With Christmas falling in the middle of next week, those preparing for the festivities have a few extra days to get things in order. If you’re still in the market for gifts, why not spare yourself the hassle of the mall and make some instead? Using only three ingredients, these simple ornaments can be dressed up or dressed down and are a heartfelt way to say “‘tis the season.” Best of all, they cost only pennies to make.
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the most inspiring of the entire year for me. I want to cook, bake, sew, glue, paint…you name it. Earlier this week, I saw a picture one of my friends had posted on Instagram of beautiful ornaments she made herself. When I asked for the recipe, I was shocked to find that it included only baking soda, cornstarch and water.
Baking Soda-Cornstarch Dough
Ingredients:
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 ¼ cups water
Method:
Whisk ingredients together in a pot.
Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until dough forms a ball.
Let dough cool in a bowl covered with a damp cloth (I allowed mine to cool for 1 hour). Dough should not be sticky. If it is, add a little more cornstarch.
Knead dough a few times to make it smooth. Roll out to about ⅛”-¼” thick and cut out shapes. Be as creative with the shapes you make as your cookie cutters will allow! At this point, if you are making ornaments, poke a small hole near the top of your shapes with a skewer or a drinking straw so that a string may be threaded through for hanging.
Shapes may be baked in an oven at a low temperature setting, or they can be dried at room temperature on wax paper-lined cookie sheets. I dried mine at room temperature and the ornaments were rock hard in about 48 hours.
Once the shapes are dry, then it’s time to get crafty. These ornaments are very beautiful left plain white, and would make a strong statement hung together on a tree. But, the dried shapes are also prime territory for experimenting with paints, sprays and findings. Make a nifty wine bottle charm that doubles as a tree ornament for your holiday host or hostess. Mini ornaments make great package tie-ons. Turn a few of your shapes into magnets by not making the thread hole and hot gluing a plain magnet to the back once it is dry and decorated. Plan ahead for Valentine’s Day and think pink if creating hearts. The options are limitless! Are there little hands near by? Let them be a part of the decorating. It will be hard to believe that such special, one-of-a-kind gifts came from such humble beginnings right out of your pantry! Don’t forget to sign and date the backs of your ornaments.
Take a peek at a few of my finished ornaments:
Follow Maggie Mitchell on more of her handmade pursuits at The Handmade Mama.
- Photography: Maggie Mitchell
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