At The Grow, our recipes are all about bringing people together. And this recipe for handmade salt dough ornaments does just that, with a festive holiday twist. But instead of creating a delicious meal, this time we’re crafting something even sweeter: simple, hands-on moments that blossom into unforgettable memories.
Handmade salt dough ornaments are a timeless childhood classic, loved for their charm and effortless creativity. They’re the kind of keepsakes families cherish, pulling them out year after year while reminiscing about “when they were little.” Homemade treasures that make the sweetest gifts for grandparents, teachers, and loved ones—each one carrying the warmth of the little hands that shaped them.
But the real magic goes far beyond the finished ornament itself. It’s found in the giggles around the table, the flour-dusted counters, and the tender snapshots of childhood’s fleeting moments.
Handmade Salt Dough Ornaments
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 3/4 cup warm water
- Washable tempera paints (optional, for decorating)
Assembly:
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Slowly add warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to form.
- Continue kneading by hand until the dough is smooth and pliable. If the dough feels too sticky, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. If it feels too stiff, add more water, one tablespoon at a time.
- Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out—occasionally changing directions—until it’s about ¼ inch thick.
- Use your favorite holiday cookie cutters to cut out shapes, carefully removing any excess dough from around the edges.
- Transfer the entire sheet of parchment paper to a baking sheet, or transfer individual shapes to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- If you plan to hang your ornaments, use a straw, lollipop stick, or skewer to poke a hole through the top (for stringing with twine or ribbon later).
- Bake for 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the flour you used and the thickness of the ornaments. When they’re fully baked, they should be firm to the touch—not rock hard, but also not squishy.
- Let the ornaments cool completely before painting. If you’d like, finish them with a spray sealant or Mod Podge (on both sides) to help them last for years to come.
Why We Love Handmade Salt Dough Ornaments
This is just what The Grow Community Cookbook is all about: nurturing traditions that are homegrown, heartfelt, and made to bring people closer together. With just a couple of ingredients, you can turn an ordinary afternoon into a season’s worth of keepsakes and a lifetime of memories.
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The Grow Community Cookbook: Sharing Homegrown Goodness is a community-sourced cookbook celebrating local ingredients and the people who bring them to life. Whether you’ve got a go-to family recipe or a creative DIY using backyard herbs, we want to see it. Check out the submission guidelines, or explore a few recipe tips, and let us know what’s growing at your table.
