Every year as December approaches, we see rows and rows of new Christmas ornaments on shelves enticing us to spend. Yes, they are adorable, but if you’re looking to save money and avoid boxes of overflowing ornaments you only bring out once a year, I have the solution.
If you ever made homemade ornaments as a kid, you’ve probably used some version of salt or baking soda dough. This craft does the rounds at Christmas each year, and this year is no different. This video popped up on my feed recently and is bound to be as popular this year as it has been in the past.
Baking soda dough ornaments are a great way to reduce spending and waste, reusing items from your kitchen cupboard instead. The result is a set of elegant, minimalist Christmas decorations that you can make into any shape and pattern you like. Of course, you can also make them as colorful and maximalist as you like if that’s your style. It’s the ideal way to change up your Christmas look without breaking the bank.
Why Baking Soda Dough Works
If you’ve never made crafts from baking soda dough before, I’d forgive you for thinking it’s too good to be true. But the combination of baking soda, cornstarch, and water creates a workable dough that dries stiff and doesn’t crack easily.
That’s why I prefer baking soda dough over other versions, like salt dough. You won’t get the crumbly texture that makes homemade ornaments look, well, homemade.
Plus, the dough has a bright white color that’s perfect for a wintery Christmas look in a minimalist home.
Baking soda dough is also easy to work with. You can add any patterns or decorations once you roll it out to personalize the look. They cut and dry easily too, either in the oven or left out for a day or two to air dry. And if you want to be extra creative, you can paint them afterward with whatever colors you like.
Baking soda dough also holds scent and colors if you prefer to customize it during the kneading stage.
Use fragrance oils with Christmas scents to infuse the dough with an extra festive feel, or add a few drops of food coloring if you prefer not to paint. You can really get creative here, whether you’re making them for yourself or with your children.
Crafting with Kids
Baking soda Christmas ornaments are the perfect holiday activity to complete with children. Although younger kids may need some help heating up the dough, once it’s cooled, this DIY is fun for the whole family.
Set up a selection of cookie cutters, patterned rolling pins, and essential oils to let your children’s imagination run wild. (Adults should handle the essential oils.) If you’re worried about younger children working with the dough (or causing a huge mess), you can also make the ornaments yourself and allow them to dry, ready to decorate with paints and glitters later on.
But if you are crafting with kids, there’s one important thing to note—this dough is not edible. It may be made from ingredients from your kitchen, but it shouldn’t be ingested. Hopefully, that shouldn’t be a concern considering it won’t taste particularly appetizing. But I recommend keeping an eye out anyway, especially around little ones.
What You’ll Need
The main ingredient in baking soda dough is, of course, baking soda. While there are baking soda alternatives in certain recipes, none will work quite the same in this dough.
The second ingredient is cornstarch. This brings the dough together and creates the right texture. A cup is needed to make the dough (depending on how much you’re making), but keep some extra on hand to dust the surface when you’re rolling it out.
Finally, the last ingredient is water. Nothing fancy here—water from your tap is perfect. Alongside these ingredients, grab a saucepan and a spatula for mixing. You’ll also need cookie cutters to create the ornament shapes.
If you want to make scented ornaments, grab whatever essential oils you prefer. I’ve used peppermint and clove in two separate doughs for a Christmassy scent, but you can use any fragrances you like. I wouldn’t choose anything too Christmassy if you want to use your ornaments at other times of the year.
Food coloring is also an option if you don’t like the white minimalist look. You’ll have more control over color and pattern if you paint the ornaments after rather than adding food coloring before, but this is great for uniform ornaments for a particular color scheme. The amount you add will depend on the intensity of the color you’re looking for.
Decorating
What you use for decorating is up to you.
Embossed rolling pins are one of the most popular methods for quick pattern-making. Once the dough is rolled out, simply go over it one final time with the embossed rolling pin, and all your ornaments will have the same intricate patterns.
You can also go the DIY route and draw your own patterns or use elements from around your home to create impressions in the dough. Botanical impressions work well, particularly if you don’t want a strictly festive look that works better year-round. I recommend using plants with tougher leaves and stems, such as rosemary, as they stand out more than thinner leaves or flowers.
Pet owners can also make adorable ornaments by pressing their pets’ paws into the dough.
A friend of mine makes one of these for each of her new pets and loves hanging them on her tree each year to involve the whole furry family, past and present. If you have unruly cats, just tell them they can’t walk across the dough, and you’ll have plenty of paw prints to work with.
The other alternative is no patterns or decorations at all. These ornaments look just as good as they are. Simply use cookie cutters to create the shape you prefer—no extras needed.
How to Make Christmas Ornaments
There are six steps in the process—but don’t worry; they’re all simple and easy to follow. These are the ingredients you need for one large batch of dough:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 5oz cups water
Step 1: Combine Ingredients
Grab your saucepan and add all the ingredients, stirring as you go. Don’t worry if the cornstarch is a bit tricky to work with, it will mix in well eventually as you stir. Make sure you get the sides of the saucepan with your spatula to combine any sticky bits into the dough.
If you’re using essential oils or food coloring, add those now. The scent and color do change as the ornaments dry, so don’t worry if it feels like too much at first. It’s generally better to add too much than too little, especially if you want a noticeable scent. I added around 20 drops of essential oil to these and the scent is very subtle.
Step 2: Heat the Dough
Gently heat the mixture on your stovetop over medium heat. Keep stirring as you go to ensure all the ingredients combine well. After a couple of minutes, gentle bubbles will start to form— this is a good sign (as long as they aren’t too vigorous). Continue to stir for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture forms a thickened paste.
Step 3: Allow to Cool
While it may be tempting to work with the dough straight away, it needs a bit of time to cool before you can handle it. Once the dough has formed, transfer it into a separate bowl to cool. It should take around 30 minutes or less before you can work with the dough. Cover the bowl with a cloth to keep it clean until you’re ready to remove it.
Step 4: Knead the Dough
Once the dough has cooled, dust your work surface with more cornstarch and remove the dough from the bowl. Knead the dough for a few minutes until the consistency is smooth and satiny. You don’t need to knead much—just enough to create an even, smooth texture ready for rolling.
Step 5: Roll and Decorate
If needed, add more cornstarch to your surface to prevent sticking. Then, roll the dough out to your desired thickness. Keep rotating so the thickness is even on all sides. Thinner dough will dry faster but may also be more fragile, so aim for thicker if you’re painting them afterward.
Use a regular rolling pin to roll out and finish with the embossed rolling pin when you have the right thickness. If you’re using other decorative elements, press them in gently without touching the dough with your fingers to avoid leaving marks. Or leave the dough unmarked as it is.
Use cookie cutters or a knife to cut out the desired shapes. Place them onto a separate tray and make a small hole in the top for hanging using a bamboo skewer or something similar.
Step 6: Allow to Dry
Finally, leave your ornaments to dry for 24 to 48 hours, depending on thickness and your indoor conditions. I find allowing them to air dry creates the best finish. However, if you’re in a rush, you can also dry them in the oven.
Bake them at 180°F until they are completely dry (usually an hour or two). Check to make sure they are not drying too quickly, causing cracking or discoloration. Flip them halfway through to ensure they dry evenly on all sides.
If you are planning on oven drying, I would roll the dough out a little thicker. Thinner ornaments are more fragile and tougher to flip successfully.
Hanging Your Ornaments
Once the ornaments are completely dry, they’re ready to hang. Thread twine or ribbon through the hole you made and tie a knot at the end. You can hang them on your Christmas tree, on a garland, or anywhere else that needs a touch of festive cheer. These ornaments do last a while, so you can pack them away carefully at the end of the season to reuse them next year.
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