Last year, my husband, children, and I enjoyed making Nativity ornaments, to hang on our tree, using the recipe below.
Need:
- 1 ½ cups ground cinnamon
- 1 cup applesauce
- ¼ cup white non-toxic school glue (optional; if you decide not to use glue, then increase the applesauce by ¼ cup)
- Bowl
- Plastic food wrap
- Rolling pins
- Wax paper
- Cookie cutters
- Ribbon, yarn, etc. for hanging
- Straws
How to Make:
1. Mix cinnamon, applesauce, and glue together in a bowl. The dough should be as thick as cookie dough. If the dough isn’t thick enough, add a little more cinnamon. If it is too stiff, add a little water.
2. Remove dough from bowl and knead. Put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for a half hour.
3. Remove the dough, knead again until it is smooth (the smoother the dough, the better the ornaments look). Roll the dough between wax paper so that it is ¼ to ⅛ inch thick.
4. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Use a straw to punch a hole for the ribbon to hang.
5. Carefully place the shapes on a piece of clean wax paper. Turn the ornaments over regularly in order to prevent the ends from curling up and help them dry evenly. They will take about 5 days to dry.
Notes:
- The ornaments will get smaller during the drying process.
- Once the ornaments are dry, acrylic or fabric paints may be applied, if desired. We left our ornaments plain.
