mother’s Day. Remember like it was yesterday… even though that was 30 years ago. (Ouch.)
Last time I saw it, it was this crusty “thing” still hanging on for dear life at my parents’ house on a shelf. And so I figured, hey! The perfect rainy day project to try out with my kiddos.
So last year, we made our own version using cinnamon for salt dough ornaments and of course I never documented the process.
Look at that one year-old Regan footprint from last Christmas! Oh, my heart!
So today calls for a re-do.
Doesn’t that look like a gingerbread cookie?
I loved the gingerbread look so much last year in our Christmas decor, that I strung up some of our cinnamon salt dough ornaments with ribbon to make a garland above our kitchen window.
How to Make Cinnamon Salt Dough Ornaments:
(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)
Ingredients:
- 3 C all purpose flour
- 1 C ground cinnamon
- 1 C salt
- Essential oil of your choice (cinnamon bark, peppermint, clove, and orange work great for Christmas)
- 1 3/4 C water
- Parchment paper or cooking spray
- Cookie cutters (We used these)
- Toothpick
- White puffy craft paint
- Baker’s string, jute twine, or ornament hooks
Step 1 – Mix Dry Ingredients
Mix together all of the dry ingredients first. And set aside 1/2 C of the dry mixture. (You’ll use the reserved dry mixture to flour your surface for rolling the dough later.)
Step 2 – Add Essential Oil in Water
2. Add 10-12 drops of essential oil to the 1 3/4 C water. (I didn’t have any cinnamon essential oil, so I settled for peppermint. But it smells great too.)
Step 3 – Add Water and Oil to Dry Ingredients
Gradually pour a little of the water/essential oil mixture into the dry ingredients.
Step 4 – Mix
Stir and pour in more water gradually until it creates a thick cookie-like dough mixture. (This is when it starts to smell AMAZING! Like Christmas in a bowl.)
Step 5 – Cut Out Dough
Sprinkle your reserved dry mixture over a cutting board or clean countertop.
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Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out your shapes and place them on a greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper.
Step 6 – Poke a Hole for String
Using a toothpick, poke a hole in the top of each shape large enough to thread a string later.
(I let my oldest cut out most of the “cookies” so some of the snowflakes look like sea turtles instead. But it’s not about perfection. It’s about fun.)
Step 7 – Bake
Bake in the oven at 300°F for 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack. As the salt dough bakes, it makes the entire house smell SO good.
Step 8 – Pipe “Icing” Paint
Once the baked dough is cool, “pipe” on your designs using white puffy paint to look like icing on gingerbread cookies.
Step 9 – String Up
And string them up!
Aren’t they the cutest! We even did Lola’s paw print. 😉
More Christmas DIY Ideas
- DIY Christmas Decorations You Can Make Inexpensively
- Easy Tutorial: How to Make DIY Dried Orange Garland
- Easy DIY Stocking Name Tags + Personalized Printable Labels
- 5 Minute Christmas Bow Ribbon Art
Between the dried citrus decor and these cinnamon salt dough ornaments, our house smells like Christmas heaven!
I’m really tempted to try this method to make walls and a roof for a gingerbread house using this cookie cutter set that will last for years. But I haven’t had the guts to try it yet.
Maybe one of you will though?
It’ll definitely be something to attempt one of these days though.
Now that our ornaments are done, I can’t WAIT to decorate our tree next week!
Have you ever done salt dough before – cinnamon or regular? It’s the perfect yearly tradition to do with kiddos and document how much their little hands and feet have grown.
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