Creating Ornaments

Christmas of 1992, I decided I should make ornaments for my friends.  I think this was the first time I made them as gifts for people.  At the time I was working at Wendy's and a bunch of my friends worked there with me.  Instead of just making them for just my friends, I made them for everyone who worked there.  I thought that I might hurt some people's feelings if they didn't get an ornament....I wanted to be fair and nice.  I sat in my mom's sewing room and created many many little salt dough bears for everyone.

After they were baked, I sealed them with varnish.  My father made this for us to hang our ornaments on so they could dry after varnishing them.  I am taking the drips off the bears feet with a wooden chopstick, so there are no bumps.

I am still amazed that I made that many of them for everyone.  I still have a tiny box with a few left overs in my basement.

You can read more about my salt dough ornament adventures, see a finished bear and get the recipe to make your own here.


Way Back When-esday posts at Twinfatuation.

Salt Dough Ornaments

As a child I made salt dough ornaments with my mom. Last year she gave me the ornaments I made throughout the years to blog about. It is so fun to look back at how I changed over the years.


In 1984 we all made bears. If you add instant coffee to the salt dough recipe it will turn the dough brown. It also looks like the first year we added food coloring instead of painting the dough.
In 1992 I decided to make bears for everyone I worked with at Wendy's. I still have a bunch of those left.  (You can see me making these, here.)


After my niece was born (1996) I made more bears for my husband's (boyfriend at the time) family. My brother in law made me a dowel tree so I could hang them to dry after I dipped them in varnish. Ahhhhh...having to touch the drips every so often so there wasn't a drip bump on the bottom of the feet. I do not miss that part of making these ornaments. Definitely worth varnishing though so they do not mold over time.


I guess you could say I have been making sculpted ornaments since age 5.
WOW, 31 yrs!
Oh, now I feel old.


Here is a recipe for Salt Dough Ornaments:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
(Substitute coffee for water - great for gingerbread people & bears. Add food coloring to make colored dough)

Directions:1. Mix salt and flour.
2. Add in half the water, then gradually add the remaining water.
3. Knead until the dough is smooth, this can take up to 10 minutes.

Baking: Time varies based on thickness of ornament
Temperature: 325 degrees
Time: 1 1/2 hours - or until dry

Coat with acrylic varnish when everything is dry.

Have fun!