Salt Dough Ornament Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long will salt dough ornaments last? ›

If you preserve salt dough properly, it will last for decades.

My home ovens lowest temperature is 75C which is perfect for slow drying of the salt dough. If you find that your oven has the lowest temperature of above 150C then I would advise you to air dry your salt dough creations which will take considerably longer but will prevent the puffing up.

Salt – Any salt will do, but table salt, also known as iodized salt is preferable. It's fine and blends into the dough easily. Water – Warm water helps the dough come together and dissolves the salt creating great texture.

Once you've formed your salt dough, you can cook the creations in the oven to make them set. Once baked, they will harden and can be painted and decorated after they cooled down!

How do I preserve and store these Salt Dough Ornaments? In order to keep your ornaments and use them for several years, it is best to seal them. Painting them with acrylic paint, if you choose to, will begin the process. But a coat of Mod Podge or Acrylic sealer that is applied like a spray paint will be needed.

Salt dough is susceptible to moisture, meaning it will pull any moisture from the surrounding air. This causes your projects to turn soggy or even crumble.

If you take good care of them and store them properly they can last a very long time! I recently saw a post from someone saying that they had some in good shape that were 35 years old. How do you know when salt dough is done? It will be hard to the touch but still light in color on the top.

Lay down one piece of parchment paper on the table and pull a small hand size amount of dough on paper. Lay second sheet of parchment paper on top of dough. Roll out dough till its about 1/8 inch thick. This is important because if you make the dough too thick it will crack and not create rad looking ornaments!

Salt dough has been around for ages and there are many variations. My favorite versions have oil and cream of tartar in it. These two ingredients help create a smooth dough that bakes well and is perfect with cookie molds.

Can I add cinnamon to salt dough ornaments? ›

Instructions. In a medium bowl mix 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of salt, & 3/4 cup cinnamon. Knead for 15-30 seconds to create a workable dough. Next, roll out your dough & use your Christmas cookie cutters to create the shapes for your ornaments & use a chopstick to create a hole at the top of the ornament.

Typically there are two things that cause salt dough to get puffy: either your oven is too hot or you used self-rising flour. The first reason that your salt dough ornaments might be puffing is the temperature you bake at. You want your oven to be pretty low. This recipe calls for a 200 degrees F oven.

Mineral-rich sea salt or Himalayan salt is much healthier to eat but doesn't work as well for DIY salt dough ornaments. Regular, cheap table salt from the cardboard canister at the store makes the best salt dough. And it's much cheaper.

Use Mod Podge (in matte) to seal the dough and give them a more finished look.

Before baking the ornaments, press rubber stamps into the dough with holiday greetings, the year or even the names of loved ones. If you like to pay attention to every little detail, a fine-point marker is the perfect tool for the job (we like to use Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Markers).

You can paint a coat of glossy decoupage glue over the entire ornament to seal and protect it, and to give it a shiny finish. You can also spritz it with a light coat of polyurethane spray. Both methods, along with the salt acting as a natural preservative, help to extend the ornament's longevity.

Salt dough needs to dry completely and as quickly as possible to prevent mold from forming. The best way to air-dry salt dough is to leave it on a wooden tray near a warm heater. This method works pretty well in winter, as houses tend to be warm and dry, but I would recommend using an oven during humid seasons.

Yes, you can definitely make the salt dough the day before – or even a few days ahead of time. Simply wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. Then bring the dough to room temperature before working with it!

The great thing about it is that the salt dough sculptures will harden if you leave them out to dry at room temperature. Depending on the size of the pieces, it will take 2 to 7 days to dry completely. Turn the pieces from time to time for faster drying.