Bring the smells of the holidays into your ornament crafting! These homemade cinnamon ornaments smell as good as they look and are great for all ages. They are the perfect gift for teachers or neighbors and work well as gift toppers. Or just hang them on your own Christmas tree and enjoy the warm, aromatic smell.
Note: These aren’t edible due to the glue!
Materials
- 4 oz. ground cinnamon
- 1 cup applesauce
- 2 Tbsp. Elmer’s glue
- Cookie cutters
- Rolling pin
- Bowl
- Straw or pencil
- Ribbon
Directions
- Mix together the applesauce, cinnamon and glue until well combined. Knead with your hands until smooth and form a soft dough. If dough is too sticky, add more cinnamon.
- With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about ½ inch thick. Shake on a little cinnamon to rolling pin or dough if it’s sticking. Cut dough with desired cookie cutter.
- Move cut shapes with spatula carefully onto a cookie sheet.
- With a straw or pencil, cut a hole near the top for a ribbon to be strung.
- Bake at 200 degrees for two to three hours. Or alternately, set them out to air dry for three to four days and flip once a day.
- Once baked or dried, insert a ribbon through the hole and tie a knot. Optional: use acrylic paint to decorate the ornament.
This article originally appeared in the December 2018 issue of Chicago Parent. Read the rest of the issue.
