There’s a special kind of magic in handmade holiday decorations, isn’t there? The ones that come out of the box year after year are nice, but the ornaments that tell a story—the ones with tiny, imperfect fingerprints and a charmingly rustic look—are the ones that truly make a house feel like a home. And the best part? You can create that magic for pennies with the simplest of recipes. Get ready to unleash your inner artist with these 29 salt dough ornaments that are bursting with personality.
1. The Classic Cookie Cutter Shapes
Let’s start with the foundation of any great salt dough adventure. This is where you break out the trusty Christmas cookie cutters—stars, trees, bells, and stockings. Roll your dough to about 1/4-inch thickness for durability. Don’t forget to poke a hole for the ribbon before you bake them. A straw works perfectly for a clean, round hole.
2. Personalized Family Initials
Give your tree a monogrammed makeover. Create large, bold letter ornaments for each family member’s first initial. You can freehand these or use a printed letter as a stencil. After baking, paint them in everyone’s favorite color for an extra personal touch.
3. Adorable Fingerprint Snowmen
This one is perfect for capturing the tiny hands in your life. Press a thumbprint into the dough to create the snowman’s body. After baking, use a fine-tip paint pen to draw on a face, twig arms, and a colorful scarf. It’s a keepsake you’ll cherish forever.
4. Rustic Woven Heart Baskets
Add a touch of Scandinavian charm to your tree. Create two teardrop shapes and “weave” them together at the top to form a heart basket. These look beautiful painted a simple white or left natural with a rustic twine bow.
5. Miniature Wreaths with Berry Clusters
Form small dough rings and use the end of a paintbrush to texture them like pine needles. After painting them a deep green, add tiny dots of red paint to simulate holly berries. A tiny red bow is the perfect finishing touch.
6. Whimsical Gingerbread People
Why bake cookies you’ll just eat when you can make ones that last forever? Use a gingerbread person cutter and get creative with the “icing.” Use puffy paint or a thick white acrylic paint to draw on smiles, buttons, and cute little bowties.
7. Paw Print Pet Portraits
Don’t let the kids have all the fun! Gently press your dog’s or cat’s paw into a soft piece of dough. Write their name and the year below the print. It’s a wonderful way to include your furry family members in the tradition.
8. Shiny Gold & Silver Leaf Accents
Elevate your basic shapes with a touch of metallic glamour. Paint a simple shape like a star or circle with a base color, then carefully apply gold or silver leaf to the edges or specific sections. The result is stunningly elegant.
9. Snowy Pinecone Textures
Create a simple teardrop or oval shape. Then, use the tip of a toothpick or a skewer to create overlapping scales, mimicking a pinecone’s texture. A dry brush with white paint after baking gives it a frosty, fresh-from-the-forest look.
10. Handprint Angels
This might be the most precious ornament you’ll ever make. Use the child’s handprint—the fingers become the angel’s gown, and you can add a small dough ball for the head. Paint on a halo and a sweet face for a heavenly decoration.
11. Geometric Terrarium Ornaments
For a modern twist, create geometric shapes like triangles, hexagons, and diamonds. Paint them in muted, earthy tones and use a fine black pen to draw minimalist succulent designs inside. So chic!
12. Embroidered-Look String Art
Create a simple shape and, before baking, use a toothpick to poke a pattern of holes. After painting, you can “embroider” through the holes with colorful yarn or embroidery floss to create stars, hearts, or monograms.
13. The North Star Constellation
Make a large star and use a small skewer to poke holes representing the key stars in the Ursa Minor constellation. Paint it a deep navy blue and add a dot of gold paint around each hole. When light shines through, it’s magical.
14. Cozy Knit-Sweater Textures
Roll out your dough and press a piece of real knitted fabric into it to transfer the texture. Use a sweater-shaped cookie cutter on the imprinted dough. Paint it to look like your favorite ugly Christmas sweater. 😉
15. Miniature Woodland Animals
Channel your inner sculptor! Create simple shapes for foxes, owls, and deer. Use toothpicks to add details like eyes, feathers, or antlers. These look adorable peeking out from the branches of your tree.
16. Stamped Message Ornaments
Use letter stamps to press words like “JOY,” “NOEL,” or “PEACE” directly into the soft dough. You can leave the letters natural or carefully paint them in after baking for a beautiful, rustic sign.
17. Peppermint Candy Disks
These are incredibly simple but so effective. Create smooth, flat circles and use a toothpick to swirl red and white paint together to mimic a classic peppermint candy. They look good enough to eat!
18. Glitter-Dipped Magic
Sometimes, you just need more glitter. Paint the bottom half of a simple ornament shape with glue and dip it in fine-grade glitter. A star or a tree with a glittery tip looks especially festive and catches the light beautifully.
19. A Slice of the Season
Create an orange slice by making a circle and marking the segments with a knife or toothpick. Paint the center a bright orange and the rind a greenish-yellow. It adds a fresh, zesty pop of color.
20. Quilled Paper-Inspired Designs
Roll thin “snakes” of dough and use them to create intricate, quilled designs on a solid dough base. You can make simple coils, teardrops, and hearts to form a snowflake or a flower.
21. Vintage Truck with a Tree
A classic holiday image! This takes a bit of freehand work, but you can create a simple truck silhouette and add a tiny green tree in the back. Paint it a cheerful red for that perfect nostalgic feel.
22. Mosaic Tile Ornaments
Break a dried ornament (or use leftover baked scraps) into small pieces. Then, glue these “tiles” onto a new dough base, leaving small gaps. Grout with white paint or plaster for a stunning mosaic effect.
23. Hanging Winter Mittens
Create a mitten shape and use a toothpick to create a knit-like texture. Paint them in classic fair isle patterns with tiny dots and stripes. Make them a pair and hang them together with a single string.
24. The Solar System Mobile
Turn your tree into a galaxy! Create different sized circles for the planets and paint them with their distinctive colors. Hang them at varying lengths from a larger dough ring to create an enchanting solar system mobile.
25. Pressed Flower & Herb Imprints
Gently press small, flat flowers like pansies or sprigs of rosemary into the dough. The impression they leave is delicate and beautiful. You can leave these ornaments natural or give them a light wash of color.
26. Comic Book Speech Bubble
For a fun, modern twist, create a classic speech bubble shape. After baking, write your family’s favorite holiday inside joke, a word like “Hi!” or simply “Ho Ho Ho” inside with a black paint pen.
27. Dimensional Snowflakes
No two are alike! Cut a simple snowflake shape, then use tiny dough balls or thin ropes to build up a 3D design on top of it. Paint it pure white and sprinkle with iridescent glitter for a frosty effect.
28. A Cozy Christmas Candle
Shape a simple candle and flame. Use a toothpick to create a dripped wax effect down the side. Paint the candle red, white, or green and add a glowing yellow tip to the flame.
29. The Annual Year Ornament
Make a tradition out of your tradition! Every year, create a simple ornament and clearly mark the year on it. Over time, you’ll build a beautiful timeline of your family’s holidays hanging right there on the tree.
And there you have it—29 salt dough ornaments to fill your tree with handmade charm and personal history. The real beauty of this project isn’t just in the final product; it’s in the messy, fun, and memory-making process of creating them. So, roll up your sleeves, whip up a batch of dough, and get ready to make some magic. Your future self, unpacking these treasures year after year, will thank you for it. Happy crafting!