How To Make A Salt Dough Handprint Ornament (Perfect For Christmas)

Tis the season to make as many handcrafted Christmas ornaments for your Christmas tree as possible. What better way to spend time with your kids than making salt dough handprint ornaments to hang from your tree?

Follow the directions below and have your kids make their own ornament that you can enjoy for years to come.

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Salt Dough Handprint Details:

Age Group: 2+ yrs

Difficulty: Easy – with the help of a parent

Time To Complete: 50 minutes – this included bake time

I put the difficulty level at medium for this project. However, each child can do as little or as much of the project themselves, depending on their age.

If you have a little one and you just want their handprint as a keepsake, this is an extremely easy-to-make recipe for an adult. Allow older kids to create their own from start to finish.

Supplies Needed to Make Handprint Ornament

Here’s what you’ll need for this handprint dough recipe:

4 cups of all-purpose flour
1.5 cups warm water
1 cup kosher salt

Extra supplies needed:

– Paint

– Glitter

– Elmers Glue

How to Create a Handprint Christmas Ornament

Discover the step-by-step guide below to create your very own handcrafted Christmas ornament. Unleash your creativity and craft a unique decoration to add a personal touch to your holiday season. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Collect the Ingredients

This really is one of the easiest craft projects you’ll make this holiday season. All you need is some flour, salt, and warm water. In the picture below, you can see that I tried using sea salt. I highly recommend sticking with normal baking salt.

Step 2: Stir the Ingredients Together

Add all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Let your child stir until all of the dough starts sticking together. My 4-year-old had difficulty stirring, but he gave it a good effort.

Once you can no longer stir, it’s time to get your hand dirty and kneed the dough with your hands. Eventually, forming a ball.

My kids found it fun to sprinkle flour on our table and attempt to knead the dough themselves.

Other holiday crafts:

Step 3: Create a Disk

Once you have a ball formed, roll the handprint dough out on a hard surface. You want to roll the dough until it’s between 1/4 and 1/2 inches thick.

You don’t want to roll it too thin to where it tears, or a hole will form, and you’ll have to start over. However, you don’t want it really thick either because the weight of it will pull it off the Christmas tree once you hang it.

Step 4: Add Your Handprint

Have your child add their handprint to their s alt dough keepsake. Make sure to push down firmly, but do not push all the way through the dough.

Then, take the end of a paintbrush or straw and make a hole at the top of the ornament so you can hang it on your Christmas tree.

You can also choose not to add a hole and place it in a safe spot around your home for all to see.

Step 5: It’s Time to Bake Your Handprints

Next, place your handprint Christmas craft on tin foil on a pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1-2 hours, depending on the thickness of your handprint.

I recommend that you flip the handprint halfway through cooking so both sides equally dry out.

Step 6: It’s Time to Decorate

It’s time to decorate your handprint ornament. We put glitter on the actual handprint itself and then painted around it.

To do this, dump glue onto the handprint and then use an extra paintbrush or your finger to spread it around.

Then, quickly dump the glitter onto the handprint, spreading it as you go.

Next, using the color of your choice, paint around the handprint.

Finished Christmas Ornament

Here’s what the finished salt dough handprint looks like. Don’t forget to add the year and name on the back. Then, every year, have your little one make a new one.

Salt Dough Handprint Ornament- Summary

These Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments aren’t just decorations; they’re tokens of love, patience, and the unique bond we share as a family. Each ornament tells a story of tiny hands eager to explore, giggles that echoed through the room, and joy from creating something beautiful together.

As we hang these ornaments on our tree, let’s remember the joy of the creative process, the delight in imperfections, and the beauty of the unique handprints that grace each piece. Our Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments aren’t just decorations; they’re time capsules that capture the essence of this special moment in our lives.

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Related Christmas crafts:

How To Make A Salt Dough Handprint Ornament (Perfect For Christmas)

Salt Dough Handprint Details:

Supplies Needed to Make Handprint Ornament