Salt Dough Ornaments and Keepsakes

Salt dough is one of the oldest and simplest craft recipes: just flour, salt and water. Children can shape, cut, bake and paint it into ornaments, handprint keepsakes, magnets and beads. Made carefully, salt dough decorations can last for years.

Salt dough recipe

You'll need:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 cup salt
• About 3/4 cup water (add gradually)

Steps:

1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add the water a little at a time, mixing as you go.
3. Knead for about 5–10 minutes until smooth and firm. If it's sticky, add flour. If it's crumbly, add a little water.
4. Roll it out to about 5 mm thick (around a quarter of an inch).

Shaping ideas

• Cookie cutters: stars, hearts, trees, animals and letters.
• Handprints and footprints: press a hand firmly into a circle of dough. Write the name and year with a toothpick.
• Free modelling: snowmen, animals, flowers and food.
• Textures: press lace, leaves, buttons or a fork into the dough.
• Beads: roll small balls and push a straw through to make a hole.

Don't forget the hole! Use a straw to make a hanging hole before baking.

Baking

• Bake at a low temperature, around 100°C (200°F), until completely hard and dry. This usually takes 2–3 hours, depending on thickness.
• Turn the pieces over halfway through.
• Thicker pieces take longer. Handprints may need 3 hours or more.
• If the dough puffs up, the oven is too hot.

You can also air-dry salt dough over several days, turning it each day.

Painting and finishing

1. Let the pieces cool completely.
2. Paint with acrylic or poster paint. Markers work too.
3. Add glitter glue, sequins or stickers.
4. Seal with clear varnish or PVA glue mixed with a little water. Sealing keeps moisture out and makes ornaments last.
5. Thread ribbon through the hole.

Salt dough projects

1. Christmas ornaments. Stars, trees, bells and gingerbread people. See Christmas crafts.
2. Handprint keepsakes. A wonderful gift for grandparents. Write the year on the back.
3. Fridge magnets. Glue a magnet onto a painted shape.
4. Name plaques. Cut letters with cutters or by hand.
5. Beads. Paint and thread onto a string for a necklace.
6. Mini food. Pretend food for a toy café.
7. Fossils. Press shells, leaves or toy dinosaurs into dough to make fossils. See dinosaur activities.
8. Valentine's hearts. Paint them pink and red. See Valentine's crafts.
9. Diya lamps. Shape small bowls for battery tea lights at Diwali. See Diwali activities.
10. Easter eggs. Cut egg shapes and paint patterns.

Design ideas

Use our coloring pages as design inspiration: patterns, mandalas and Christmas pages give great ideas for decorating ornaments.

Ideas by age

Ages 2–3: squashing and pressing hands into dough, and simple cookie cutters.

Ages 4–6: cutting shapes, painting and adding glitter.

Ages 7+: free modelling, detailed painting, beads and personalised gifts.

Safety notes

• Salt dough is very salty. It shouldn't be eaten, and it's dangerous for dogs and other pets if they eat it. Keep finished ornaments out of reach of pets.
• Grown-ups should handle the oven.
• Wash hands after playing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Baking too hot. It makes the dough puff and crack.
• Not making a hanging hole. It's very hard to add after baking.
• Skipping the sealant. Unsealed salt dough can soften in damp places.

Frequently asked questions

How long do salt dough ornaments last?

If they're baked until fully dry and sealed with varnish, they can last for many years.

Can I microwave salt dough?

Some people do, in short bursts, but oven baking at a low temperature is more reliable and less likely to puff or crack.

Why did my salt dough crack?

It may have been baked too hot, too quickly, or rolled too thick. Lower the temperature and bake longer.

A salt dough timeline

Day 1 (morning): make and shape the dough. Don't forget hanging holes.

Day 1 (afternoon): bake slowly at a low temperature for 2–3 hours, turning halfway. Or start air-drying.

Day 2: paint the pieces. Let the paint dry completely.

Day 3: add details and seal with varnish or diluted PVA glue.

Day 4: thread ribbon and hang or wrap as gifts.

Gift ideas

• A handprint ornament for grandparents, with the year
• A set of initial letters for a door
• Teacher gifts: a star with "Thank you" painted on it
• A fridge magnet with a child's drawing painted on

Can I add color to the dough?

Yes. Knead food coloring or paint into the dough before shaping. Colors fade a little when baked.

How should I store salt dough ornaments?

Wrap each one in tissue paper and keep them in a box in a dry place. Damp cupboards and lofts can soften salt dough. If an ornament gets soft, dry it again in a low oven and reseal it with varnish before hanging.