Scented Holiday Ornaments (2 recipes)
by Rachel Keller

Each Christmas, our family enjoys decorating the tree with our homemade ornaments. Both of my sons have their own special ornaments that they made, and I have made some ornaments and received others as gifts. Very few of our ornaments are store-bought, and why should we spend money on store-bought ornaments when we can make our own?

Please note that these ornaments are inedible! 

Baked Dough Ornaments

This recipe, which cannot be halved or doubled, makes 30 small inedible ornaments.

To make these ornaments, you will need the following ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water (or more as needed)

Mix the flour and the salt. Make a hole in the center of the mixture and pour in the water. Mix thoroughly, adding more water if necessary (dough should be smooth, not crumbly nor sticky). Form into balls and store in plastic bags to prevent drying out.

On a surface covered with waxed paper, roll out one ball at a time to a half inch thickness. Cut out the shapes. (We used cookie cutters.) You can reuse the scraps by kneading and rolling back into balls. Use a toothpick or straw to make a hole in the top of each ornament. (You can use copper wire or ribbon to hang your ornament.)

Bake the ornaments at 350 F for 45 minutes to 90 minutes or until pin inserted in dough comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

Use a small brush to paint details. (We even used markers to color the ornaments.) Allow the paint to dry and brush on two or three coats of polyurethane or varnish for a protective finish.

These make great gifts for grandparents and friends!

Scented Cinnamon Ornaments

I received this recipe from a friend about ten years ago. It makes 32 two-inch wonderful smelling inedible ornaments.

1 four-ounce can (approximately 1 cup) of cinnamon
1 Tbsp cloves
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. white glue

In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Add applesauce and glue, stirring to combine. Work mixture with hands 2-3 minutes or until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Divide into 4 portions. On lightly floured surface, roll each portion to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough with floured cookie cutters. (Make holes in the top if you want to use them as ornaments.) Place cut outs on wire racks and allow to dry at room temperature for several days. (For a more uniform drying process, turn ornaments over once each day.)

Here is another easy ornament you may want to try:

Aluminum Pie Ornament

Save your old Christmas cards and those little tins that snack pies or meat pies come in. Cut out pictures from the Christmas cards and glue them into the tins. If you wish, you could glue lace around the edge. Punch a hole in top and tie a string through the hole.


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