Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments

Looking for a great way to keep the memory of the kids being small? These Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments are perfect! Using homemade salt dough, your kids hands, and some paint you can make these adorable handprint ornaments that can be kept forever to look back on when the kids were small.

Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments

I love making crafts that I will be able to keep forever and look back on to remember when my kids were small. Making salt dough handprints has been one of my favorite ways to preserve the times when the kids were little. This fun project is one the kids love making each year and one that I love because I can always pull them out each year and see my child’s hand prints from the previous years as we add the ornaments to the tree.

Using the easy salt dough recipe you can make these super cute keepsake ornaments that are not just great for keeping but also fun for the kids to make. After putting a child’s hand print into the salt dough you bake them. Once the dough is done cooling from baking the kids get to decorate these Christmas ornaments of their handprints however they want to using paint.

These salt dough keepsakes make for a great gift idea for family and friends. Grandparents, aunts and uncles that we have given these handmade ornaments to have always loved them.

Making our own ornaments is something that we do each year and there are lots of easy Christmas ornaments that you can make along with making these handprint homemade ornaments. If you are looking for more holiday ornaments to make with the kids be sure to check out some of our favorites.

DIY Christmas Ornaments

• Snowman Handprint Ornament
• Santa Handprint Air dry clay Ornament
• Christmas Tree Footprint DIY Ornament
• Grinch Handprint DIY Ornament
• Santa Salt dough Ornament

What is Salt Dough?

Salt dough is a modeling material that is made with flour, water, and salt that is slow-baked in the oven to harden. Once hardened can be decorated with paint. There are many uses for salt dough including making handprints, sculptures and ornaments. Once baked to dry thoroughly salt dough is hard and will last for years.

How do you know when Salt dough is done being made?

When you are micing the best salt dough recipe to make your ornaments you will know it is done when you have a soft and pliable dough that only has a little stick to it. If your dough is extra sticky feeling then you will want to add a small amount of flour to it and knead it in. If you find the dough to sticky add in a small amount of warm water to the dough and knead it in until you have the perfect batch of salt dough.

How to Store Salt Dough Ornaments

After making the ornaments and then having them out as decorations if you are like me you will want to keep them for years. Wrap the ornaments in bubble wrap and store in a box where they will not be exposed to moisture or be bumped around in the box.

How long will salt dough ornaments last?

If salt dough ornaments are stored properly they will last for many years and by many years I mean a very long time. I have seen salt dough ornaments from when I was a kid that are now 30+ years old.

How do you preserve salt dough handprints?

The best way to preserve salt dough handprints is to wrap them in newspaper or tissue paper and store them in a cool dry place. You can also Make the ornaments last longer by spraying them with a polyurethane spray or a coat of mod podge after they are done drying from being painted. Normally I spray ours the next day after painting them. Not storing them properly is the most common reason that salt dough crafts do not last and end up getting moldy.

How do you keep salt dough ornaments from cracking?

The best way to keep the salt dough ornaments from cracking is to keep them away from humidity and moisture when they are being stored.

How long does it take salt dough ornaments to harden?

If you are baking salt dough ornaments it will take 2.5 hours for them to harden. You can also leave them out on the counter to air dry which will take 2-7 days for them to fully harden before you can decorate them.

Tips for Making Salt Dough

• Mix ingredients thoroughly. When you are mixing the flour, water and salt to form the dough make sure everything is mixed well.
• Even thickness of the dough. You want the thickness of your ornaments to be the same thickness when you make them so they all dry out evenly when in the oven. You will know they are done when they are hard to the touch without any give when pressed on. If the ornaments are thicker they may need a longer time in the oven.
• Dry fully. Allow the salt dough to dry out thoroughly (baked in the oven) before you paint them. It is very important to dry salt dough ornaments fully before painting them.
• Dry paint fully. Allow the paint to dry completely before putting on a protective spray coating or packaging them up in a storage box.
• Use twine or ribbon for making them into ornaments. You can also use ornament hooks to hang these DIY ornaments on your tree.
• Poke the hole in the top of the ornaments before baking if you are wanting them to an ornament where you can put a ribbon or twine thru the top hole.
• Make the ornaments last longer by spraying them with a polyurethane spray or a coat of mod podge after they are done drying from being painted. Normally I spray ours the next day after painting them.

What kind of paint do you use on salt dough ornaments?

You can use any paint including spray paint, acrylic paint, or washable paint to decorate the ornaments. Paint pens are great if you are wanting to have less mess, but I prefer setting up a plate with different colored paints so the kids can decorate the ornaments however they want to. To protect the paint after it has dried I like to put on a clear coat sealer.

Can you use markers on Salt Dough Ornaments?

If you do not want the kids using paint then you can use markers, paint makers and even sharpies to decorate salt dough ornaments.

Can you put glitter in salt dough?

Yes if you would like to have sparkly salt dough you can add glitter in when you are mixing up the dough.

Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments Supplies

• 4 cups all purpose Flour
• 1 cup Salt
• 1 ½ cups Water

Tools Needed

• Bowl
• Measuring Cups
• Rolling Pin
• Straw
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Oven
• Butter Knife

How to Make Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and line the baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl add the flour, salt, and water. Stir to combine and keep stirring until the the salt dough forms.

Remove the dough and place onto the counter top and knead with your hands until the dough is soft and consistent in texture.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin to a consistent thickness, no thicker than ¼-inch.

Place the bowl open-side-down on the dough and press hard into the salt dough to make a deep mark.

Using the mark made by the bowl, use the butter knife, cut out the circle shape.

Firmly press a child’s hand or baby’s hand in the center of the circle shape creating a handprint.

Use the straw to poke a hole into the top of each handprint ornament, about ½-inch from the edge, preferably. 

Remove the portions of dough that are not the desired circle shapes. You can reroll this dough to make more handprint ornaments or use Christmas cookie cutters to make other shaped Christmas salt dough ornaments.

Using the spatula gently transfer the circle from the table to the prepared cookie sheet.

Place the baking sheet into the oven for 2 ½ hours.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Paint the ornaments as desired and allow them to dry completely.

Thread a piece of ribbon through the hole and hang them.

Easy Holiday Crafts for Kids

• Gingerbread playdough
• Santa Paper Plate Mask Craft
• Christmas Floam Slime
• Paper plate Christmas Tree Craft