Well it is that time of year again. A time for family traditions and sugar cookies. One of the traditions that my family had was getting together and making Christmas decorations. My aunt Niti started this tradition. Me and my sister would take the kids and go to her house and paint away! I loved it, we had so much fun. My aunt Niti passed away years ago and I now live in a different state, so I haven’t painted decorations in years. So this year I decided to make ‘Baking Soda & Cornstarch Ornaments’ myself, and I am enjoying it!
My nephew is helping me, so I have had a little help. The holidays haven’t been what they used to be for me, but this year I think I am getting back a little bit of the excitement that I used to have. I am going to share with you my recipe for the Baking Soda & Cornstarch Ornaments. You can also use this recipe to make ornaments for any season, and for any other crafts that you might like to do.
-2 Cup of Baking Soda
-1 Cup of Cornstarch
-1 1/3 Cups of water
-Glitter -Colors of your choice
-Acrylic Pain
-Food Coloring (optional)
-Clear enamel spray paint
In a sauce pan mix the cornstarch and baking soda together. Slowly pour in the water and cook over medium heat, and bring mixture to a boil. Make sure you stir it the whole time while cooking. The mixture will start getting thick in a few minutes. Stir until you can hardly stir the clay. When it gets to this consistency empty onto a plate and let it cool to the touch. Make sure you cover it with a damp cloth.
When the clay is cool to the touch, knead it until it becomes smooth and roll into a ball. Place some cornstarch on your counter and roll the clay out with a rolling pin. You want to roll the clay out to about a 1/4 inch. You may have to play with the height. I messed several ornaments up trying to get the height right. If you are using just the traditional cookie cutters you can always leave the clay thicker. I use 3D cookie cutters. I just like that they show the details of the faces, body etc.
Place the ornaments on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven and cook for about 2 hours. The cooking time may vary so be sure to check them often. You want to cook them until the center is hard, but be careful not to burn them. If you don’t want to cook them you can let the ornaments sit for a few days until they are hard.
You can also place the clay in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days to use later.
Ok, so get to baking and painting! Your kids will love it, and so will the grown folks! What are some Christmas traditions that you do with your family? I would love to hear them.
