Make homemade cinnamon ornaments with applesauce that smell amazing for Christmas! An easy, eco friendly holiday decoration for kids.
This simple project is one that my family comes back to year after year.
As toddlers, my kids loved pouring, mixing, and squishing around the dough. Now that they’re older they can be more involved in each step, independently following our well-worn recipe from start to finish.
Remember that you can start new traditions with your children at any age. As soon as you try this project, I’m sure it will become a seasonal favorite in your home too!
Cinnamon Ornaments with Applesauce
MATERIALS
- 1 ½ cup ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tb. white school glue
- Mixing bowl and spoon
- Rolling pin
- Cookie sheets
- Baking rack
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters
- Twine
INSTRUCTIONS
Time needed: 1 hour.
Make homemade cinnamon ornaments with applesauce that smell amazing for Christmas! An easy, eco friendly holiday decoration for kids.
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Combine ingredients
Mix together the cinnamon, applesauce, and white glue. Start with a spoon, then knead with your hands until the mixture comes together and holds it shape. Add more cinnamon if too wet or more applesauce if too dry.
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Roll out dough
Next, roll your dough to a thickness of around ½”. Use two sheets of parchment paper to keep the dough from sticking.
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Cut dough into shapes
Have fun cutting a variety of shapes with your cookie cutters!
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Add hole
Don’t forget to poke a hole for your twine before transferring shapes to the baking rack. (If you don’t have a baking rack, dry the cinnamon ornaments on parchment paper. But remember to keep flipping them so all sides dry evenly!)
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Dry cinnamon ornaments
Transfer all your cut shapes to a baking rack to dry. You can use either of these methods:
Put a baking rack on a baking sheet and place in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for 2 ½ hours, or until the ornaments are dry and hard.
Or put the ornaments in an out-of-the-way place to air dry for several days. This method may be slow, but it works just fine if you live in a relatively dry climate.
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Decorate ornaments
Once the ornaments are dry, hard, and cooled, you can decorate them as you wish! If you plan to compost them at the end of the season, keep your decorations to non-toxic markers. If you plan to keep or gift the ornaments, then the sky’s the limit!
I especially love how versatile these sweet little ornaments can be!
Of course we always end up making way too many, but we tie them to gifts, hang them on the tree, and even string them with our dried orange garlands.
Once the season is over, we choose one or two to label with the year and pack away. Any remaining (unpainted) ornaments can be composted, making this project a great low-waste option for the holidays!
People Also Ask
- Do I need to bake cinnamon ornaments?
You can bake at a low temperature or let ornaments air dry, which may take several days.
2. How many ingredients are in cinnamon ornaments?
Three ingredients: ground cinnamon, unsweetened applesauce and white school glue are all you need!
3. How long do cinnamon ornaments last?
If kept dry, cinnamon ornaments will not mold and keep forever!
More Eco Friendly Holiday Decorations for Kids
- How to Make a Natural Christmas Wreath for Kids
- How to Make a Dried Orange and Cranberry Garland
- 11 Salt Dough Ornaments for Kids
- How to Make a Nature Ice Wreath
- How to Make Cardboard Christmas Trees
Looking for even more holiday crafts for your family? Check out our Holiday Arts and Crafts bundle from the Kids Art Spot! 12 fun holiday activities, each with a step-by-step video tutorial and printable instructions, plus 12 fun and festive drawing invitations to encourage your kids to think and draw creatively.
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