Cinnamon Ornaments: Make them with the ones you love!

Yesterday, I made Cinnamon Ornaments with my two boys.  They love doing anything crafty.  I love that about them!  This is an easy and simple craft for young children to do.    Here are my boys helping out:

Notice their aprons?  I made those.  I will do a tutorial for a child's apron after Christmas.  Be on the lookout for it.

On to the recipe...

Cinnamon Ornaments

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup white school glue (Elmer's® works very well) 

Tools needed:

• large mixing bowl
• wax paper
• cookie cutters
• rolling pin
• ribbon or yarn
• paints and brushes (optional) 

Directions:

1. Mix ground cinnamon with applesauce and white glue in a large mixing bowl.
2. If the mixture feels too stiff, add a touch of water.
3. Knead the clump together and wrap it in some plastic wrap, allowing it to sit for about an hour. 

 

4.  Take some dough and flatten it between two sheets of wax paper using your hands, or a rolling pin.

5.  Make sure the dough isn't too thin -- you're best bet is to flatten it to 1/2" or so thick. 

6.  Use your cookie cutters to create fun shapes in the dough.

7.  Once you have a few ornaments ready, place them on a cookie sheet.

8.  Use a straw to make a hole in each ornament.  This is where you will string ribbon to hang it from.

9.  You can either let them dry naturally over a period of 3 to 5 days, or you can bake them in an oven  at 200 degrees for about 2 hours (making sure you flip them halfway through). 

10. Once dry, you can decorate your ornaments with paint or glitter, or you can leave them just as they are. 

Make sure your kids don't eat this dough!  Even though I know many kids who have tasted Elmer's glue.  Silly kids.

You now have cute ornaments that smell great.  You have a great smelling house as well.  Attach these to presents or include them in neighbor gift.  It's the simple handmade gifts that let people know you care!