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There’s something deeply grounding about crafting with your hands when the world outside feels cold and still. The simple act of mixing flour and salt, pressing shapes, and baking them into form becomes a ritual in itself.
Around the Winter Solstice, when the light begins its slow return, creating handmade ornaments can be a beautiful way to honor that turning with something tangible, symbolic, and timeless.
Salt dough ornaments are one of the simplest seasonal crafts to make. They require only pantry staples, and the process is both soothing and symbolic.
Each shape you create carries intention for the new cycle of life being birthed. Whether you decorate them with natural imprints, paint them with moon symbols, or leave them plain and earthen, these little charms can hold personal meaning long after the season ends.
Why Salt Dough Is Perfect for Solstice Ornaments
Salt dough connects us back to an old-world way of crafting. It doesn’t rely on fancy tools or expensive materials, only what you already have and a bit of imagination. There’s a humbleness to it, a reminder that beauty doesn’t have to be bought.
For the Winter Solstice, this medium feels especially fitting. The Solstice is about slowing down, honoring simplicity, and finding magic in the ordinary.
Creating with salt dough mirrors that energy. It’s hands-on, sensory, and quiet. As you knead the dough, you can infuse it with intention: gratitude for the year behind you, hope for the one to come, and trust in the light’s slow return.
You don’t need to be an artist to make something meaningful. These ornaments are forgiving and rustic by nature. Their charm lies in their imperfection.
For more inspiration on handmade seasonal gifts that carry the same slow, intentional energy, explore these easy Winter Solstice nature crafts that double as gifts.
What You’ll Need and the Basic Recipe
The base ingredients are simple pantry staples:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine salt
- ¾ cup warm water
You’ll also need a few basic tools:
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters or a small knife
- Baking sheet
- Straw, skewer, or toothpick (for making hanging holes)
To make the dough:
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Slowly pour in warm water, stirring as you go, until the dough begins to form.
- Turn it onto a floured surface and knead for several minutes until smooth and pliable.
If the dough feels dry, add a few drops of water. If it’s sticky, sprinkle in a bit more flour. The texture should be soft but sturdy enough to roll out—similar to bread dough.
Crafting Step-by-Step for Winter Solstice Magic
Step 1: Set Your Intention
Before you begin shaping the dough, pause for a moment of presence. The Winter Solstice is a threshold, the turning point from darkness toward light.
Take a deep breath and set a quiet intention for what you wish to invite into your life. Maybe it’s peace, creativity, balance, or renewal. Let that intention flow into your hands as you knead.
Some simple shapes to honor this time are starts, moons and sun shapes.
Step 2: Roll and Shape
Cutting by Hand or with Cookie Cutters
Roll the dough on a sheet of parchment or a lightly floured surface to about a quarter inch thick. Use cookie cutters to shape moons, stars, trees, or circles—symbols of the Solstice and the natural cycles of the year.
Using Molds
Press the dough gently into molds to create more intricate shapes or embossed textures. Ease each piece out carefully to preserve the details and keep the edges smooth.
Here is a full tutorial for this mold method from Miss Mustard Seed:
Freehand and Natural Imprints
For a more organic feel, cut shapes freehand with a knife or press natural textures into the dough before baking. Pine needles, cedar sprigs, cinnamon sticks, or even the end of a pinecone will leave beautiful imprints that feel rooted in the season.
Optional: Add Warming Spices
To bring in the scent and energy of the Solstice, mix a teaspoon or two of ground cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, or ginger into your dough before shaping. These spices add a soft golden tone and fill your space with the comforting fragrance of winter.
Remember to make a small hole near the top of each ornament with a straw or toothpick so they can be hung later.
Step 3: Bake or Air-Dry
Place the ornaments on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at a low temperature, around 200°F, for 2 to 3 hours, or until they feel completely dry and hard to the touch.
If you prefer, you can also let them air dry for several days. This takes longer but gives the ornaments a slightly more natural color and texture. Once they’re dry, allow them to cool completely before decorating.
Step 4: Paint and Decorate
This is where your creativity can flow. Use acrylic paints or watercolors to add color, or leave them unpainted for a natural, earthen look. For Solstice symbolism, you might try painting spirals, sun wheels, or moon phases—simple marks that speak to the cycle of light and shadow.
Gold and white paints add a touch of brightness, while earth tones keep them rustic. You can also add a touch of shimmer with mica powder or a light dusting of cinnamon before baking for a subtle scent.
Once dry, you can seal the ornaments with clear varnish or matte Mod Podge to make them last for years.
For more inspiration on handmade seasonal gifts that carry the same slow, intentional energy, explore these easy Winter Solstice nature crafts that double as gifts.
Step 5: Add the Finishing Touches
Thread twine, jute, or ribbon through the holes and tie a loop for hanging. Natural fibers like hemp or cotton give a grounded, handmade feel, while velvet or silk ribbon can make them feel more elegant.
Hang them on your Yule tree, mantle garland, or near your Solstice altar. You can even tie them to gifts as meaningful, handmade tags.
Each ornament becomes a small vessel for your intention, a physical reminder of the season’s themes—light returning, rest, and renewal.
Creative Variations for Solstice
Once you’ve made your base batch, you can play with a few variations that deepen the symbolism and beauty.
Spiral Ornaments: Press a spiral pattern into a circular piece of dough using the end of a chopstick or paintbrush handle. The spiral has long symbolized life’s journey, inward reflection, and the turning of the year.
Moon Phase Set: Shape small discs and paint each one as a different moon phase. String them together after baking to create a hanging garland that honors the lunar rhythm of the Solstice.
Herbal Imprints: Press sprigs of rosemary, thyme, or pine into the dough for texture. Once baked, brush the raised surfaces lightly with metallic paint to highlight the pattern.
Scented Dough: Mix a teaspoon of cinnamon or ground clove into the dry ingredients before adding water. The color will deepen to a warm, golden brown, and the ornaments will carry a subtle winter scent.
Elemental Symbols: Carve or stamp simple symbols representing earth, air, fire, and water. These can hang near your altar or be used in future rituals as grounding tools.
Troubleshooting and Tips
If the ornaments puff or crack while baking, lower your oven temperature slightly and bake longer at the same low heat. This allows the moisture to evaporate slowly and evenly.
Keep the thickness consistent so everything dries at the same rate. If your dough feels sticky, add flour in small amounts until it holds shape. If it feels too dry or crumbly, add a few drops of water.
When sealing, let the paint dry completely before applying varnish. Store finished ornaments wrapped in tissue with a small silica packet to prevent moisture damage over time.
Remember that salt dough is not edible and should be kept away from pets or children who might mistake it for food.
Bringing It Into Your Solstice Ritual
Making these ornaments can be more than just a craftm it can become part of your winter solstice rituals. Set aside an afternoon or evening for the process. Play soft music, light candles, and let the rhythm of mixing, rolling, and decorating become meditative.
If you’re celebrating with loved ones, invite them to make one ornament each, writing a word or drawing a symbol of what they wish to carry into the coming year. Hang them all together to create a shared intention tree or garland.
If you’re creating alone, let the quiet become part of the magic. Notice the sound of the dough as you knead, the scent of salt and flour, the steady hum of the oven. These small, sensory details anchor you in the present moment.
When the ornaments are finished, hang them mindfully. As you tie each one, whisper a blessing that aligns with your intention. Let the act of decorating become a ritual in itself.
To deepen your seasonal practice, you can also explore Winter Solstice rituals to welcome back the light and weave your ornaments into your sacred winter space.
Closing Reflection
Crafting salt dough ornaments for the Winter Solstice is a return to simplicity. It’s not about perfection or elaborate materials, but about presence. Mixing, shaping, and baking become an offering to the season—a way to mark the turning of the light and give form to your quiet hopes.
These ornaments carry both memory and meaning. Over time, you can build a small collection that tells the story of your winters past, each one infused with the energy of the hands that made it.
When you hang them this year, let them remind you that creation itself is magic. You don’t have to search far to find it. It lives in your kitchen, your fingertips, and the slow unfolding of light returning once again.
