There’s something magical about the way home feels when the seasons change, as if the walls themselves lean in closer, ready to hold our stories. In our family, one of the sweetest traditions of the colder months is gathering around the kitchen table to make salt dough ornaments. It’s a humble recipe passed down through generations, scribbled in my mother’s graceful handwriting on a well-loved recipe card and it has become one of the most cherished ways we create beauty together.
At Interior Delights, we believe being a Beautymaker is more than styling shelves or choosing the right throw pillow. It’s about weaving meaning into the everyday turning ordinary moments into small celebrations and simple materials into lasting memories. That’s exactly what this salt dough recipe has done for us over the years: turned flour, salt, and water into keepsakes that hold laughter, tradition, and love.
The Recipe That Started It All
The beauty of this salt dough recipe is its simplicity. You probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now. It was given to us back in 1978 by a family friend, and it has graced countless holiday seasons since.
Salt Dough Recipe
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup hot water
Mix the ingredients together until a dough forms. Roll it out on a floured surface and cut it into wonderful shapes: hearts, stars, leaves, gingerbread men, or anything your imagination dreams up. Bake them at a low temperature (around 200°F) until dry and firm. Once cooled, they’re ready to be painted, tied with ribbon, or dusted with glitter and hung around your home.
That’s it! No fancy tools, no complicated steps. Just a bit of stirring, rolling, and shaping. And yet, this simple recipe has been the backdrop to some of our most beautiful memories.
A Tradition of Creating Together
Once your ornaments are baked and ready, the real fun begins. This is where you can let your creativity and your Beautymaker spirit shine. Paint them in soft neutral tones for a modern farmhouse feel, add gold accents for a traditional touch, or embrace rustic charm with natural twine and unfinished edges.
You can hang these ornaments just about anywhere: On a Christmas tree: A mix of homemade hearts and stars brings a nostalgic, handmade warmth to your holiday decor. From a mantel or banister: Tied with ribbon or string, they add a soft, seasonal touch. In the kitchen window: A row of salt dough hearts swaying in the autumn light feels like poetry. As gift tags: Write names on them before they bake for a personalized gift topper.
And they’re not just for Thanksgiving or Christmas. One of my favorite ways to use this recipe is to make Valentine’s Day ornaments. We collect heart-shaped cookie cutters, paper hearts, and even bits of jewelry to hang on a branch we bring in from outdoors. Sometimes we spray paint the branch white, other times we leave it natural. Then we add our salt dough hearts and a few strands of twinkle lights, and suddenly, our home has a tree of love glowing gently in the corner.
The Beauty in Imperfection
One of the lessons salt dough ornaments have taught me and one I try to bring into Interior Delights, is that beauty doesn’t require perfection. Some of our favorite ornaments are the lopsided ones, the ones with fingerprints still visible in the paint, or the ones that cracked just a little but still hold together. They remind us that creating beauty is a deeply human act. It’s messy, heartfelt, and imperfect and that’s what makes it meaningful.
Being a Beautymaker isn’t about having a picture-perfect home; it’s about creating a space that tells your story. When you hang a salt dough ornament made by your child on the tree or place a homemade heart in your entryway bowl, you’re doing more than decorating. You’re weaving love into the fabric of your home.
And the best part? Every year when you unpack those ornaments and hang them up again, you’ll remember the afternoon you made them. You’ll see how little hands have grown, how your style has evolved, and how your home has become a canvas for beauty over time.
At Interior Delights, we talk about the idea of Beautymakers: people who intentionally shape their spaces into places of love and welcome. This salt dough recipe is one of the simplest and sweetest ways to demonstrate beauty. With just four ingredients and a bit of time, you can create something that brings beauty into your home and joy into your traditions.
Whether your style leans modern cottage, rustic farmhouse, or eclectic and bold, these ornaments will find their place. A strand of neutral hearts fits beautifully into a Scandinavian minimalist space. Painted gingerbread men with twine bows add charm to a country kitchen. And gilded salt dough stars bring a touch of transitional elegance to a mantel styled for fall. That’s the beauty of salt dough: it’s endlessly adaptable. It becomes whatever your home and your heart needs it to be.
The recipe card tucked into my loved recipe binder isn’t just a set of instructions; it’s a legacy. It’s a reminder that beauty doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes, it’s as simple as flour and salt and the people you love gathered around a table. I hope this salt dough tradition inspires you to create beauty in your home this season, not just the kind that sits on a shelf, but the kind that tells a story, stirs the heart, and lingers long after the season ends.So, pull out a mixing bowl and roll up your sleeves. Your next beautiful tradition might just begin with a little salt, a little flour, and a lot of love.
