I modified the classic salt dough recipe to include some delicious-smelling cocoa powder this year! I used the pretty brown dough to make “gingerbread” ornaments.

This activity is simple enough for two year-olds to participate in. They can help mix the dough, roll it out, cut it with cookie cutters, and paint the ornaments when they’re baked. It’s also fun enough for you to take part in! Your kids will enjoy spending time crafting along with you, and you’ll like the result of your own handiwork. I made the ornament shown above into a swag that’s hanging in my kitchen.

Grandparents will love to receive ornaments painted by their precious grandchildren!

Materials: I got a 25 lb. sack of salt at my local warehouse store for less than $5 (great if you are planning on making salt scrubs for holiday gifts this year!), and I bought the cocoa powder in the bulk bins at my local discount grocer.

Chocolate Salt Dough*:

• 2 cups salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup water

Oven: 250 degrees F

Mix all together with spoon. When dough becomes too stiff to use spoon, knead with your hands.

Roll out to quarter-inch thickness with rolling pin (use dusting of cocoa powder on hands or rolling pin if dough is too sticky). Cut shapes with cookie cutter and transfer to pan. Poke hole for hanging in ornament with a straw.

Tip: If you have a flat spatula, slide it under the dough, and then cut cookie out on top of it. Then you can slide cookie off with spatula and transfer to baking sheet. This is the best way we’ve discovered to keep a near-perfect shape for these ornaments.

When you’re done cutting out your ornaments, bake for about 30 minutes, or until they’re completely hardened. Cool completely.

To decorate:

Use acrylic paint to decorate them as desired. When paint is dry, seal with clear spray if desired. This helps deepen the color of the ornaments, which may look a little “dusty” once they are baked. String with pretty holiday ribbon.

Salt dough hand prints: Roll out some dough and let your child make an impression of her hand in the dough. Poke a hole in the top, bake it, and hang it on your tree. You may want to make this a yearly tradition!

*To make plain salt dough: 2 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 1 cup water.

Heather Mann brings you a daily dose of cool and cheap craft ideas at Dollar Store Crafts, and is the Editor and Publisher of CROQ Zine, a print magazine devoted to hip crafts and indie business. She’s the mother of two small boys and likes argyle, pirates, tea sets, finger puppets and miniature anythings!