Little hands are so sweet! I wish they could stay that little for longer. One way to capture the precious memory of their tiny hand is to make an ornament keepsake. Every year at Christmas you will be reminded of how little they were. In this post, we are sharing a simple salt dough mitten ornament and recipe. Since you will most likely have dough leftover, you could also make an adorable footprint reindeer ornament.
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How to make the Salt Dough Mitten Ornament
Salt Dough Recipe
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup salt
- ½ cup warm water
Supplies Needed:
- wax paper
- rolling pin
- craft paints
- paintbrushes
- ribbon
- hot glue gun or multi-surface glue
- small screwdriver or similar for poking the hole
or 
Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Pearl Acrylic Craft Paint in Assorted Colors (2-Ounce), 32123 AquariumAdTech Two Temp Hot Glue Gun for Crafting and DIY/ Two Temperature/Dual Temp for Heavy-Duty AND Delicate projects/Item #0453
Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Pearl Acrylic Craft Paint in Assorted Colors (2-Ounce), 32116 Antique Silk
Aleene's Ultimate Multi-Surface Adhesive, 1.5 oz.
Reynolds Cut-Rite Wax Paper, 75 ft
Klein Tools 606-2 1/16-Inch Keystone Tip Miniature Screwdriver with 2-Inch Round Shank,1/16-Inch Tip
Elmer's Glue-All Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue, Extra Strong, 7.625 Ounces, 1 Count
Ornament Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 275.
2. In a small bowl, mix water and salt until mostly dissolved (not all the salt will dissolve).
3. Add half the flour. Mix.
4. Add the remaining flour. Mix until a dough forms.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Work until smooth and not sticky or crumbly.
6. Roll part of the dough out (on wax paper) to a circle at least 3 inches larger than the hand you are printing. You want the circle to also be rolled out to about ½ inch thick. *Thinner may break easily once dry and thicker may take a long time to dry.
7. Lightly press hand down to create the hand impression.
8. Remove hand.
8. Use a knife to cut a mitten shape around the handprint.
9. Place the mitten on cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour or until hardened. Allow to cool completely.
10. Paint with your colors of choice.
11. Add cotton to the cuff of the mitten.
12. Hang on your Christmas tree! It also makes a great keepsake gift.
See also: Salt Dough Ornaments Inspired by The Rainbow Fish
Helpful Tip:
Alternatively, let air dry. This will help prevent cracking and bubbling up. You will most likely need to let it air dry for a couple of weeks but it will be worth the wait to have a nice, smooth surface!
For another cute idea like this salt dough mitten ornament, check out this Christmas tree hand impression, darling footprint mistletoe ornaments, or this footprint heart keepsake.
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Brittney says
How cute! What a great way to make a keepsake that you can pull out and enjoy every year.
Amanda says
Thank you!
Amber says
What temp do you bake at?
Amanda says
Hi Amber! Bake it at 275 or if really thin, 200. 🙂
Karen says
I have 18 handprints I have to make. How many does your recipe make?
Amanda says
Hi Karen! It really depends on how big the hands are of the kid, how thick you would like the ornaments to be. My suggestion would be to make the full amount then roll out a 'test' - place a child's hand on it to eye out if it's big enough. Then roll it into a ball and make 17 more the same size. You could even store them in individual baggies for each kid. If you didn't have enough, you could then make a second batch.
Natalie says
How many would this recipe make?
Amanda says
Hi Natalie! Thanks for asking. Please read my response to Karen's comment. 🙂
Jennife r says
Can you bake more than one ornament at a time ?
Amanda says
Hi Jennifer! Yes, you can bake more than one at a time.
Teresa says
What kind of paint did you use? Love the look of it!
Amanda says
Hi Teresa! Metallic Acrylic Paint is what gives it the shimmery look. Martha Stewart has a metallic & pearl set otherwise, stores like Hobby Lobby & Michael's would have it.
Amanda says
Hi Teresa! Metallic Acrylic Paint is what gives it the shimmery look. Martha Stewart has a metallic & pearl set otherwise, stores like Hobby Lobby & Michael's would have it.
Amanda says
Hi Teresa! Metallic Acrylic Paint is what gives it the shimmery look. Martha Stewart has a metallic & pearl set otherwise, stores like Hobby Lobby & Michael's would have it.
Wendy says
I have used salt dough before and it cracked and the ornaments were practically ruined...how can I prevent this from happening?
Amanda says
Sorry to hear :/ I too have this problem so I asked a crafty friend of mine her secret since her gingerbread ornaments are always so smooth. Here's what she said:
"I tried to make them as early as I could so they had time to air dry. I know you can bake them in the oven but I heard that makes them crack. I think they took a good two weeks to dry completely and breakage free."
Kim says
I also would like to know the type of paint used please?
Amanda says
Hi Kim! To get the shimmery look, you could use a metallic acrylic paint such as Martha Stewart's Multi-Surface Pearl Paints. Otherwise, you could most likely check out the acrylic paint sections at Hobby Lobby/Michael's for other brands. 🙂
Hannah says
So disappointed. The ornaments puff up a lot and alters the impression.
Amanda says
Oh no! If you try to make these again, let it air dry for a couple weeks instead of baking it. It shouldn't puff up then. Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Brook says
How did you get the cotton to stay? Just regular craft glue ? Also how do u attach something to hang the ornament ?
Amanda says
Hi Brook!
Thanks for asking. I didn't realize I forgot to add those parts and will be updating the post 🙂
Hot glue or a multi-surface glue would work. To hang it - before baking it/air drying, use something such as a small screwdriver to poke a hole through it. When it's dry, you can thread a ribbon through for hanging. There are a few examples linked in this post http://funhandprintartblog.com/2012/12/handprint-thumbprint-ornaments-12-day-of-christmas-pinspiration.html