DIY Salt Dough Handprint Ornament Tutorial

I've been so busy with shopping and errands that I haven't had a chance to post much. I'm going to try to get all my Holiday-related posts done before Christmas. We still have a few people to buy for but the hard part is figuring out what to get. I might end up baking some cookies or something. Our family always celebrate on Christmas Eve so that cuts down on my remaining shopping time.

Anyways, I wanted to share all the salt-dough ornaments Gabby and I made last week in case there is anyone that wanted to do some last minute gifts for their family.

DIY Salt Dough Handprint Ornament (Heart with Gabby's Thumbprint):

Supplies Needed: 

• 4 cups of flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 1.5 cups of water
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters
• Coffee straw or skewer to make the holes for the ornament.
• Acrylic paint
• Optional: rubber stamps

Note: This recipe makes a LOT of dough so you may want to cut the recipe down. I was greedy and used every last piece of dough so we made 50-60 various sized ornaments. It took a long time to roll them all out especially with a curious toddler helping. 

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until thoroughly combined. This is what ours looked like mid-kneading. Not very pretty at all.

Salt Dough Mixture:

Step 2: Scoop out a handful and roll out the dough. Shape into a circle or use cookie cutters to make whatever shape you want. Press down handprint and make a hole or two for the hanger using a straw or skewer. I used a straw and the hole came out clean. I used rubber stamps to imprint letters, numbers and shapes.

Step 3: Line up ornaments on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden. I think I slightly undercooked them because they started getting puffy if I baked them too long.

Step 4: Let air on cookie rack for about a day. You could just leave them on the cookie sheet but flip them back and forth so the back dries too.

Baked Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments Before Painting (Set 1 of 2):

Baked Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments Before Painting (Set 2 of 2):

Step 4: Paint with acrylic paint. You can add glue and glitter if you would like. Hang with a string or ribbon. I painted them using acrylic paint.

Disclaimer: Sorry the next several pictures turned out so poorly. I usually take my pictures during the day in natural lighting but ran out of time so took these at night with bad lighting. Gabby hung the ornaments on the tree so I don't want to pull them down to take the pictures again. At least you get an idea of what they look like.

Salt Dough Ornaments with Gabby's Handprint:

Salt Dough Ornaments with Gabby's Fingerprints:

Salt Dough Ornaments with Random Cookie Cutters:

Salt Dough Ornaments Imprinted with Initials for Gifts:

Failed Salt Dough Ornaments:

I tried to get fancy and painted on a clear acrylic coating to make them shiny but they dried with this thick cloudy film. Next time, I will try using an acrylic spray paint instead for a thinner and more even coat. I got tired and painted the mitten pretty poorly. Gabby's handprint is on it so I'm keeping it. Maybe I will repaint it later. 

As you can see, my painting skills really leave something to be desired. You can really tell they are "Do It Yourself" but I am glad we did it. Gabby had a lot of fun helping me. It was a long and messy endeavor but well worth it for the memories.

My Little Helper with Dough Everywhere Even on Her Face:

Gabby Deep in Concentration:

It's time for us to get ready and battle the crowds. Good luck, everyone!  Drive safely out there.