Christmas is my favorite time of year, not only for the cool temperature and music, but the wonderful crafts! I still have a few of my handmade ornaments my mom passed down to me several years ago. With it being my daughter’s second Christmas this year, she is interested in helping decorate and craft with me.
Having a 2 year old helper, I wanted a craft that would be easy and not time consuming. At that age, your child does not need a complex craft. Easy 20-30 mins crafts are the best.
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Salt Dough Ornaments (Baby Safe Recipe Included!)
I was very excited to try this recipe since I have never made salt dough ornaments before. I know, shocker. There are MANY salt dough recipes on Pinterest, but I came across a recipe from Domestically Blissful that really caught my eye.
She goes into detail about how to whiten your salt dough and gives a great recipe with a secret ingredient. That ingredient is white acrylic paint.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white acrylic paint
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- Straw
*Baby Safe Recipe*
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Taking 2 medium mixing bowls, combine flour and salt thoroughly in one bowl and set aside.
- Combine water and white paint in a second bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Slowly add the water and paint mixture to the flour and salt. You may not use all the water mixture, which is ok. Once you have formed a dough ball, knead and roll out in a thin layer.
- Use a straw or popsicle stick to make a small hole in your ornament/garland for easy hanging.
- Domestically Blissful recommends baking at 200 degrees for 2-3 hours. If you are crunched for time, bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
Cookie cutters or stamps are a great utensil to make a unique design for garland or Christmas ornaments.
For keepsakes or gifts for family members, have your child make a handprint in the dough and let them paint after baking.
Painting Salt Dough
I was very surprised how well my daughter’s handprint turned out. It took a few attempts but we finally had the perfect Christmas gifts for my parents/ in-laws and aunt.
I made her handprints on the thicker side since she likes to curl her fingers. After the handprints were completely dry, I used left over white ceiling paint as a base coat. If you prefer a smooth finish like me, you may need to apply several coats of the white primer. For the handprint color, I used left over Lowes paint samples from a previous project. Like the white primer, apply several coats for a smooth finish look. Write your child’s name and year on the bottom or back of the ornament.
I’m sure my family will be very excited for their special Christmas gifts this year.
Hot Glue Glitter Ornaments
If you are running short on time, hot glue glitter ornaments are a quick and easy craft.
Supplies Needed
- Snowflake template
- Wax or parchment paper
- Tape
- Hot glue gun
- Glue sticks
- Mod Podge
- Glitter (white, silver, blue)
- Small craft brush
- Wire/ribbon/string
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Place your snowflake template underneath your parchment paper. I would recommend taping the side to keep your template in place.
**You can add a hot glue loop at the top of each snowflake for easy hanging**
Start tracing the template with hot glue. Let them dry.
Carefully peel each snowflake off the parchment paper and inspect for any breaks or thin places.
Place the snowflakes back on the parchment paper and cover with a layer of Mod Podge. Apply glitter and let dry. If you do not have Mod Podge on hand, this site will tell you how to make Homemade Mod Podge.
Once completely dry, attach your wire or ribbon to your snowflake ornament.
**For parents of young children, let your child watch as you make the snowflakes. Once cooled, let your toddler apply the Mod Podge and glitter. This is great for fine motor skill development.**
