3 Easy Ornaments to Make With Your Kids

It's December, and if you don't already have your tree up, you're probably starting to think about. And that means you'll need ornaments. You likely have a collection that grows a little more each year — a combination of heirloom pieces and store-bought sets to fill in the gaps. But is enough ever enough? Well, now you'll have a few new ones to add to the tree this year with some of our easy-to-make baking soda clay dough ornament DIYs! First, you need a recipe for the clay, which was provided to us by mom and crafter extraordinaire Jen Kossowan of Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Baking Soda Clay Recipe

• 1 1/4 cups of baking soda
• 3/4 cup of cornstarch
• 3/4 cup of water

To make the clay, simply place the ingredients in a pot and heat on medium while stirring constantly. Before long the mixture will begin to thicken and come together in a mass. You'll know it's done when it resembles whipped mashed potatoes. It begins to get too dry very quickly, so take it off of the heat as soon as you see that mashed-potato texture.

Remove the clay from the pot and place it in a bowl covered with a damp cloth to cool. 15 minutes should be plenty. This clay is so versatile, you can make almost any ornament your brain can cook up. 

Here's three super-easy ornament ideas we've made that we think you and your kids will get a kick out of. 

Tree Keepsake Ornaments

These keepsake tree ornaments are so easy to personalize. Your kids can paint them any colours they want, and we recommend using a fine-tip marker to add details like the year you made it as a family, and the names of your kids. Get the complete instructions here.

Fingerprint Heart Ornaments

These ornaments from Jen Kossowan are so precious. Your child's fingers are used to make the heart imprint, and then you let the dough dry. Next, you let your little ones pick their favourite colour and they paint in the imprint. It's a special little keepsake for your family tree, or give it to friends and family as a holiday gift with that special personal touch. Get the instructions here.

Nature Imprint Ornaments

What's so nice about this holiday DIY idea from Mama.Papa.Bubba. is it encourages two family activities: foraging for found items in nature, and making new family ornaments. Get the instructions here.