Learn how to make lacy salt dough ornaments. Use a straw to make holes in your cut out ornaments for a lovely effect.
Updated November 2024
Making homemade Christmas decorations is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. Salt dough ornaments are a holiday classic and there are a ton of ways you can make them.
These lacy salt dough ornaments are as simple as can be. All you need to do is take a straw and poke some holes. Easy for little ones and fun for big kids, this is the perfect activity for any family looking to catch the Christmas spirit.
Be sure to check out our favorite salt dough recipe at the end to help you get started! And for even more craft and ornament ideas, check out 10 Salt Dough Crafts Kids Can Make!
Lacy Salt Dough Ornaments
MATERIALS:
- Salt Dough (see recipe below)
- Parchment paper
- Straws
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make your dough
Follow the recipe below to make a batch of salt dough. Lay parchment paper down for your dough. The parchment paper helps to keep the dough from sticking to the table.
Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
- Punch ornament holes
Use a straw to punch holes in your salt dough shape. The more holes you punch, the lacier the effect on your ornaments. Don’t forget to punch a hole in the top of your ornament so that you can hang it.
After a while, the straw end will get too difficult to use. Simply turn the straw piece upside down and use the other side. Then toss it and grab another. (Cut the straws into thirds to reduce waste!) - Bake the ornaments
Bake in a 250F oven for 2-3 hours or until the salt dough is hard, but not browned. Let cool completely. Then use ribbon or yarn to hang your ornaments.
Our Favorite Salt Dough Recipe
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Our Favorite Salt Dough Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Category: crafts
- Cuisine: n/a
Description
We’ve tried so many salt dough crafts and made lots of variations of salt dough ornaments over the years. Here’s our favorite salt dough recipe with instructions to get you started.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup cold water (+ extra if needed)
Instructions
- Mix flour with salt then stir in water. If the dough doesn’t come together, add a bit more water.
- Turn out the salt dough onto a countertop and work together with your hands until evenly mixed.
- Store in a plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use.
- Place a fist-size piece of dough on a sheet of parchment paper and cover with a second sheet of parchment paper. Roll dough out with a rolling pin 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out the desired shapes. Pull away the extra dough from around the shapes with the cookie cutters still in place.
- Use the end of a drinking straw, a skewer, or a chopstick to poke a hole at the top of each ornament for hanging.
- If you plan to decorate the ornaments, do that step now. Try stamps and a stamp pad, poking a pattern of holes in the dough with the end of a straw, or poking glass beads into the dough.
- Gently move the sheet of parchment paper with salt dough ornaments onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 250F oven for 2-3 hours or until the salt dough is hard, but not browned. Let cool.
- (Optional) Add a coat of Mod Podge or some paint (we like BioColor paint for these) and glitter.
- Add a ribbon through the hole and hang in the window or on the tree!
More Salt Dough Ornament Ideas
- 10 Salt Dough Decoration Ideas for Christmas
- How to Make Stamped Salt Dough Ornaments
- How to Make Painted Salt Dough Ornaments
- How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments with Sparkly Glass Beads
- 20 Homemade Christmas Ornaments the Whole Family Can Make
- How to Make Cinnamon Ornaments
Want even more creative ideas?
Check out our Holiday Creativity pack!
Let’s celebrate the holidays with all things crafty! Here are 53 pages full of our favorite drawing prompts, creative play ideas, art activities, and more!
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