Hi friends, I’m back again with another idea for you, but first…
We have been up to our eyeballs in Christmas parties and Christmas programs, they are so fun and so precious but this Mommy is ready for the weekend to fully unwind and kick off our “Christmas holiday”!
The girls worked really hard one evening signing tags for the candy canes we bought for their classmates. It was so fun to watch them get down to business on the floor!
Our neighbors have been “fostering” this little guy… and my goodness is he precious. He’s been hanging out over here because he fits through our fence and because Eufaby tolerates the little guy. She likes to be tough but apparently she’s got a soft spot for “Buddy”. Rover was completely enthralled and tickled as they played together through the glass doors. 
Ok, now one more little project for Christmas!
My friend Tami made them last week and they brought such fond memories of my childhood, I don’t remember ever making them, but Mom always had a tree in her kitchen filled with Salt Dough ornaments. And they are SO incredibly easy!
You can paint them with acrylic paint before glazing, in fact, I tried a few but resorted to all natural because I liked it better! It could have something to do with the 3 paint colors I had to choose from: periwinkle, teal, and fuscia! We may try again and let the kids go to town with paint.
Salt Dough Ornaments
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups of warm water
Preheat oven to 200. Yields 30 to 40 small/medium size ornaments.
Wisk together flour and salt in mixing bowl {stand mixer if you have one} until well incorporated. Add bread hook* and gradually add warm water until dough ball collects. Using half of the dough at once, roll out on a floured surface until flat and very even {they do not rise at all so try get the rolled out dough as even as you can}. Using your favorite cookie cutters {dipped in flour} cut out shapes. The dough is fairly dense/heavy so a small to medium cutter is probably best. Using a straw add a “hole” at the top of each ornament so it can hang. Transfer to cookie sheets {I lined with parchment, I don’t think you have to though} and bake at 200° for 2 hours, turn off oven and let sit for another hour. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks. Using a basting brush dust off excess flour. Now you can paint your ornaments if desired or not. Finish them by spraying them with a clear polyurethane {outside or in a well-ventilated garage} or a glossy Mod Podge, or if desired, you can leave them all natural!
*If you don’t have a stand mixer you can mix by hand and knead until the dough is well incorporated and all pulled together in a dough ball.
My mom’s salt dough ornaments were cinnamon… which were a beautiful and smelled delicious on her “kitchen tree”. You can make cinnamon salt dough by omitting 1 cup of flour and adding 1 cup of cinnamon and 1 cup of nutmeg. I think I’d skip the glaze and let them be “natural” as to maximize the scent! Her’s always smelled wonderful, even through many years!
The sky is really the limit with the salt dough! If you try it, I’d love to see pictures {darby@flythroughourwindow.com} and maybe share a few varieties on the blog!
Happy weekend and Merry Christmas!
::recipe above adapted from this one based on reviews::
**EDITED to ADD**
Some of you have questioned the amount of cinnamon in the Cinnamon Salt Dough, I agree it sounds excessive & expensive, but Mom’s were a rich cinnamon color which would take a ton of cinnamon. I have not tried to make these but my recipe sources are here & here and both call for 1 cup of cinnamon. I guess you could omit the nutmeg and decrease the cinnamon and see what happens.
