Homemade Ornaments

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Clay Christmas Ornaments

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tsp. powdered alum
1 1/2 cups water

Mix ingredients well in a large bowl. If the dough is too dry, work in another
tablespoon of water with your hands. Dough can be rolled or molded and can be colored
with a few drops of food coloring. To roll: Roll dough _ inch thick
on lightly floured board. Cut with cookie cutters dipped in flour. Insert wire or make hole
in top about 1/4 inch down for hanging. To mold: Shape dough no more than ½ inch
thick. Bake ornaments on ungreased cookie sheet for 30 minutes in 250 oven. Turn and
bake another 1 1/2 hours until hard and dry. Remove and cool. When done, paint and seal
with spray varnish. You can lightly sand before painting. *Alum can be found in the spice
section of your store.

Scented Cinnamon Ornaments

1 cup cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cloves
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. white glue
ribbon

In a bowl, mix the spices. Add applesauce and glue, stirring until well blended. Work
mixture until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Divide into 4
portions and roll each portion between 2 pieces of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut
dough with cookie cutters of desired shapes. Using a straw or toothpick, make a small
hole in the top of each ornament. Place on wire racks and allow to dry at room
temperature for several days. (For more uniform drying, turn ornaments over once each
day.) Thread ribbon through holes to form garland. You can also glue to a wooden hoop,
forming a wreath and decorate with ribbon as desired. Makes approximately 32 two-inch
ornaments. DO NOT EAT!