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How to make a Salt Dough Ornament Garland

Simple traditions are what we look forward to every year because they bring with them memories. Today, I’m sharing a simple salt dough ornament garland tutorial that you can make this Christmas and every Christmas to come.

saltdough, cookie cutters, rolling pin, and brush trees

I love setting traditions for our family, but I also want it to be something that I can reasonably do each year. It is important that it is a simple tradition.

I’m not sure if you’ve been there before. You know, where you bit off more than you could chew and every year your kids begged to do the most difficult craft for memory’s sake.

That is what I think about when I reminisce about homemade gingerbread houses.

Grand plans for a yearly gingerbread house was quickly scrapped after the first year because it was so. much. work. to make all of the stuff.

After that, I learned my lesson.

The kids don’t really care what traditions they get to be a part of, as long as they have something to hold in their memories.

One of the things I love about salt dough ornaments is that I don’t have to have anything fancy and it doesn’t take much time to make them.

These salt dough ornament garlands are just a new take on the same tradition.

small saltdough ornaments on twine on garland

Why will you love making salt dough ornament garlands?

You will love salt dough ornament garlands because they are simple and your kids will love making them.

You can take a rather boring faux or real greenery garland and make it special with this salt dough garland.

They take little hands-on time and are so charming. Not to mention, they last for years.

These garlands are versatile and you can make them have different scents simply by putting some essential oils in the salt dough.

  • They are simple.
  • This is a quick DIY
  • You only need a few household ingredients
  • They make great additions to gifts
small saltdough ornaments on parchment paper

Simple Salt Dough Recipe

You will only need a few basic ingredients to make these ornaments.

  • Flour- This is the base for the dough and you can use whatever kind of dough you have on hand.
  • Salt- I use table salt for this recipe
  • Water- Brings the ingredients together
  • Essential Oils- You will love making different scents for your dough.
flour, rolling pin, and cookie cutters

Easy Steps for making Salt Dough ornament garland

  1. Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl
  2. Add the water slowly and mix until the dough forms a ball
  3. Fold in a few drops of essential oil
  4. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes
  5. Roll the dough out, cut with Christmas cookie cutters, poke two small holes in the ornaments so you can string them on twine or ribbon
  6. Bake in a 200°F oven for an hour or until dried out
  7. String the ornaments when cooled
small saltdough ornaments on twine

Scent Combinations for Salt Dough Ornaments

One of the best parts of making salt dough ornaments is that you can add different scents to them so that they are even more festive!

There are a few essential oil combinations that I always gravitate toward when making ornaments.

  • Pine and Orange
  • Young Living’s Christmas Spirit
  • Cinnamon and Orange
  • Peppermint
small saltdough ornaments on twine

How to make salt dough ornaments special

Salt dough ornaments are easy to make special for whatever you need them for.

Similar to dried orange ornaments, you can use them as ornaments or in a dried orange garland.

It is nice to tweak them each year so they are just a little bit different.

Unique ways to use Salt Dough ornaments

  • Use them as gift tags and write who gifts are for on them with a food marker
  • Make an advent count down by putting numbers on them and hanging them on a special tree as you go through advent
  • Add them to cookie boxes when you deliver cookies to neighbors
small saltdough ornaments on twine on garland

Salt Dough Recipe for No Bake

If you would rather not bake your ornaments, but instead let them air dry, you can make no bake salt dough ornaments.

The recipe is exactly the same, but instead of baking them in a low degree oven you leave them out to air dry.

Depending on the conditions within your home, it make take anywhere from 3 to 7 days to fully dry your ornaments.

Leave them on a cookie sheet after you roll and cut them out. Set them where they aren’t in the way and let them air dry for a few days.

Once they are fully dry, you can decorate them with markers and hang them up.

small saltdough ornaments on twine on garland

Simple ways to hang your salt dough garland

You can make your ornaments as simple as you want. Sometimes, simple is the best.

If you want to add some charm, use a metallic or white marker to draw whimsical designs on them.

I will share a few options for hanging your garland.

Be sure to make your holes for your twine bigger, or smaller, depending on what you’re planning on using to string them.

  • Vintage ribbon that is frayed on the edges adds old world charm
  • Simple kitchen twine keeps things neutral and farmhouse-ish
  • Glittered ribbon adds sparkle when the ornaments are on the tree
  • String with wooden beads separating the ornaments

Tips for making salt dough ornaments

  • Add the water slowly and stop when it comes together to form a ball. You don’t want the dough to be too wet and mushy.
  • If you want different scents or colors, separate the dough into different balls to scent and color your dough. Then, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to chill.
  • If you are baking your ornaments, be sure to check on them every 15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn or over dry and crack.
  • Roll your dough out on a floured surface so your ornaments will lift off of the table easily.
  • Lay them on a parchment lined cookie sheet to ensure they don’t stick while being baked or air dried.
  • If you have several kids, double the batch so you have plenty of dough

How to make your Christmas tradition special

  • Pour cups of homemade cocoa and marshmallows for kids to sip while they create
  • Play Christmas music to listen to
  • Light a beeswax candle to add ambiance
  • Diffuse a Christmas scent in the kitchen
a printable graphic with a tree and ornament

Free Christmas Printable

Enjoy this FREE printable to make your home cheery this Christmas season.

Recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments

Easy Salt Dough Ornament Garland

Enjoy this simple and easy DIY for salt dough ornaments that you and your kids will love. It will become a yearly tradition and you can customize them each year to make them different.
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time20 minutes
Bake Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen
Author: Liz Quick
Cost: $5

Materials

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup table salt
  • ½ cup water
  • 20 drop essential oils

Instructions

  • Mix flour and salt in a large bowl.  Mix it well and make sure the salt is distributed throughout the flour.
  • Add the water slowly until the soft dough forms.  Don’t get it too wet or it will be a gooey mess. 
  • Then, fold in drops of essential oil to add a little festive touch.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  
  • Preheat oven to 200-250 °F
  • Once dough is chilled, roll the dough on a floured surface.  Cut the dough into shapes, poke a hole for twine to go through, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • Bake in a 200-250 degree oven for 60 minutes.
  • String them on twine or ribbon when they are cooled and hang them paired with your favorite greenery.

Notes

  • Add the water slowly and stop when it comes together to form a ball. You don’t want the dough to be too wet and mushy.
  • If you want different scents or colors, separate the dough into different balls to scent and color your dough. Then, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to chill.
  • If you are baking your ornaments, be sure to check on them every 15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn or over dry and crack.
  • Roll your dough out on a floured surface so your ornaments will lift off of the table easily.

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