Can you imagine how sweet these cinnamon ornaments smell? Rich, dark brown ornaments imprinted with leaves and scented with apple and cinnamon couldn’t be a more suitable craft for the holidays! Cinnamon dough ornaments are very easy to make, and with a few tips, you will have the perfect consistency of dough to transform into decoration.
It’s a shame that you can’t smell these cinnamon ornaments through your screen because the aroma is amazing: tummy-warming sweet spiced apples. It wafts throughout the house as you make them and will continue to scent the Christmas tree for years to come.
I love this cinnamon ornament recipe so much more than the traditional salt dough ornaments. They appear so much more rustic to me, especially with the leaf imprints. Plus, salt dough lacks the key part of what makes these ornaments so amazing…the cinnamon smell!
This post will cover…
- Cinnamon Ornament Recipe
- Materials
- Make It!
- Decorating Your Cinnamon Ornaments
- Storing Cinnamon Ornaments
- FAQ About Cinnamon Dough Ornaments
- More Christmas Projects
Cinnamon Ornament Recipe
If you are looking for a Christmas ornament crafting project this year, you won’t be disappointed. Designed to resemble gingerbread, this cinnamon ornament recipe only requires three ingredients.
Since they are made of only non-perishable ingredients, they will last for many Christmases. But don’t be fooled by the smell! This cinnamon dough is not edible, as this recipe includes glue to help hold them together.
Since you won’t be eating this dough, don’t waste your money on expensive spices. Besides cinnamon, you can also use allspice, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice if those scents are more up your alley!
Materials
Makes approximately 10 ornaments. See the recipe card at the end of this post for exact measurements.
- Ground cinnamon
- Natural unsweetened applesauce
- White glue
- Rolling pin
- Mason jar
- Evergreen leaves
- Straw
- Dehydrator (optional)
Make It!
Mix together the cinnamon and applesauce. Then, add the glue. At first, the mixture may feel dry, but set aside the spoon, get in there, and mix the dough with your hands. The more you mix and knead the cinnamon dough, the better the consistency.
Mix the dough into a smooth surface that has a light dusting of cinnamon, and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Roll the ball out to a 1/2-inch-thick circle.
If the edges are splitting, knead the dough again and roll it out until the edges are smooth. Use cinnamon as you would flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.
Press evergreen leaves into the dough and gently roll over them with the rolling pin to get a strong impression.
Use the mason jar to cut circle shapes out around the leaf imprints. You could also use cookie cutters to cut out different shapes.
Use a straw to make a hole in the ornament for the string.
Set the cinnamon ornaments on the trays of a dehydrator for 6-10 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can dry them in the oven at 200 degrees for a few hours.
Keep an eye on them to make sure they dry and don’t bake. They can also air dry, but it will take much longer. This is a wonderful project to do before guests come over because it makes the house smell Christmassy!
Thread some baker’s twine through the cinnamon ornaments when they are dry, and they are ready to hang on the tree or give as gifts. I like to include them with the gift tag on presents for an extra, delicious-smelling touch. By the way, here are some of my other favourite eco-friendly ways to decorate gifts.
Decorating Your Cinnamon Ornaments
I get lots of questions about decorating these cinnamon ornaments. I think the botanical imprint and colourful twine are all I need for my ornaments, but you can decorate them more if you like.
You can paint them with acrylic craft paint, but you can mask the cinnamon scent if you do so. If you want to paint them, you’re better off making salt dough ornaments instead, so you don’t waste all the cinnamon!
I’ve also been asked if you can add glitter to the dough. While you can, I don’t suggest it as it can be harmful to wildlife if they ingest it. Try adding mica for some sparkle instead.
Storing Cinnamon Ornaments
When you’re ready to pack up Christmas, you can store your ornaments to use again next year. I have some ornaments that are 10 years old that still have a cinnamon smell. They really last a long time when stored properly!
While they are fairly sturdy, they might crack and crumble if handled roughly. To store them, wrap and layer them in tissue paper and place them in a Ziplock bag.
You can also place them in a small cardboard box. The tighter the seal, the better the scent will last.
FAQ About Cinnamon Dough Ornaments
I get a lot of questions about these cinnamon ornaments. Here are a few of the most common ones I receive. If you have any more questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
Cinnamon dough ornaments can last for years if you properly store them. If they begin to crack or fall apart, you can always make a new batch. I like making a batch every year just because I love the smell. It’s also a fun activity to do with the kiddo!
The scent itself can last for years. I have some that are 10 years old, and they still smell amazing.
Over time, you may find that your cinnamon ornaments lose their potency. If you want to refresh the scent of cinnamon, you can use cinnamon leaf or bark essential oil.
Since the scent is quite strong, you don’t need a lot. With a dropper, drop 1-2 drops on the ornaments and let them sit until dry. If you want a scent other than cinnamon, other great options include all allspice, anise, clove, ginger, juniper, peppermint, pine, wintergreen, spruce, vanilla, and frankincense.
I haven’t personally tried this, so I’m not sure of the results. However, I know the glue dries out, and the dough may be too crumbly and dry when you get to it. I find the cinnamon dough needs to be warm and fresh so it doesn’t crack.
It does take some time for the kneading process before the ingredients combine well. There is always a point when I’m making the cinnamon ornaments that I get kneading fatigue and feel like the dough won’t come together, but it always does. Cinnamon is ground bark, so it takes a while for the apple sauce and glue to mix in with all the particles. Warm hands also help!
It takes quite a bit of kneading to get the dough smooth. If you’ve been kneading for a long time, adding more apple sauce or glue might help, as the glue can dry out quickly.
Once you have your dough and it’s the right consistency, you need to dry the cinnamon ornaments completely. If you’re not using a dehydrator, how long it needs to be in the oven at 200 degrees F depends on the thickness, size, spacing of the tray, and many more factors. Check them every hour, and you will know when they’re dry.
When they’re dry, they’re pretty sturdy. You can hang them on the tree without worry. When it comes time to store them, wrap them in tissue paper before packing them, and they shouldn’t break.
But if they do, it’s easy to make another batch the following year!
More Christmas Projects
- DIY Gift Idea: Natural Beauty Projects to Make and Give
- Natural and Recycled Gift Wrap Ideas
- Christmas Simmering Spices
- How to Make Wax Melts with All-Natural Ingredients
Cinnamon Dough Ornaments
Equipment
- Dehydrator Optional
- Straw
Supplies
- 1 cup ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup natural unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp white glue
Instructions
- Mix your cinnamon and applesauce. Once mixed, add in your glue. The more you knead the dough, the better the consistency will get.
- Dust your countertop with cinnamon. Knead the dough into a smooth ball and then roll it out to a 1/2 inch circle. If edges split, put it back into a ball and re-roll until smooth. Use cinnamon as you might flour to avoid keeping the dough from sticking.
- Press evergreen leaves into the dough to create imprints. Roll them gently with the rolling pin.
- Use a Mason jar (or cookie cutters) to cut out the shapes around the leaf imprints.
- Make a hole for the string with a straw.
- Use a dehydrator and set ornaments on a tray for 6-10 hours. Alternatively, place them in an oven at 200 degrees for a few hours. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't dry out or bake.
- Thread twine through the ornaments once dry and hang them on the tree.
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Some recipes Don’t use glue. Is there a reason glue is added?
it makes the dough easier to bind.
Can glitter be added ?
yes, but I don’t add it because it’s one of those plastics that is harmful to wildlife when they ingest it.
Thank you for the tip about warm dough! I have a cool house and the dough was cracking more than I remembered it doing years ago (the last time I made cinnamon ornaments). I put my mixing bowl on top of a pot of hot water and let the dough warm up. It came together beautifully and I was able to get smooth, crack-free ornaments from it.
I’m keeping this recipe for next fall–would like to get that aroma going early. 🙂 Thank you for such comprehensive instructions and helpful photos!
If I let them air-dry, do you have any guess re: how long that might take? 2-3 days? I’d like to save $ (electricity) by using that method.
Thanks so much!!