Baking Memories - Salt Dough Hand Print Ornaments

I remember as a child making salt dough Christmas tree decorations with my parents, and even one unforgettable occasion where I took a bite out of said decoration. One word – salty! Yes, I was that kid that just had to taste everything! Salt dough decorations really are a simple and cheap way to create a priceless gift for the whole family and literally bake memories that will last forever.

With my little girl fast approaching her first birthday I thought what better time than now to create a salt dough decoration capturing her tiny little handprint as I am sure it isn’t going to stay that size for much longer.

This recipe only uses three ingredients; salt, plain flour and water (which I’m pretty sure can be found in most kitchen cupboards) and best of all no scales needed you can just use a cup to measure out the correct quantities. This would be a great recipe to make with toddlers or children that are beginning to take an interest in baking as they can get involved with the mixing and kneading of the dough too.

My little one was a tad too small to join in with that stage so watched on from her high chair until it was time for the hand printing. It is worth adding that if your baby/toddler enjoys getting their hands dirty, this is a great sensory activity to get them familiar with different textures. The only downside being that they may want to squish the dough, rather than give that perfect flat handprint that you are probably looking for. This happened on our first attempt but the beauty of this recipe is that you can simply squish it up and re-roll it to try again so nothing to panic about.

The dough was enough to make 4 medium side decorations, but if your baby is still tiny you will probably be able to make more as you cut the dough to the size of the hand or foot.

If you are planning to use these as decorations for Christmas tree, don’t forget use a straw to punch holes in the top of the dough before baking as you won’t be able to pierce it afterwards. 

We popped the decorations on a really low heat in the oven and baked for several hours whilst we went off to play with toys. It really was as simple as that.

If you have older children you could then choose to decorate the handprint with different coloured paints, there are some really fun designs on Pinterest such as hands decorated like Santa for Christmas.

You can also use salt dough to mark other special life moments such as a key imprint of your first home or even imprints of your furry family members. I’m talking pets here, not your overly hairy Uncle Barry!

So there you have it a quick and simple Salt Dough Ornament bake that is family-friendly and best of all costs next to nothing.