Holiday Keepsakes: How to Make Salty Decorations with Your Child

The holidays are a magical time, especially when it’s your first child! Making memories is a great way to record these memories, and one of the easiest DIY techniques is to decorate the salt dough. Whether it’s a little footprint, a handprint, or a holiday look, this project is a great (and inexpensive) way to capture your baby’s first birthday.

Salt bread is a homemade, non-toxic clay made from simple ingredients: flour, salt, and water. Once made, you can cook and decorate them as decorations or preserves that last for years. It’s perfect for children’s handprints, footprints, or even holiday shapes like trees, stars, or hearts.

1. Mix the flour: Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, then slowly add the warm water until a dough is formed. Knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth.

2. Output & Features: Roll out the dough to about ½ inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to make shapes or gently press your child’s white hand or foot into the cross.

3. drilling: After making the ornament, use a straw to pierce the top to hang it.

4. Cooking: Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 200°F (93°C) for 2-3 hours, or until firm. Walk in the middle.

5. Freezing & decorating: Once cooled, you can paint them with acrylic paint, add glitter, write names/dates, or seal them with Mod Podge to make them shine and last longer.

• Original Christmas ornaments with baby’s name & birthday

• Handwritten or Footprints with “Baby’s First Christmas”

• Use the pet stamp to decorate the whole family

• Make a “mistle-toes” ornament using baby feet!

If you’ve just had a baby and you’re feeling tired, know that even to try making memories is enough. At Mama Bear & Newborn Care, we’re here to help with laundry, dishes, and everything in between, so you can focus on enjoying moments like these.

Let us help you during your vacation with newborn and newborn personal care, including overnight care, meal preparation, and newborn education.