Keepsake Ornaments

I realize that this may be coming to you too late for this Christmas, but it's a cute idea for next year, or any other season/occasion for that matter! I didn't want to post our end product before the 25th in fear that family and friends would see (these ornaments are their gifts) and would totally ruin the surprise.

I wanted to make something because 1) I love me some crafting! and 2) It would be a simple and meaningful way to capture Maddy's first Christmas for our loved ones. And it cost me very little! I'll break down the supplies and budget later on...

The recipe:

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water

Knead ingredients together to form dough. Roll out onto baking mat as you would for cookies. Cut, shape and impress as you like.
Bake at 200 degrees for 3 hours (give or take a little time depending on your oven)
Cool completely before painting/sealing

 We did impressions of Maddy's feet. I cut around the footprint with a knife because we didn't have a cutter or cup large enough to fit her whole print. With the remaining dough, I made a couple ornaments for our tree with cookie cutters I already own. Remember to poke a hole at the top for hanging! (I just used an old pen that I could toss after I was done).

 After the ornaments were baked and completely cooled, I colored some of them with marker paint, as well as writing "Maddy's 1st Christmas" on the backs of the footprints. I used Sharpie brand because I wanted this to be a permanent application and the paint is oil-based.

Next, I needed to seal the ornaments not only for protection, but for that nice finished look. I used Mod Podge in gloss finish so they would be a tiny bit glamorous like many Christmas ornaments are (as well as Mod Podge being non-toxic which = safe for the kiddos). I think the lights on a tree would reflect nicely and softly off of the finish. I applied the sealer with a foam brush because I can get in all the nooks and crevasses much easier with a sponge than a brush. 

I applied two coats of the sealer to the front, back and sides of all the ornaments, allowing 15 minutes for drying in between all coats. Always follow the directions of the product you're using, otherwise, you might end up with a crafty casualty! After the final coat, I hung the ornaments across a doorway  for 2 hours to assure all sides would dry properly. The end result...

The "string" to hang the ornaments is a beige colored raffia I had around the house. I think it gives these pretty little feet a natural, homemade look. Totally what I was going for! To wrap these as gifts, I purchased some goody bags and created tags from scrap paper and a square punch. I again tied off the bag with a piece of raffia. Voila!

Budget Breakdown:

• Footprints - Free compliments of Little Miss
• Flour, salt, water - Free because I already had them for baking
• Sharpie Marker - Free from a previous project (I think it was around $3.00)
• Cookie Cutters - Free because I owned them already (around $.99/ea)
• Mod Podge - $6.49
• Foam Sponge - $.49
• Raffia - Free from a previous project 
• Goody bags - $1.99 (for a set of 15)
• Punch tags - Free from paper I already had

Total spent: $8.97 for 9 ornaments

I hope you found this helpful and enjoy making ornaments for any occasion! I know I'll be making more for next Christmas!