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Santa Salt Dough Ornaments

santa ornament made from salt dough
Anita

Anita

Director @ Kids Club Toowoomba City

Christmas crafts are a great way to spend some creative time with the kids during the holiday period. Our handprint Santa Salt Dough Ornament is a fun project for children of all ages and makes a great keepsake or even a gift for family and friends!

More than just a fun and festive activity to enjoy together, crafting a handprint Santa ornament helps develop a child’s cognitive and fine motor skills while boosting their creativity and well-being.

Items and Equipment Needed

Salt Dough:

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of salt
  • 1/4 cup of warm water

Note: your dough mixture should not be sticky!

Supplies:

  • Craft paints and brushes
  • Wax paper
  • Butter knife

Your child’s hand to create the Santa print!

Method/Steps

  1. Put the salt dough on a lightly floured hard surface and knead it to remove bubbles until it becomes smooth.
  2. Cut a small piece of the dough, roll it into a ball (larger than a golf ball and smaller than a tennis ball) and flatten on the wax paper.
  3. Sprinkle some flour onto the dough and the palm of the child’s hand to prevent sticking.
  4. Press the child’s hand firmly into the dough and hold for a few seconds, then lift it away carefully to avoid disturbing the handprint. Using the butter knife, cut around the handprint edges to create the border.
  5. Using a skewer or similar, create a small hole at the top of the Santa. This is to thread a ribbon through to hang your ornament once completed.
  6. Place the dough handprint in the microwave for 15 seconds, then heat again for another 15 seconds.
  7. Repeat this process until the dough becomes dry and change colour. It can take up to 3 minutes to harden.
  8. Once cooled – and only if the dough has become hard – you can begin painting your hand print Santa. Note that it will continue to harden and dry out overnight.