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Indoor activity

Salt Dough Ornaments

Mix flour, salt, and water into dough, sculpt it into ornaments, bake them rock solid, then paint them in brilliant colours to keep or give as gifts!

Ages 4-8 2-4 hours Education 7/10

Materials

  • Baking Tray
  • Flat Paintbrush
  • Glass Jar
  • Plain Flour
  • Poster Paint
  • Salt
  • Scissors
  • Spoon

Illustrated Steps

1

Mix the Dough

Measure 2 cups flour and 1 cup salt into a bowl. Add water gradually and knead into a smooth, soft dough ball that is not sticky.

2

Roll and Cut Shapes

Roll the dough 5mm thick using a glass jar. Cut out shapes with scissors or press a cup rim into the dough to make clean circles.

3

Bake Until Hard

⚠️ Adult Helper Needed — Lay shapes on a lined baking tray and bake at 120°C for 2–3 hours until completely hard. Cool fully before touching.

4

Paint Your Ornaments

Paint the cooled ornaments with poster paint. Apply a base colour first, let it dry, then add patterns and details on top.

What You’ll Create

Mix up a batch of magical salt dough and sculpt it into beautiful ornaments, keepsakes, or decorations! 🌟 Using just plain flour, salt, and water from your kitchen, you’ll roll the dough flat, cut out shapes, bake them rock solid, and paint them in bright colours. These ornaments last for years — make them as gifts or hang them around the house!

How to Set It Up

Step 1: Mix the Dough

In a bowl, measure out 2 cups of plain flour and 1 cup of salt. Stir them together with a spoon. Gradually add half a cup of cold water, a little at a time, mixing as you go. When the mixture clumps together, use your hands to knead it for 2–3 minutes until it forms a smooth, soft ball that is not sticky. If it sticks to your hands, add a little more flour. If it crumbles, add a few more drops of water.

Step 2: Roll and Cut Shapes

Dust a clean flat surface lightly with flour. Press the dough ball into a thick disc with your palm, then roll it out using a glass jar as a rolling pin until it is about 5 mm thick — roughly the depth of a pound coin. Cut out shapes using scissors for straight-edged designs, or press the rim of a cup into the dough to cut neat circles. If you want to hang the ornaments later, poke a small hole near the top of each shape with a cocktail stick before baking.

Step 3: Bake Until Hard

⚠️ Adult Helper Needed — This step uses the oven. Ask a grown-up to help. Lay the cut shapes onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place in an oven pre-heated to 120°C (fan 100°C / Gas Mark ½). Bake for 2–3 hours until the ornaments are completely hard and dry all the way through. Remove carefully and leave to cool fully on the tray — they will be very hot!

Step 4: Paint Your Ornaments

Once fully cooled, paint your ornaments using poster paint and a flat paintbrush. Cover the whole surface with a base colour first and allow it to dry for 10 minutes. Then add patterns, spots, stripes, or pictures on top. Mix colours together on a plate to create new shades. Leave to dry flat before hanging or gifting. 🎨

Have fun!

  • 🎁 Make personalised presents — press initials into the dough before baking.
  • 🌈 Layer multiple paint colours and scratch through the top coat with a cocktail stick to reveal the colour underneath.
  • 🪡 Thread ribbon through the hole to hang ornaments from a window or use as gift tags.
  • 🍪 Use round cup rims as cutters to make a whole set of matching disc ornaments.

Why It’s Amazing

  • Fine Motor Skills: Rolling, cutting, and painting strengthen grip, hand-eye coordination, and precise finger control. ✂️
  • Creative Expression: Open-ended shape design and free painting builds artistic confidence and imagination. 🎨
  • Science Connections: Watching soft dough transform into a rock-hard solid in the oven is a vivid introduction to physical change. 🔬
  • Practical Maths: Measuring ingredients with cups introduces concepts of ratio and proportion in a hands-on, meaningful way. 🥄

Pro Tips

For ages 4–5: Skip precise measuring and let them squish, roll, and make shapes freely — focus on the painting step where they have the most creative freedom.

For ages 5–8: Involve them fully in measuring and mixing. Encourage rolling to a consistent thickness and cutting neat shapes.

For ages 8+: Challenge them to plan their ornament design on paper first and then recreate it in dough. They can also mix poster paint with a drop of PVA glue for a glossier, more durable finish.

⚠️ Always supervise the baking step closely — the tray and ornaments are very hot when they come out of the oven.