Skip the paw print ornament kits and jump right into making them yourself at home. These salt dough ornaments only require three ingredients and a lazy afternoon of crafting. Turn your art skills up to 100 with paints, carving tools, and glitter—or keep it simple by following our ornament recipe below.
Before you start, we have some crafting tips
- Have treats for your pet. Some dogs and cats don’t like their paws touched and will need plenty of treats to be convinced making this memory is worth it. We recommend dog peanut butter for the canines and lickable cat treats.
- Bust out the cookie cutters for more creative shapes. Dogs with larger paws may have to stick to simple shapes like circles and squares, but if you’ve got the time, why not cut out a shape yourself?
- Consider glitter to spice up the ornament. If you’re worried about the glitter being accidentally ingested during thsi process, opt for luster dust. Luster dust lasts for over five years.
- Protect your ornaments to last longer with varnish or laquer. This will also help give your ornaments a protective shine and seal your paint colors to stay vibrant.
- Protect your pet’s paws with a layer of vaseline. If you’re worried about salt drying out your pup’s paws, we also recommend Musher’s Secret, a vitamin E based paw balm.
Ready to start crafting? Check out our video below or jump down to recipe.
Paw Print Salt Dough Ornaments
All you need are three ingredients, an hour of time, and a happy pet to create this memorable holiday gift.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-9 ornaments 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup of salt
- 1/2 cup of warm water
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, and warm water together in a medium-sized bowl.
- When dough starts to form, shape or roll it into a ball.
- Roll ball out, about 1/2 inch thick and place on a baking tray.
- Place baking tray on the ground and call your pet over.
- Gently take their paw, press firmly into the dough, and hold for 3-5 seconds.
- Cut out paw prints using a cup to get a perfect circle. Use a metal straw to create a hole at the top of the ornament.
- Bake ornaments at 350°F or 180°C for one hour.
- When cooled, paint your ornaments to add finishing touches.
Paw Print Ornament Baking Soda Recipe
Salt dough tends to be more on the eggshell side of white. If you’re looking for a recipe that’s more a true-white, try this baking soda recipe. Keep in mind this takes more time as you’ll need to cook the dough and then let it cool down for at least an hour. On the flip side, however, you don’t need to bake it!
PrintBaking Soda Paw Print Ornament
This alternative to salt dough is for pet parents who don’t have enough flour or salt at home (or don’t want to use it as you need it for cooking). Or maybe you don’t want to turn on the oven! Either reasoning is valid, which is why we’re including this overnight recipe for you.
- Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 9 ornaments 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups of baking soda
- 1 cup of cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cup of water
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients into a sauce pan. Then stir in water.
- On medium heat, stir the mixture as it begins to thicken. Keep stirring, making sure you scrap the bottom of the pot to avoid burning or sticking.
- Once a ball of dough forms, take the pan off heat and allow it to cool (about one hour).
- Once it’s cool to the touch, roll it out to your desired thickness.
- Take your pet’s paw and firmly press it gently into the dough. Give their paw a little wiggle, if they let you to really get their print.
- Cut dough out using cookie cutters or a cup.
- Let them dry for at least 24 hours. You can also bake them at 325°F for 25-30 minutes but you run the risk of browning them and changing the color.
Keywords: diy paw print dough without salt