Salt Dough Handprint Santa Ornaments

Using homemade salt dough these Santa handprint salt dough ornaments couldn’t be easier to make. Year after year you can make these handprint Santa salt dough ornaments and see the growth of your kiddos hands while having a fun momento to keep forever. These homemade Christmas ornaments also make adorable Christmas gifts to give family and friends.

Salt dough is a favorite in our house. We make lots of holiday projects using it and the kids always love it when we make homemade salt dough.

If you have little kids you can make their handprint in the salt dough and then paint it yourself and if you have older kids they can do the painting part themselves.

Christmas Crafts for Kids

Santa handprint salt dough ornaments

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.

What is the Best Paint for decorating 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.

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.

Santa handprint salt dough ornaments

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.

Santa handprint salt dough ornaments

Salt Dough Handprint Santa Ornaments Supplies

4 cups Flour
1 cup Salt
1 ½ cups Water

Tools Needed

Bowl
Measuring Cups
Rolling Pin
6-8 inch diameter bowl
Straw
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Oven
Butter Knife

How to Make Salt Dough Handprint Santa Ornaments

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

Combine the flour, salt, and water stirring until the mixture becomes like a thick dough.

Remove the dough onto the counter top and knead with your hands until it’s consistent.

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

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

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

Firmly press a little hand in the center of the circle shape creating a handprint.

Use the straw to poke a hole into each of the cookie cutter shapes, about ½-inch from the edge, preferably.

Remove the portions of dough that are not the desired circle shapes.

Gently, using the spatula, transfer the circle from the table to the prepared baking 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 to look like Santa and allow them to dry completely.

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

Salt Dough Crafts for Kids

Salt Dough Santa Handprint Ornaments

Materials

4 cups Flour
1 cup Salt
1 ½ cups Water

Tools

Mixing Bowl
Measuring Cups
Rolling Pin
6-8 inch diameter bowl
Straw
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Oven
Butter Knife

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and line the baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the flour, salt, and water stirring until the mixture becomes like a thick dough.
Remove the dough onto the counter top and knead with your hands until it’s consistent.
Roll the dough to a consistent thickness, no thicker than ¼-inch.
Place the bowl open-side-down on the dough and press hard to make a deep mark.
Using the mark made by the bowl, using the butter knife, cut out the circle shape.
Firmly press a little hand in the center of the circle shape creating a handprint.
Use the straw to poke a hole into each of the cookie cutter shapes, about ½-inch from the edge, preferably.
Remove the portions of dough that are not the desired circle shapes.
Gently, using the spatula, transfer the circle from the table to the prepared baking 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 to look like Santa and allow them to dry completely.
Thread a piece of ribbon through the hole and hang them.