Dough Ornaments - Recipe from Jane Ricker and Courtney Dale
Fun for kids (with close adult supervision)!  Kids can easily help with mixing, cutting shapes, and painting.
When children (and even teens) are helping in the kitchen, always use safety first as your motto!
​Supervise carefully and pay attention to details.   Remember - YOU are the responsible one.
Ingredients and Steps
4 cups flour
1 and 1/2 cups water
1 cup salt
  1. Mix flour and salt until well blended.  Add 1 cup water; mix thoroughly.  Slowly add remaining 1/2 cup water.  (Do not use food coloring.)
  2. Knead on floured surface for at least 10 minutes.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap until ready to make ornaments.  (Keeps in fridge for about a week.)
Steps to cut shapes
  1. With floured rolling pin on floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 or 1/4 inch thickness.  Dip edges of cookie cutters in flour.  Cut firmly and transfer each shape to a cookie sheet lined with baking parchment paper or lightly greased. 
  2. Poke a hole in each shape with a skewer or toothpick.  Make sure it's large enough that it won't close back up.
Attach pieces or decorations
  1. Before baking - moisten with water.  After baking - with white glue.
Baking Steps  (Adult Supervised Step) 
  1. Bake ornaments in preheated 250° F - 300° F oven until hard, checking every 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly; press with finger.  If piece yields to pressure, bake loner.  Let cool thoroughly.
Painting
  1. After baking and cooling, paint dough with acrylic paints.  If you aren't going to paint, then brush or spray with clear polyurethane finish.