Traditions are easy to create around the holiday season, especially while having children. It is extremely special to save their handprint every year as they are growing, with an easy salt dough mixture!
Children are very hands-on little beings, so creating these ornaments will be easy as cake with their help. Unless you have a 1-year-old like me, then we are creatively on our own.
Creating ornaments with my kids will be a yearly tradition forever for me now, knowing that salt dough only contains three ingredients.
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- Water
- Paint is optional if you are confident that is the color you want for all of your ornaments
The only issue I had during this process was kneading, because in general, my hands cramp up if I use them too much in one sitting ex: writing, typing, knitting, braiding etc. Besides that, creating this salt dough for our handprint ornament was a fun process!
Salt Dough Handprint Ingredients:
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Salt
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Chosen Paint or 15-20 Drops of Food Dye (Optional Part)
This is a good time to preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
After mixing these ingredients, it is important to knead.
Place a small/medium ball size of salt dough onto a surface or parchment paper(recommended; so you do not ruin ornament when transferring from surface to parchment paper)
Place flour on your surface and rolling pin and flatten salt dough. If you see that there are cracks add little bits of water, it might be better to add water with your fingers so water is concentrated in that area.
Have your little one bring their handprint to the surface, or if you choose to use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes now is the time!
Using my little one’s handprint I had to wet his hands a bit to make sure the crevices of his fingers were seen on the salt dough. I suggest bringing the fingers together if you decide to create a Santa, that will be the area you will paint on the beard.
Cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the handprint to create a “mitten” shape. For the cookie cutters, strip the excess salt dough from the ornament.
After Separating Each Ornament
If you haven’t already when done decorating and creating your imprint designs place them on the parchment paper.
Poke 1 hole at the top area of the ornament you want to place your string for hanging; you can use a straw or stick to create it.
Put on to rack and depending on how hot your oven gets put at a low setting. My oven is not too powerful so I set the temperature at 300 degrees, others with a stronger oven I suggest placing at 200 degrees.
Keep in the oven for about 60 to 90 minutes!
Voila, now it is time to paint!
Last Important Detail
Seal everything in with Modpodge! It’s the last detail that will keep the longevity and quality of your ornament.
I’m definitely using this as a gift for my son’s family. They are going to love putting their little mans salt dough handprint ornament on their tree 🙂 Especially on his own christmas tree!
HAPPY Holidays :*
