Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints} (2024)

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Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints} (1)

I know you’ve had that time when your kid has come home from school and said, “MOM! I need a recipe of Salt Dough to bring to school tomorrow, how do I make salt dough?!” Ugh. I never have enough salt and I hate making it because the salt makes my hands feel all dry and itchy. That is when I decided there had to be a better way! I found this recipe and I feel in love. It’s more like clay and it makes your hands feel like silk! This recipe is MUCH better than salt dough. Try it out and have some fun!

How to make homemade clay, better than salt dough . . .

Better Than Salt Dough, Homemade Clay

Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints} (2)

Making Clay

In a medium sized pot combine the cornstarch, baking soda, and water. Stir over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, the mixture will begin to thicken. When it looks like smooth, mashed potatoes, remove the pot from the heat. Spoon the ball of dough into a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap until it’s cool. When it’s cool, knead it on a smooth surface (I use my silicone mat for this. I use this mat about 3 times a week while baking.) until smooth and silky. Add more cornstarch if it feels too sticky and/or sticks to the surface.

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*You can let the ornaments air dry over night in a warm place or you can bake them.If you think that you might live in a very dry place or low elevation, PLEASE air dry your clay with a plastic bag looselyover the top to help prevent cracking like this:

**If your clay cracks while drying, just fill in those cracks with more clay, cover looselywith a plastic bag and let it dry on it’s own. This may take a few days but it will work.

To bake them:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out clay to 1/4 inch thick on a silicone matlightly dusted with cornstarch. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Transfer shapes to the prepared baking sheet. You can use a straw to make a hole at the top of the ornament so you can add ribbon later to hang it. We used a bamboo skewer. Place them in the oven for about an hour, *turning them over halfway through cooking.*

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We love using the Wilton Christmas Cookie Cutter Set for these, but you could use this dough for any time of year. We used these little micro cookie cutters for some fun holes and shapes to adddimensionto our ornaments.

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This is also great for hand prints or foot prints!

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I found these fun embossed rolling pins on Amazon the other day. How much fun would these be for the kids to create patterns while playing with the clay? These would be fun with play dough and magic sand too!

Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints} (7) Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints} (8)

Let your kids have fun creating and spending time with each other! Don’t they look excited!? Ha Ha! Boys . . .

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Before Baking:

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After Baking: (remember you can let these air dry over night if baking them doesn’t work for you)

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Have fun painting them if you want! We like to use Acrylic Paint and these paint brushes to decorate our ornaments.

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We used a bamboo skewer to indent lines on this candy cane before we baked it. Then it was the perfect guide for our paint!

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Here is our cute little stacked ornament. My daughter made this all by herself! So creative!

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Here is a printable version of the recipe to make your life easier!

Print

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Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints}

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 3/4 cup water
  • cookie cutters
  • for fun: embossed rolling pins and craft paint
  • optional: food coloring (if you want to make colored dough, add the food coloring to the water before you mix it in.)

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized pot combine the cornstarch, baking soda, and water. Stir over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, the mixture will begin to thicken. When it looks like smooth, mashed potatoes, remove the pot from the heat. Spoon the ball of dough into a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap until it's cool. When it's cool, knead it on a smooth surface (I use my silicone mat for this. I use this mat about 3 times a week while baking.) until smooth and silky. Add more cornstarch if it feels too sticky and/or sticks to the surface.
  2. *You can let the ornaments air dry over night in a warm place or you can bake them.
  3. To bake them:
  4. Preheat oven to 175 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out clay to 1/4 inch thick on a silicone mat lightly dusted with cornstarch. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Transfer shapes to the prepared baking sheet. You can use a straw to make a hole at the top of the ornament so you can add ribbon later to hang it. We used a bamboo skewer. Place them in the oven for about an hour, turning them over halfway through cooking.

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Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints} (20)

Need more fun ideas for homemade Christmas ornaments to make with your kids? Here you go!

Candy Cane Heart Ornaments

Gum Drop Snowflakes

Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints} (2024)

FAQs

Better Than Salt Dough {Homemade Clay for Ornaments or Handprints}? ›

Air-Dry Clay:

Air-dry clay is a popular choice for baby handprints due to its ease of use and accessibility. It doesn't require baking and dries naturally when exposed to air. Perfect for creating lightweight and detailed handprint ornaments.

What is the best clay for handprint ornaments? ›

Air-Dry Clay:

Air-dry clay is a popular choice for baby handprints due to its ease of use and accessibility. It doesn't require baking and dries naturally when exposed to air. Perfect for creating lightweight and detailed handprint ornaments.

What is better than salt dough? ›

Homemade baking soda dough is so much better than traditional salt dough. Why you ask? Thank you for asking. Baking soda dough has a much smoother texture and a much brighter white color, compared to the slightly grainy, off-white color, that salt dough creates.

What is the best clay for homemade ornaments? ›

Is there a clay that's best to use for clay ornaments? As long as you are using a clay that eventually hardens, you should be fine. But choosing a firmer oven bake clay over the texture of a soft air dry clay will give you the ability to roll it out smoother and get cleaner edges with your cookie cutter.

What can I use instead of salt for salt dough ornaments? ›

It's sure to become your new favorite! Salt dough ornaments can be charming, fun, or even elegant, and this snowy-white dough is perfect for tiny children or grown-ups alike. Combine 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup corn starch and mix well. Add 3/4 cup warm water and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly.

How do you make clay handprints stand out? ›

Paint the plaque in a colour of your choice, leaving the handprints unpainted to make them stand out. Once the paint has dried, use a black pen to write your name and age at the top of the clay plaque. Glue on some acrylic gems around the handprints. Then thread some ribbon through the holes and tie the ends together.

How do you seal clay handprints? ›

To decorate with glitter, use a paintbrush to paint glue over clay. Tap the ornament to remove excess glitter. (Optional) When the ornament is completely dry, spray with a sealant or coat in Mod Podge to ensure that it stays intact.

What is the difference between salt dough ornaments and air dry clay? ›

The salt dough browns slightly when baked, while the air dry clay stays a bright pure white, and I think the clay also holds the shape of the cookie cutter much sharper and more defined without any shrinkage. But what I love most about this project is how simple and how affordable it is to make.

How do I seal salt dough ornaments? ›

How do I preserve and store these Salt Dough Ornaments? In order to keep your ornaments and use them for several years, it is best to seal them. Painting them with acrylic paint, if you choose to, will begin the process. But a coat of Mod Podge or Acrylic sealer that is applied like a spray paint will be needed.

Can you let salt dough ornaments air dry? ›

Your finished salt dough sculptures can either be air-dried or oven-dried to set.

How thick should salt dough ornaments be? ›

Roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch; cut desired shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer dough shapes to ungreased cookie sheets; use a toothpick to make a hole in each ornament for hanging. Bake in the preheated oven until hard, about 1 hour, switching racks halfway through.

Which clay is best for making figurines? ›

Polymer clay is often preferred by those making small sculptures who want to bake them into a finished artwork. Water-based clay allows for both loose and impressionistic sculptures, as well as intricate details.

Why are my cornstarch ornaments cracking? ›

If you add too much cornstarch, the dough will be too dry and it will crumble and crack and you don't want that. Roll out your baking soda and cornstarch dough with a regular rolling pin. Roll out the dough about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick at most.

How long do salt dough ornaments last? ›

If you preserve salt dough properly, it will last for decades. Without sealant, it will begin to crumble after a few weeks.

What is the best hand building clay? ›

Earthenware clay is the best clay for handbuilding pottery because of its strength and plasticity.

Can you use air dry clay for handprints? ›

Best of all, you don't even need a special handprint kit. It might be hard to track down certain supplies like toilet paper and Clorox wipes right now, but as long as you can get your hands on (pun intended!) a package of air-dry clay, you're pretty much set.

Does air dry clay work for ornaments? ›

Air dry clay ornaments can also be used as gift tags or name tags for table settings. By using cookie stamps to embellish your clay ornaments, you can create something really special and unique.

What is the difference between polymer clay and air dry clay for jewelry making? ›

Polymer clay offers durability, vibrant colors, and requires baking. Air-dry clay is lighter, simpler to use, and doesn't require an oven. Consider the final product's aesthetics, your crafting process, and the specific qualities you want in your jewelry to make the best choice.

References

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