Why Make Ornaments Instead of Buying Them

Handmade ornaments are cheaper per piece than most store sets, they’re a genuinely good
low-prep activity for kids or a low-key evening project, and unlike most store-bought decor, they
end up meaning something specific, the year they were made, who made them, what was going on at
the time. None of the projects below need specialty craft tools.

Salt Dough Ornaments

Mix flour, salt and water into a stiff dough, roll it out, cut shapes with cookie cutters, and
poke a hole for string before baking at a low oven temperature (around 200°F) for 2-3 hours until
fully hardened. Paint once cooled. This is the most forgiving project on the list and works well
with kids since the dough is simple and mistakes are easy to fix before baking.

Painted Wooden Slice Ornaments

Thin wood slices (available cheaply at craft stores, or cut from a fallen branch) take paint
and marker well. Simple designs, a snowflake, a name, a small scene, work better than anything
too detailed given the small surface. Seal with a thin layer of craft varnish once dry.

Photo Ornaments in Clear Baubles

Clear plastic fillable baubles (sold in craft stores specifically for this) let you insert a
small printed photo, confetti, or fake snow before closing them up. This is the fastest project
on the list, and the most personal, since it uses an actual photo rather than a generic design.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the easiest ornament project for young kids?

Salt dough ornaments. The dough is safe to handle, mistakes are easy to smooth out before baking, and painting the hardened shapes afterward is a separate, lower-mess step.

Do salt dough ornaments last, or will they degrade?

They last for years if fully dried/baked and kept away from humidity. A thin varnish coat after painting helps them last even longer and prevents the paint from chipping.

Can these be made without a printer, for the photo ornaments?

Yes, a photo printed at any drugstore kiosk, or even a small hand-drawn design, works just as well as a home-printed one.