Making Ornaments: What's Working (And What I Forgot)
Week 1. Let's talk about what's actually happening.
I made my first batch of salt dough ornaments this weekend. Classic shapes—balls, trees, stars. Most are still drying. I baked them, but they can still use some drying time. I used wheat flour for this batch because that's what I had that needed to be used up, and honestly? I like the consistency and the slightly warmer, more natural color. But I'm going to try white flour next just to see the difference.
The good news: Salt dough is forgiving, easy, and uses stuff you already have in your pantry.
The bad news: I forgot to poke holes in them before baking because that’s who I am as a person.
Yes. I baked an entire batch of ornaments and then remembered they need, you know, a way to hang on the tree. Cue the power drill and drill bits. Sandpaper will also come in handy to smooth out the edges once they’re fully dried. It worked, but let's just say there's a learning curve here and I'm on it. Actually, it’s more of a remembering curve, and I’m very much not on that.
This will be a snowman. Eventually.
Some white and irridescent paint, a little glitter, maybe a scarf situation. We’ll see. I still need to make the hat, but I’ll do that in the next batch.
As per usual, the simplest projects take longer than I think they will. I thought I'd crank out a dozen ornaments in an afternoon. Reality? I made about half that, and most of them are still drying. But that's fine. That's the whole point—figuring out what's realistic, not what looks good on a Pinterest timeline.
I've also started the embroidery ornaments. No pattern, just free handing it based on ideas in my head. There's something meditative about embroidery—the repetitive stitching, the slow build of a design. It's the kind of project that rewards patience, which is hilarious because patience is not my strong suit.
Let’s play Where’s Maybellene?
Of course, I had to include Maybellene in the pic because I’m not allowed to sit down without having her on my lap. She's become my official craft supervisor and primary distraction because belly rubs are also required. She’s great moral support, but she also makes the process go much slower than it normally would.
As nuts as she makes me sometimes, having her nearby helps.
What's Next
Between now and Thursday, I'm making more salt dough ornaments (this time WITH holes pre-poked, I hope) and continuing the embroidery work. I've also got a more solid idea for the wooden rings and will probably play around with those at some point today.
The tree is still sitting there, patient and pitiful, waiting for her moment. Soon, friend. Soon.
Salt Dough Recipe
If you want to try making salt dough ornaments yourself, I've got the full recipe (plus tips) in my Holiday Survival Guide. It's dead simple: flour, salt, water. That's it. Mix, roll, cut, bake. The hardest part is remembering to poke the holes before they go in the oven. Learn from my mistakes. I usually don’t, but someone should.
The Reality Check
This stuff takes time. Even the "quick" projects aren't actually quick when you factor in drying time, decision-making, distractions (hi, Maybellene), and the occasional need to power-drill holes into already-baked ornaments.
But it's working. Slowly. Imperfectly. Exactly as planned.
See you Thursday with more progress—and hopefully some fully decorated wooden rings.
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About the Author
Gal is an autistic artist, late-diagnosed at 49, and the creator of AuRTistic Expressions—a space where neurodivergent truth meets creative survival. Through books, blog posts, printables, and coaching, Gal explores what it means to unmask safely, communicate authentically, and make art that doesn’t ask for permission. Stick around—there’s plenty more where this came from.
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