Salt Dough Ornament Ideas for Christmas

I made salt dough Christmas ornaments with my kids when they were little, and I still have some of those precious ornaments today! They preserve incredibly well, and I love pulling them out every Christmas and remembering those little hands that made them.

Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks for working with salt dough. One of the most important is adding the water gradually. Too much water makes the dough sticky and harder to work with. My basic salt dough ornament recipe uses just flour, salt, and water.

I’ve gathered some of my favorite salt dough ornament ideas here, including snowmen, candy canes, handprint and footprint keepsakes, and inspiration from other craft bloggers. I love seeing how many different Christmas keepsakes families can make with simple salt dough.

Why You’ll Love These Salt Dough Ornament Ideas

• Long-lasting keepsakes: I still have ornaments my kids made when they were little.
• Lots of inspiration: Choose from handprints, footprints, snowmen, Christmas trees, and more.
• Room for creativity: Paint holiday shapes or make handprint and footprint ornaments.

My Salt Dough Ornament Projects

Looking for the dough first? Start with my salt dough ornament recipe for tested ingredients, baking instructions, and decorating tips. Then explore these different ornament designs.

Safety note: Salt dough is not edible, and the high salt content can be dangerous to pets if swallowed. Supervise children during crafting, and keep finished ornaments away from pets and toddlers who might put them in their mouths.

Candy Cane Salt Dough Ornament

See the candy cane salt dough ornament tutorial on Kid Friendly Things To Do.

Melted Snowman Salt Dough Ornament

See the melted snowman salt dough ornament tutorial on Kid Friendly Things To Do.

Gingerbread Salt Dough Ornaments

See the gingerbread salt dough ornaments tutorial on Kid Friendly Things To Do.

Salt Dough Handprint and Footprint Ornaments

Artistic Handprint Salt Dough Ornaments

Find the artistic handprint salt dough ornaments tutorial at Olive Juice Mama.

Fingerprint Snowman Salt Dough Ornament

Find the fingerprint snowman salt dough ornament tutorial at Crafty Morning.

Santa Handprint Salt Dough Ornament

Find the santa handprint salt dough ornament tutorial at From ABCs to ACTs.

Fingerprint Christmas Tree Salt Dough Ornament

Find the fingerprint christmas tree salt dough ornament tutorial at Messy Little Monster.

Handprint Salt Dough Snowman Family

Find the handprint salt dough snowman family tutorial at Learning and Exploring Through Play.

Reindeer Footprint Salt Dough Ornaments

These footprint-shaped reindeer with pipe-cleaner antlers were originally pictured by Messy Little Monster.

Rudolph Footprint Salt Dough Ornament on a Christmas Tree

This Rudolph-inspired footprint ornament is another fun way to turn a child’s footprint into a Christmas keepsake. It’s shown as an inspiration idea; an original tutorial source hasn’t been confirmed.

Mistletoe Footprint Salt Dough Ornament

Find the mistletoe footprint salt dough ornament tutorial at Fun Handprint Art.

Penguin Footprint Salt Dough Ornament

Find the penguin footprint salt dough ornament tutorial at Messy Little Monster.

Footprint Snowman Salt Dough Ornament

Find the footprint snowman salt dough ornament tutorial at Crafty Morning.

Salt Dough Picture Frame Ornament

Find the salt dough picture frame ornament tutorial at Teach Me Mommy.

Paw Print Salt Dough Ornament

Find the paw print salt dough ornament tutorial at One Little Project.

Fingerprint Salt Dough Picture Frame

Find the fingerprint salt dough picture frame tutorial at Teach Me Mommy.

Elf Handprint Salt Dough Ornament

An elf handprint ornament makes a cute Christmas keepsake idea, with green hair and a cheerful painted face.

More Salt Dough Ornament Ideas for Christmas

Star-Shaped Salt Dough Ornament

This blue star ornament is a simple design idea for decorating salt dough Christmas ornaments.

Round Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

These round red-and-white ornaments are another festive decorating idea for a Christmas tree.

Marbled Heart Salt Dough Ornament

Soft pastel colors give this marbled heart ornament a pretty, playful look. Originally shared by Two-Daloo. The original tutorial is no longer available.

Rustic Cinnamon Salt Dough Ornaments

Find the rustic cinnamon salt dough ornaments tutorial at Where Your Treasure Is.

Snowman Family Salt Dough Ornament

Find the snowman family salt dough ornament tutorial at Paging Fun Mums.

Sea Glass Salt Dough Ornament

Find the sea glass salt dough ornament tutorial at Red Ted Art.

Snowman Face Salt Dough Ornament

Find the snowman face salt dough ornament tutorial at The Adventure of One Crazy Lady.

Reindeer Salt Dough Ornament

Find the reindeer salt dough ornament tutorial at My Frugal Adventures.

Evergreen Leaf Salt Dough Ornament

Find the evergreen leaf salt dough ornament tutorial at My Very Educated Mother.

Grinch Salt Dough Ornament

Find the grinch salt dough ornament tutorial at From ABCs to ACTs.

Salt Dough Star Christmas Garland

Find the salt dough star christmas garland tutorial at Rainy Day Mum.

Pine Tree Stamped Salt Dough Ornament

Find the pine tree stamped salt dough ornament tutorial at Easy Peasy and Fun.

Cross Salt Dough Ornament

A decorative cross is another meaningful salt dough Christmas ornament idea for a family or Sunday school craft. Originally shared by The Artist Woman; the original tutorial is no longer accessible.

Starfish Salt Dough Ornaments

Find the starfish salt dough ornaments tutorial at Domestic Ingenuity.

Button Christmas Tree Salt Dough Ornament

Find the button christmas tree salt dough ornament tutorial at Emma Owl.

Melissa’s Tips for Making Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

• Add water gradually. Too much water can make the dough sticky.
• Make the hanging hole before baking. It is easier than trying to add one after the ornament hardens.
• Seal after decorating. I used Mod Podge on the painted ornaments.
• Keep them as memories. Some of my children’s handmade salt dough ornaments have lasted for years.

Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments FAQs

Are salt dough ornaments edible?

No. These are decorations made with a lot of salt and are not intended to be eaten. Keep finished ornaments away from pets and toddlers who might put them in their mouths.

How long do you bake salt dough ornaments?

For baking times and temperatures, see my salt dough ornament recipe.

How do you keep salt dough ornaments?

I paint and seal the finished ornaments after they are dry and store them with our Christmas decorations. Some of ours have lasted for years.

More Christmas Ornaments for Kids

For another handmade keepsake, see my cinnamon salt dough ornaments for a Thankful Tree. You can also browse 30+ Christmas ornaments for kids to make.

You may also like our sugar ornaments, pasta candy cane ornaments, and Jolly Rancher ornaments.