If you’ve never tried making salt dough before, it’s so much fun and a wonderful activity for families with kids of all ages! We have an easy salt dough recipe which you how to make salt dough with just flour, salt and water.
Once you’ve made your salt dough, it’s time for the fun part: making salt dough ornaments! Give each family member a ball of dough and see what they come up with.
We have plenty of ideas to spark your imagination from salt dough footprints to cookie-cut gingerbread houses. Salt dough ornaments are also versatile in the ways they can be decorated – try acrylic paint, decoupage or glitter.
Read on for lots of exciting salt dough ornament ideas for families to do together.
18 salt dough Christmas ornaments
1. Cookie cutter salt dough idea
Cookie cutters are a brilliant tool for making salt dough ornaments. They’re available in an endless variety of designs like stars, trees and snowmen – simply choose your favourite.
In this tutorial from The Best Ideas for Kids, they’ve used paint and glitter to make their salt dough ornaments festive.
2. Footprint salt dough ornament
This is a lovely keepsake for parents. Make up your dough, print your little one's foot and ta-da you have a special Christmas ornament!
Why not engrave the year into the dough too? You could do one every year and watch them grow!
Get the guide by Kiwi Co.
3. Melted snowman salt dough ornament
Uh oh, looks like our snowman has been in the sun for too long! This cute salt dough decoration will look delightful on your tree.
Get the full tutorial from Kid Friendly Things To Do.
4. Gingerbread man salt dough decoration
Salt dough is perfect for shaping into gingerbread friends. You can shape it with your hands, or use a cookie cutter.
Once you’ve finished, you paint on the buttons and other details using acrylic paint.
Get the full guide from Rainy Day Mum.
5. Gingerbread house salt dough decoration
You’ll need a cookie cutter for this one if you want uniform gingerbread houses. You can also just cut out shapes freehand if you’re feeling creative.
Once done you can decorate the houses however you like. We love the subtle look of these from Bellewood Cottage.
6. Button Christmas tree salt dough ornament
Create cute mini Christmas trees decorated with colourful buttons with this tutorial by Emma Owl. You can use cookie cutters, or use a Christmas tree template and cut around it.
7. Handprint salt dough ornaments
Handprints work brilliantly in salt dough. They’re a great activity for kids and a lovely keepsake for parents.
Get lots of ideas for decorating salt dough handprints over at Kelsey Bang.
8. Personalised salt dough decorations
These initial salt dough creations from Burlap and Blue make unique gift tags for presents. Make them for the whole family to hang on the tree or give them as gifts.
9. Salt dough garland
This salt dough garland by Creative Little Women not only looks magical but is so easy to make.
The kids can create the salt dough stars while you dry the orange slices in the oven. Once you’ve prepped all the components, tie them together with baker’s twine.
10. Handprint Santas salt dough idea
How cute are these handprint Santas? They’re super easy to make and the kids will love getting stuck in.
Find the full tutorial over at Mum Central.
11. Salt dough doughnuts
Not traditionally festive but these doughnut decorations will look eye-catching on your tree this year. They’re simple to make and you can decorate them any way you like!
Get the tutorial from A Beautiful Mess.
Find out how to make a ginger bread house for a treat you can eat!
12. Salt dough stamps
Stamps are a great tool for making salt dough ornaments. It’s a quick and easy way to make intricate designs that will look striking on your tree.
Find the tutorial over at Miss Mustard Seed.
13. Cinnamon salt dough ornaments
With the addition of cinnamon to the salt dough recipe the ornaments you make will not only make your home look lovely but it’ll smell sweet too.
Find out how with A Pretty Life in the Suburbs.
14. Salt dough mobile
This salt dough mobile is a beautiful addition to your decor all year round. For winter add rosemary, dried winter flowers and berries.
Find the tutorial on Value Minded Mama.
15. Sparkly salt dough ornaments
The addition of fine glitter to your salt dough will make your ornaments shine. Design Improvised has used pale pink and blue glitter for a contemporary look.
16. Salt dough stained glass
The light will look beautiful shining through these stained glass stars hanging on the tree. The stained glass effect is created by melting hard-boiled sweets and pouring them into salt dough shapes.
Get the full tutorial from Rainy Day Mum.
17. Snowflake salt dough decoration
These snowflake salt dough creations will look fabulous hanging from your tree, or work well as present toppers.
Find the tutorial over at Heart Filled Spaces.
18. Salt dough decoupage
Incorporate decoupage into your salt dough ornaments with this brilliant tutorial by Instructables. It opens many doors for styling your ornaments, in this guide they’ve used sheet music for a vintage look.
Salt dough ornaments to make Christmas homemade
Getting the kids involved in making salt dough ornaments is a great way to make a special keepsake for Christmas. Hand or footprints are a particularly memorable way to use salt dough, and they make lovely gifts for the family.
Make paper snowflakes this Christmas
Find out how to make paper snowflakes and get the kids excited about this classic Christmas craft.
