Have your students help to make the dough by mixing the above ingredients. Let them measure, pour and stir the mixture together.

After the salt dough is mixed well let students pick out what cookie cutter they would like to use to make a dough ornament. This does not have to be Christmas cookie cutters. This activity could be done with a favorite book that was read in the class such as rainbow fish. Then the children could make cookie cutter fish of different sizes and shapes to paint after the dough has dried. Use your imagination. Always be on the look out for cookie cutters on sale because they can used for so many different art projects!!

Next put the salt dough ornaments on a piece of wax paper and put the child’s name on the paper so you know which ornament is what child’s. Let dry for several days or put in an oven on 345 for about 8 minutes. If the ornaments are going to be hung from a tree, Use a crayon or tip of a pen to put a small hole in the top of the ornament before it dries.

After the ornaments have dried put out all kinds of different paints and paint brushes for the children to use to decorate their ornament. I used fabric paints on my ornaments this year and they turned out beautiful. You can also use a hot glue gun with older students and glue on fabric and sequins and other crafty stuff like that.

Extensions:

Read the Ginger bread man book and make a Gingerbread man ornament with all your students. Decorate it with materials and sequins for his eyes and buttons.

Find a ornament cookie cutter or make a cookie cutter that looks like a book. Start making ornaments books and writing the book title on the book ornament after you read it. Keep a tree up in your room all year with these book ornaments hanging off of them to show everyone what books you have read the whole year!!