Handmade Christmas Decorations: Creating Book and Teddy Ornaments
Making Salt Dough Bear Ornaments: A Family Holiday Tradition
Every Christmas season, a family takes up a beloved tradition—making homemade salt dough ornaments, inspired by their favourite book, "Bear Stay Up for Christmas" by Karma Wilson.
Their Christmas trees in the bedrooms are adorned with these handmade ornaments, each carrying memories from over the years. This year, they decided to create bear ornaments to match the story's theme.
To make these salt dough bear ornaments, you'll need a basic recipe and a simple crafting process. Here's what you'll need:
Salt Dough Ingredients: - 2 cups of flour - 1 cup of salt - 1 cup of warm water
Steps: 1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. 2. Gradually add the warm water while stirring until the dough is smooth and not sticky. If needed, add more flour if the mixture is too sticky, or water if it's too dry. 3. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface. 4. Use a bear-shaped cookie cutter or form the bear shape by hand, modeling the features seen in "Bear Stay Up for Christmas" if desired. 5. Use small tools or household items to add details (e.g., eyes, nose, fur texture). 6. Use a straw or toothpick to make a small hole at the top of the ornament for hanging. 7. Bake in the oven at 250-300°F (about 120-150°C) for 1 hour. 8. Let the ornaments air dry for another 24 hours for best hardness. 9. After fully dry, paint and decorate the bears as you like with acrylic paint or markers. 10. Seal with a clear varnish or mod podge for durability.
Baking at low heat for sufficient time and fully drying to harden your salt dough ornaments before decorating is crucial. You can substitute sand for salt for extra texture or eco-friendly variations, but for classic salt dough bear ornaments, salt is typically used.
Once the ornaments have been painted and dried, they are hung on the Christmas tree, adding a personal touch to the family's holiday decorations. This enjoyable activity is suitable for preschoolers and provides a creative outlet for the whole family.
Other Christmas ornament crafts the family enjoys include "Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments", "Family Tree Mini-Ornaments", "Snowflake Ornaments", and "Clothespin Angel Ornament". These crafts make for a fun-filled holiday season, filled with memories and handmade ornaments.
[1] Salt dough ornaments: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/holidays/make-salt-dough-ornaments [2] Salt dough bear ornaments: https://www.kidsactivities.net/crafts/salt-dough-bear-ornaments [3] Eco-friendly salt dough ornaments: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/holidays/eco-friendly-salt-dough-ornaments [4] Handprint salt dough ornaments: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/holidays/handprint-salt-dough-ornaments [5] Shaped salt dough ornaments: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/holidays/shaped-salt-dough-ornaments
- Creating salt dough bear ornaments as a family tradition isn't just about the holiday decoration; it's also about the acts of kindness and bonding that come with cooking together, as you follow a recipe.
- Apart from salt dough bear ornaments, the family also enjoys cooking up other food-and-drink related ornaments, like cinnamon applesauce ornaments and clothespin angel ornaments, turning their lifestyle into a fusion of fashion-and-beauty and home-and-garden crafts.
- This year, as they share their love for the "Bear Stay Up for Christmas" story, they plan to experiment with eco-friendly salt dough alternatives, incorporating fashion-and-beauty and sustainability into their cooking endeavors.
