Decorate With Salt Dough Ornaments

Add your own style with salt dough ornaments!

Salt dough ornaments, like the ones used to adorn this wreath, are easy to make and they will last. You can use them as Christmas tree ornaments; string them to create garlands, and much more. You’re really only limited by your imagination.

Why not get crafty, have some fun, and decorate with salt dough ornaments? It’s a project that the entire family can enjoy!

The good news is, you probably already have the things you need to make salt dough ornaments.

Supplies Needed:

[Please note: This ‘recipe’ will create enough dough to make a lot of ornaments. With that in mind, if you only plan on making a few pieces you should cut this recipe in half. Also, please remind kids that these ornaments are not intended to be eaten!]

• ·       2 cups all-purpose flour
• ·       1 cup salt
• ·       1 cup water
• ·       Cookie cutters in preferred shapes
• ·       Toothpicks
• ·       Acrylic paints in holiday colors
• ·       Paintbrushes

Prepare Dough

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a floured surface for kneading the dough.

Combine the flour, salt and water – mix until a dough consistency is formed. Knead the dough on the prepared surface until the mixture becomes smooth and is elastic. If stickiness is noted you can sprinkle in a small amount of flour. Use caution not to use too much flour.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat – it should be ¼” to ½” thick.

Cutting Shapes

Use the cookie cutters to cut the dough into the desired shapes. Toothpicks can be used to create designs/patterns in the shapes, as well as for making the hole that you will use to hang the ornament (if that is desired). Make the hole a little bigger than you actually want it, because the hole will get smaller as the dough bakes.

Bake the ornaments at 250 degrees for approximately 2 ½ hours. After baking the ornaments should be allowed to cool for several hours before they are handled.

Tip: Prepare the ornaments a day ahead of time – then spend the next day painting them. This is the fun part that kids can take part in too.

Paint Your Ornaments

You can get as creative and detailed as you like when painting the salt dough ornaments. It’s really up to you. Some people prefer a simple design and others want as many details as possible.

You may want to use 2 coats of paint on the ornaments – but again, it’s up to your and what you like. In fact, you could add details with a Sharpie pen.

Salt dough ornaments are a creative holiday decoration – the craft project is fun and it’s an inexpensive way to add a little holiday cheer to your home. Give it a try!

Debbie Allen is a professional content writer that often writes about ways to save money during the holidays. She especially likes to include tips that make typical holiday traditions like writing letters to Santa and decorating the tree seem more magical.

Christmas Stress And Santa’s Nice List

It is easy to get caught up in the rush of the Christmas season. For moms it can sometimes seem a little overwhelming. There is so much that needs to be done and done by you. Here I will hope to show ways to relieve holiday stress.
Shopping is one of the major causes of holiday stress. Try to avoid shopping in the evening or on the weekends. These are the busiest times of day for stores. When you do go take a list and mark off each item as you purchase it. Don’t drive yourself mad trying to find the season’s must have item. I keep an envelope in my purse to keep track of receipts. The most stress free way to shop is online in the comfort of your own home.
At home you can take a long bath to help ease the stress. I get away with this by having my older children help the younger ones to write letters to Santa. If you don’t have older children have your husband help out. Light some holiday scented candles and let the water wash away your stress.
Couples sometimes disagree on the amounts of money being spent on the holidays. Before you begin shopping sit down together decide what you can really afford. There is no sense in putting yourselves in debt over Christmas.
Take time to do activities with your kids. You can do something simple like decorating a bowl to put reindeer food out in. We like to bake and decorate cookies as a family and deliver them to friends and neighbors. My kids like to make pretty cards to give to their teachers. Every year I help the kids write a letter to Santa.
When you bring home the gifts you buy wrap them so that you don’t have a pile to wrap at the last minute. Buy an inexpensive plastic tote to keep your tape, tissue paper, scissors, and gift bags together and handy. If you have gifts that are going to different places wrap the gifts for each place in a different color.
If you must travel during the holidays be sure to bring something to keep your child entertained. If you will be in a car for any extended time pack a few snacks and drinks. You are setting yourself up for frustration if you take nothing along for the ride. Look online for game ideas the whole family can play in the car. Put on some Christmas music and see how many songs you all know.
Take a deep breath and remember that you are building holiday memories your children will remember for the rest of their lives – and if it helps at all, I have it from someone of authority that moms always rank high on Santa’s nice list.

Simple Things Can Make All The Difference

Down the street there are two small children, Jeff and Janet, who I sometimes watch after school. They like getting to come around my house during Christmas. They love that Christmas decorations are present in every room of the house. They get so excited when we get out our craft box. This year they came over while my daughter was making a Santa card for a friend's newborn baby. Janet hopped right next to my daughter and asked her if she could make a card too. Then Jeff looked up and asked, 'can I write a letter to Santa too'? Janet told us that they had never written a letter to Santa before.

My daughter Angela and I decided we wanted to help them make some really nice cards. We got out all the different paper they could use for their cards. Janet chose a deep red paper while Jeff picked a bright green with small red foil stars along the border. They both took their time deciding which colors of glitter and puffy paints to use. Janet wanted her card to sparkle and she covered the front in swirls of gold and silver glitter glue. Between the swirls she scribbled in Merry Christmas. Jeff used cotton balls to make snowmen on the front of his card. He really liked gluing on the seed bead eyes and nose. Then Jeff looked up and innocently asked how he could get a letter from Santa.

Angela told both of the kids that if they were good all year long and wrote a letter to Santa he would write them back. This had both of them so excited about sending their cards to Santa. Angela went to the closet to find some of her old letters from Santa Claus – she wanted to show Jeff and Janet some of the cards she had got in the past. They both sat still as Angela read a couple of the letters to them. After seeing Angela’s collection of Santa letters they wanted to work on the inside of the cards. Angela told them they should tell Santa what their Christmas wishes are. Angela told them that they could wish for anything and maybe Santa would bring it.

We finished their cards and found envelopes that their cards would fit into. They were so excited to get a letter from the North Pole. The rest of day all they could talk about was the cards they had made and the letters they were hoping to get. We made more Christmas cards and crafts for other people. Jeff and Janet couldn’t wait to show their mom and dad the cards they had made for them. It is so funny to me how the simplest of things can amaze small children. It is hard to deny the magic of the season when you see it light up in the eyes of a child.

You Can Have a Stress Free Holiday Season

Everybody loves decorating their homes for Christmas because it is a lot of fun and it offers the perfect opportunity to spend time with the family. The end result is a beautiful home and cherished memories. Most people feel extremely proud of the decorations they have put up. Everybody wants to decorate their surroundings and not spend much money. You might want to do so without being anxious so that you can have a stress free holiday season. There are ways in which you can undertake Christmas decorations easily without spending a lot of time and money, plus it will allow you to relax and spend time with your family members.

It is always best to shop around for decorations after Christmas because the prices of the decorative articles are reduced and you can get them at extremely cheap rates. Save money before the festival so that you can spend it later in order to get stuff for next Christmas. You need not fret over missing out on the sales after Christmas last year because you will be able to find holiday decorations that are discounted for coming Christmas. Usually stores start selling Christmas items after Halloween. You can avail of some really good deals on lawn ornaments, light strands and ornaments for the house. Do not forget the dollar stores. You could check out the light bulb department or the hardware section of Wal-Mart stores. You could also buy a little every week so that you will be able to purchase gifts later on. You could buy ornaments costing $20 every month from October onwards so that you will have a good inventory when Christmas arrives round the corner. You can also opt for stores that allow you to pay some amount every week so that you will get the items you desire. You will not have to worry over items that are out of stock.

Now days many people start decorating for Christmas on Thanksgiving Day. One should spend about half an hour everyday in putting up decorations little by little at one time. You could light up the house after all the decorations are done. Do not spend the entire day doing everything at one go. Always check if the lights are working before you put up all the strands. You do not want to realize that they do not work after you have put them up. Let the children help you in decorating as it would reduce your work and will also be exciting for them. This will help you in spending time together. You will enjoy listening to their ideas and plans for Christmas.

Children love being involved in the activities of grown-ups. They might be proud in just giving directions as to where certain ornaments are to be placed. You could make them sit down and write letters to Santa Claus regarding the gifts they want on Christmas. You could write a reply to the letter and make it look as if Santa Claus has written it himself or you could get the letters personalized from a quality online supplier.

Need Help Christmas Shopping For Your Wife This Holiday Season?

Most of the time when you ask a man if he likes to shop the answer is likely to be ‘no’. Whether it is for the Christmas season or just everyday shopping, it is often a dreaded chore. These men may love their wife dearly but the thought of shopping and getting a gift seems like a hard task to accomplish. Many women do not realize just how much it stresses their husbands to go shopping. In this article you find some stress free ideas to help you shop for your wife this holiday season.

Most women like anything that smells good or sparkles. Perfume that she wears, lotions that she uses and any kind of jewelry are always good gifts for most women. You could even have flowers sent to her a couple days before Christmas to surprise her.

If your wife is complaining all the time over the same things, listen to her around the holidays and get some ideas for Christmas presents. You may hear her complain that the photos are a mess and that you will be adding more to the mix with the Christmas photos that are sure to be taken. Instead of receiving this as a complaint, listen to it as a hint for a holiday gift. Maybe she would appreciate a nice photo album or perhaps you could put together a scrapbook for her with all the family pictures. That would provide a safe place for the photos and they would all be in one place – she would love it.

Another great gift idea to give to your wife is to buy a certificate to the spa. Most women enjoy getting pampered. Get a certificate that entitles her to having her nails done, facials, and massages. A day at the spa provides her with time to just sit back and relax, without cares or worries.

Another gift idea is hiring a maid service. Especially round the holidays a lot of women feel overwhelmed with the shopping, decorating and cleaning the house. Giving a certificate does not mean that you do not think that house is dirty, it just means that you see how hard she works and you want to try to make her life a little bit easier.

No matter what you get your wife this holiday season, she will love it as long as you put your time and thought into making it all about her. This holiday season try something new and try to surprise her with what you get her. Women like surprises whether they admit it or not.

Thanks To The Kids, You No Longer Have To Spend A Lot On Holiday Decorations

As parents we all know what matters most about the holidays; it’s not how much you spend or what you get, it’s all about the kids. The holidays are the most stressful time of the year, trying to make ends meet and get everyone what they want is hard for most of us. Fortunately getting great decorations is not difficult, nor is it expensive. This year, don’t spend much at all on them, instead, help the kids to make some.

One of the greatest benefits to doing this is to see how proud the kids are when their Christmas craft projects are complete and you are displaying them around the house. It gives your child a chance to have some pride in something that he or she has done alone or taken a part in.

To begin, most families that celebrate Christmas have a Christmas tree. You can start by having the kids help you make decorations for the tree. Visit your local craft store or even the craft section of a department store like Wal-Mart. Use your imagination and let the kids use theirs. You should be able to find just about anything you need for projects you want to do. In fact, you will probably get some great ideas as you look around.

Christmas craft projects are fun for all ages. This means there is something for everyone, from young to old, to do and enjoy. Your kids will proudly point out their art work to visitors and family members that visit during the holiday season. Their pride and sense of accomplishment will show on their faces – a free gift for you to enjoy and cherish; isn’t their happiness what it’s all about anyway?

Okay I am not going to list a lot of ideas about how to make this or that. This is not about that, this is just trying to show you that you don’t have to spend much on Decorations and after your kids and you sit down to work on a craft project or two you won’t want to buy store decorations anymore. But I will tell you a couple of things that my kids and I have done over the years. This fist one is for younger children, and we call it “Pine Cone Christmas Trees”. All you’ll need are Pine Cones, Green and red Glitter, Glue and tinsel. The directions are simple; you just dip the pine cone in glue and before the glue dries, sprinkle the cone with glitter. Top with it with a pipe cleaner that is shaped into a star or other creative shape. When the pine cone is completely dry you can glue on some tinsel and hang the ornament on the tree.

Hope that your family likes it as much as mine has. The next one is always fun to make; it’s a Snowflake and it’s quick and easy. For each snowflake you will need 4 toothpicks cut in half, 9 small glittery white pompoms, white craft glue and white or gold ribbon. First you paint the toothpicks white and let them dry. Glue pompoms to each end of the toothpick. Next you position the toothpicks in the shape you want and glue them (hot glue guns work great – but use caution if your children are helping). The last pompom is saved to adorn the center of the snowflake. After all glue is dry you simply tie on your ribbon and hang the ornament on the tree.

I hope you find these ideas an inspiration to come up with some of your own. Doing Christmas craft projects is as much a Christmas tradition at my house as writing letters to Santa is. These family times create lasting memories that each family member appreciates.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!