Star-Shaped Salt Dough Ornaments
Salt dough star ornaments cut in red, white, and blue and hung on a ribbon are an Independence Day decoration that families bring out year after year. Children make the dough, cut the shapes, and paint them — and the finished ornaments are hard, durable, and completely handmade. Each star with a painted handprint inside it becomes a record of exactly how small the hands were this particular Fourth of July.
What You'll Need
- Salt dough: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup water — stir until a dough forms
- Rolling pin
- Star-shaped cookie cutters — various sizes
- A straw or toothpick — to make hanging holes
- Red, white, and blue acrylic paint
- Ribbon — for hanging
- Clear acrylic sealer
How to Do It
Step 1: Make the dough. Mix the flour, salt, and water. Knead for 2 minutes until smooth. The dough should not be sticky — add flour a tablespoon at a time if needed.
Step 2: Roll out. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Step 3: Cut the stars. Press star cutters firmly and lift straight up. Re-roll scraps to cut additional stars.
Step 4: Make the hanging hole. Before baking, use a straw to punch a clean hole near the top of each star.
Step 5: Bake. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 250°F for 2–3 hours until completely hard and dry. Cool completely.
Step 6: Paint and seal. Paint in red, white, and blue. Press a small handprint in contrasting paint on the largest stars. Let dry fully, then seal with clear acrylic.
Step 7: Thread ribbon. Thread ribbon through the hole for hanging.
Skills Your Child Will Develop
Dough manipulation — Rolling, cutting, and transferring salt dough builds sustained fine motor engagement.
Patient multi-step projects — Projects that span baking and painting across a day build procedural patience.
Holiday tradition — Annual ornaments that accumulate over years build a sense of family tradition and history.
Tips & Variations
- Write the year on the back of each ornament before baking for a time-capsule quality.
- Make the ornaments in larger batches to give as Fourth of July gifts.
- Hang a collection of stars on a branch for a patriotic mobile.
My Two Cents
Do not rush the baking — underbaked salt dough cracks when painted. Two full hours at 250°F produces a solid, paintable surface. If in doubt, add another 30 minutes.
