Sourdough Discard Salt Dough Ornaments
Serves 15
0 mins prep
0 mins cook
0 mins total
An easy recipe for Sourdough Discard Salt Dough Ornaments - a fun and beautiful holiday DIY project!
Make the Dough
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the sourdough discard and water, stirring until a rough dough forms. The dough will be fairly dry, so it may be easier to mix with your hands.
Transfer the dough to a smooth work surface and knead until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. The dough should be very smooth and not sticky. If the dough seems sticky or too dry (falling apart), add more flour or water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency.
Cut the Shapes
If using cookie stamps, lightly flour your work surface and divide the dough into portions of approximately 2 Tablespoons each. Roll the dough into a smooth ball in your palm, place it on your work surface, and flour your cookie stamp. Use the stamp to press down on the dough until the dough reaches just past the edge of the stamp.
Carefully remove the dough from the stamp and transfer to a baking sheet. Use a biscuit cutter to create perfectly round edges around the stamped design. Use a straw to poke the hole for the string or ribbon. Repeat with all remaining dough.
Note: You want your ornaments to be about ¼-inch thick. If you press the dough too thin, it will be harder to remove from the stamps.
If using cookie cutters, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Press your cookie cutters into the dough, cutting as many as you can. Transfer the cut dough shapes to a baking sheet. Use a straw to poke the hole for the string or ribbon. Repeat with any remaining dough.
Dry the Ornaments
Make sure you have poked the holes for your string / ribbon before drying!
To air-dry: Let the ornaments air-dry on the baking sheet at room temperature overnight. The next day, carefully flip the ornaments over and let the bottom begin drying. After at least a few hours, transfer all ornaments to a drying rack to cool fully, flipping occasionally. If you flip them or transfer to the cooling rack too quickly, you'll risk crushing some of the design from your stamps, and potentially see gridlines in your dough from the cooling rack.
This process will take 2-7 days, depending on your environment and the thickness of your ornaments. Finding a dry, warm spot (maybe even in direct sunlight!) is great for drying.
Final, dried ornaments will be completely dry on both sides, hard, and white. This takes time, but this is my preferred drying method.
To oven-dry: Preheat the oven to 175℉. Bake the ornaments for 2-4 hours, flipping every hour. Total time will depend on the thickness of your ornaments.
Final, dried ornaments will be completely dry on both sides, hard, but will still be slightly dough-colored (not completely white, as with air drying).
Decorate the Ornaments
Transfer the dried ornaments to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use 220-grit (fine) sandpaper to gently sand the edges of the ornaments until smooth (optional, but recommended).
Brush one side of the ornament with Mod Podge Matte Sealer. Sprinkle with fine glitter and shake off any excess. Let dry completely on the baking sheet, then repeat with the other side of the ornament. Don't forget the edges, too!
If the holes for the string / ribbon get filled with Mod Podge, use a toothpick to clear the space. Let the ornaments dry completely and shake off any excess glitter. Once the ornaments are finished, you can pick up the parchment paper from the baking sheet and pour the unused glitter back into the bottle to be used again.
Once dried, finish the ornaments with ribbon or string. Cut lengths of ribbon or string about 10-inches long. Pass the ribbon or string through the hole, tie a knot, and tighten.
If you have a hard time passing the string through, use a bit of tape on the end of the string to make a more sturdy "point" that you can pass through like a needle. Cut off the taped end after you tie the knot.
Your ornaments are now ready to hang!
