Hey there, crafty friend! You must be after the same thing I was this season – the best salt dough ornament recipe. I checked out a TON of salt dough ornament tutorials before creating my batch this season, and they came out SO GOOD, I just had to share.
Trust me, your family and friends will think your salt dough Christmas ornaments are store bought if you follow along. So, let me share my step-by-step instructions, along with some creative ways you can put them to use this season (other than the obvious tree decorating 😉). So, let’s get right to it!
Best Salt Dough Ornament Recipe + All The Magic-Making Supplies
First things first, let’s get our hands dirty with the best salt dough ornament recipe. Here’s what you’re going to need to craft a similar batch to mine shown below.
Salt Dough Recipe:
Essentially, the salt dough is made up of 2-to-1 flour to table salt, and you’ll use the same amount of water as you do salt (roughly). Here’s the exact measurements I used for mine.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup table salt
- 1 cup water
- Optional: 3 ounces white acrylic paint*
*NOTE: You can mix white acrylic paint into your water to get a more natural looking color after baking. This was recommended in several tutorials I watched, and so I followed this step and I liked how mine came out. This is totally optional though if you want to skip this bit.
Salt Dough Ornament Supplies:
In addition to the dough itself, here are supplies you’ll need to create your salt dough ornaments.
- Rolling pin
- Whisk
- Straw
- Cookie cutters
- Parchment paper
- Cookie pan
- Ribbon or twine (for hanging your finished ornaments)
Optional Additional supplies:
- Textured items (for making impressions)
- Colorful acrylic paint and paint supplies (for decorating after baking)
Salt Dough Ornament Instructions
OK, once you’ve got your supplies ready to go, it’s time to get started! Here are the step-by-step instructions for making your salt dough ornaments. And if you’re more of a visual learner, check out my salt dough ornament video tutorial on Instagram!
Make Your Salt Dough:
- Whisk together your flour and salt in a large bowl.
- In a measuring cup, stir a couple ounces of white paint into your cup of water
- Slowly add water, mixing as you go until you’ve formed a dough
- Knead until firm and not sticky (add more flour if needed).
Cut-out Your Salt Dough Ornaments:
- Roll out your dough to about ¼” thick
- If you want to add texture to your ornaments like I did, grab your texturizing supplies and make your impressions into the dough.
- Cut out your shapes using your cookie cutters.
- Poke a hole with a straw near the top of each of your cutouts.
Bake Your Ornaments:
- Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees.
- Place your cut-outs on a baking sheet prepped with parchment paper.
- Bake your salt dough ornaments at 200 degrees for an hour.
- Remove and let cool completely before you paint or add your ribbon.
Decorate Your Salt Dough Ornaments:
Last but not least, it’s time to decorate! You can 100% leave them au-naturale (spoken with a French accent, of course), if you like them that way, or you can decorate them with acrylic paint to give them that Christmas pop-of-color. Or, have a mix of both! Do whatever feels right for you!
For my set-up, I just grabbed a variety of brush sizes, a paper plate as my painting palate, a couple water glasses for cleaning my brushes in between colors, and something to protect my work surface from spills.
I painted my salt dough ornaments, let them dry and then added my ribbon!
For a few that I plan on gifting, I also added tags like you see pictured. You can snag those as a savvy subscriber by completing the sign-up form below!
And voila! You’ve just whipped up the best salt dough ornaments that are ready to be used for holiday decorating, gifting, or… one of these other genius ideas (if I do say so myself).
Surprising Uses for Salt Dough Ornaments
Now, let’s talk about why these ornaments are the real MVPs of your holiday crafting projects.
Whether you’re looking for a fun DIY craft to do with your kiddos, your friends, or for gifting this season, Salt Dough Ornaments are one to try. Why? First of all, they are so easy to make (clearly, we just covered that!). Second of all, there are so many uses for this fun craft.
1. Gift Tags: Swap out store-bought tags with these adorable ornaments for a personalized touch to your presents.
2. Gift Sets: Create a set of these beauties to gift as thoughtful and personalized presents for family and friends. Ideal for young couples or new homeowners!
3. Place Setting Name Tags: Elevate your holiday dinner with customized ornament name tags. A small detail that makes a big impact!
4. Event Favors: Hosting a holiday party, winter bridal or baby shower, or even a winter wedding? These salt dough ornaments make the sweetest DIY favor to thank your guests.
PRO TIP: Display them on a mini tree for an extra festive touch! Also, don’t forget you can snag these printable winter bridal shower and baby shower favor labels by subscribing below!
5. Holiday Party Activity: Got a crew who likes to craft? Make this the main event! You can pre-make the salt dough ahead of time so your guests can get right in and start customizing their own.
You might also want to check out these 31 holiday party theme ideas while you’re at it!
Free Tags for Your Salt Dough Ornaments
Last but not least, Savvy Subscribers get access to tons of free printables and supplies. Sign up using the form below and grab your free printable Christmas gift tags, and access to all of the Savvy holiday content!
There you have it – the best salt dough ornament recipe and a handful of surprising uses that will make your holiday season merry and bright. Try this recipe, get creative, and share your salt dough magic by connecting on Instagram and tagging #savvyswarey. Let the holiday crafting festivities begin!
Don’t forget to Pin This for Later!
