Modern-Art Ornament Crafts
Turn your kids into little Picassos with these easy-to-make ornaments.
Submitted by
dara
dara
These ornaments make very special holiday gifts. Just be warned: Friends and family will be so impressed, they may just ask for more.
- 2 cups flour and a bit more for dusting
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup warm water
- Mixing bowl or food processor
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters—stars, circles or snowflakes work well
- Straw
- Baking tray
- Oven
- Child-safe paints
- Paintbrushes
- Ribbon or string
- Thin-tip marker
- Child-safe paint varnish (optional)
Mix salt and flour.
Add in half the water, mix and then gradually add the remaining water.
Knead mixture until the dough is smooth (up to 10 minutes by hand; about two minutes on low in a food processor). Add pinches of flour to create a pliable dough that isn't sticky.
For flat dough ornaments, roll out the dough on baking paper or a floured surface. Aim for a dough thickness of about ¼ to ½ inch. This will be sturdy enough for little hands to help transfer to the baking sheet, and not too thick for even baking.
Using cookie cutters or your hands, create fun shapes.
Transfer cutouts to a baking sheet with a spatula.
Make a hole near the top of the ornament with a straw so you can hang the ornament later.
Bake the ornaments at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the ornaments, or until hard.
Let ornaments cool completely before you begin decorating.
Turn on some festive music and let the kids splatter, splotch and decorate with the child-safe paint. You can also glue on beads or buttons.- Optional: To preserve, coat with a child-safe paint varnish once everything is dry.
- Loop string or ribbon through the hole at the top of the dried ornament.
- Use a permanent marker to have your child print his or her name and the date on the back of the dried ornament for extra craft fun.
Thanks to Kristal from the etsy shop Rikrak.
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