Ready to fill your holiday with the cozy charm of homemade crafts? Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments combine spicy cinnamon, sweet applesauce, and optional cloves and nutmeg to create delightful, natural decorations that smell incredible. With simple pantry ingredients and a bit of creativity, you’ll roll, cut, and hang these DIY ornaments in just a day or two. Perfect for gifting or adding a personal touch to your tree, these scented shapes bring every room to life. Let’s dive into this fun, beginner-friendly craft!
Key Ingredients
Before you begin, gather these simple items—you likely have most already on hand! Each ingredient plays a crucial role in forming the dough, adding fragrance, or finishing your ornaments.
- 1 cup ground cinnamon: Fragrant spice that serves as the structural base and signature scent.
- 1 cup applesauce: Moist binder that combines with cinnamon to create a pliable dough.
- 1/4 cup white glue (optional): Boosts strength and prevents cracking for delicate or intricate shapes.
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves (optional): Intensifies the warm, spiced aroma for a deeper holiday fragrance.
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg (optional): Adds a nutty, cozy note that complements the cinnamon base.
- String or ribbon for hanging: Provides an easy way to display your finished ornaments.
- Cookie cutters in desired shapes: Create festive silhouettes with clean, precise edges.
- A straw or toothpick for making holes: Pokes perfect hanging holes without distorting the design.
How To Make Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
Crafting these cinnamon applesauce ornaments is as fun as decorating for the holidays. You’ll start by mixing ingredients into a soft dough, then roll it out and cut your favorite shapes. With a simple straw or toothpick you’ll punch a hole for hanging, and finally choose between air-drying or a low-temp bake—both yield sturdy, fragrant ornaments. Follow these beginner-friendly steps to transform pantry staples into charming decorations in no time!
1. Combine the base: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ground cinnamon and applesauce until fully blended. If you want extra durability, fold in the white glue now to help prevent cracks.
2. Add extra fragrance: Sprinkle in the ground cloves and ground nutmeg, then mix vigorously until the dough forms a smooth, pliable, dough-like consistency.
3. Prepare your workspace: Lightly dust your surface with a bit of ground cinnamon to prevent sticking. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out evenly to about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Cut out shapes: Press your cookie cutters firmly into the rolled dough, then gently remove the excess around each shape to reveal clean edges.
5. Make hanging holes: Use a straw or toothpick to poke a hole near the top of each ornament, making sure it’s large enough for your ribbon or string.
6. Arrange for drying: Transfer the shapes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them slightly apart.
7. Dry or bake: For air-drying, leave the ornaments on a flat surface in a cool, dry place for 24–48 hours. To speed things up, bake at 200°F for about 2 hours, flipping halfway through.
8. Finish with hanging: Once completely dry, thread your string or ribbon through the holes and tie a knot—your homemade ornaments are ready to display or gift!
Serving Suggestions
These cinnamon applesauce ornaments aren’t just decorations—they’re tiny gifts of scent and style. Whether you’re decking out your own tree or sharing them as thoughtful presents, you can serve them up in a variety of charming ways. Treat each ornament as a scented accent to your holiday display, or give them as tokens of warmth to friends and family. Here are some creative ideas to showcase your handmade creations and make every moment of the season extra special.
- Tree Trimmings: Hang ornaments on your holiday tree for a natural, aromatic accent that fills the room with cozy spice.
- Gift Toppers: Tie ornaments onto wrapped presents as a reusable, scented embellishment that doubles as an extra gift.
- Seasonal Garland: String multiple ornaments along twine or ribbon to create a festive garland for mantels, doorways, or banisters.
- Holiday Favors: Package individual ornaments in clear bags tied with ribbon and hand them out at parties for a personal, fragrant favor.
Tips For Perfect Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
Making cinnamon applesauce ornaments is truly rewarding, but a few insider tips can turn good results into fantastic ones. Keep your dough thickness consistent, control drying conditions, and don’t hesitate to get creative with shapes or subtle color accents. Whether you choose air-drying or low-temp baking, these pointers will help you craft durable, beautifully scented ornaments every time.
- These ornaments not only smell amazing but also make great gifts during the holiday season.
- You can customize the shapes to match any occasion or season—think hearts for Valentine’s Day or flowers for spring.
- After hanging, they can last for several months if kept in a dry environment, maintaining their scent and shape.
- Consider using food-safe glue if you plan on making ornaments that will be in contact with food items or edible displays.
How To Store It
Proper storage ensures your handmade ornaments stay fragrant and intact until the next festive season. Whether you’ve made a batch for immediate decorating or are saving extras as gifts, keeping them in the right conditions will preserve both aroma and structure. Avoid humidity and extreme temperatures, and consider natural sachets to refresh their scent over time.
- Airtight Container: Place ornaments in a sealed plastic or glass container to block moisture and lock in spice scents.
- Sealed Plastic Bag: Slide ornaments into a zip-top bag with a small sachet of dried cloves or cinnamon sticks for extra aroma.
- Cool, Dry Storage: Store boxes in a cool, dry spot away from direct sunlight, heaters, or humid areas to prevent warping.
- Layer with Tissue: Use parchment or acid-free tissue paper between ornaments to avoid sticking or surface scratches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions? Here are some quick answers to the most common queries about making your own cinnamon applesauce ornaments:
- How long does it take to prepare and dry these cinnamon applesauce ornaments?
Preparing the dough and cutting out shapes takes about 15–20 minutes. Air-drying at room temperature requires 24–48 hours, depending on humidity and thickness of the ornaments. If you choose to bake them, plan for about 2 hours at 200°F, flipping them halfway through to ensure even drying.
- Is the white glue really necessary, and what kind should I use?
The white glue is optional and helps prevent cracking and crumbling, especially for thinner or more intricate shapes. Use a non-toxic, PVA-based craft glue or a food-safe white glue if the ornaments may come into contact with edible treats.
- Can I skip the ground cloves and nutmeg if I don’t like those scents?
Yes. The cloves and nutmeg are purely for extra fragrance and flavor notes. If you prefer a milder cinnamon-only aroma, simply omit them and proceed with just the ground cinnamon and applesauce (plus optional glue).
- My ornaments cracked slightly during drying. How can I prevent this?
Cracking often happens if the dough is too thin or dries too quickly. Keep the thickness around 1/4 inch, mix in glue if desired, and air-dry in a cool, even-temperature environment away from direct sunlight or drafts. Baking at a low, steady temperature also helps set the shape more gently.
- How can I add color to my ornaments without losing their natural look?
You can knead in a few drops of concentrated food coloring or use natural powders like beetroot for pink/red, turmeric for yellow, or matcha for green. Work the color into the dough until evenly distributed before rolling and cutting.
- What’s the best way to store finished ornaments to keep them smelling fresh?
Store your ornaments flat in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag with a small sachet of dried cloves or cinnamon sticks. Keep them in a cool, dry place. Properly stored, they can hold their scent and shape for several months.
- Can children help make these ornaments, and are they safe?
Yes, this is a child-friendly craft. Supervise younger kids during mixing and cutting. Use non-toxic glue and ensure they don’t taste the raw dough. Once fully dried, the ornaments are safe to handle and hang around the home.
- What shapes and occasions work best for these ornaments?
Classic holiday shapes like stars, trees, and snowflakes are popular, but you can customize for any season—hearts for Valentine’s Day, flowers for spring, or even letters to spell names. Just choose cookie cutters that match your theme and have fun mixing and matching shapes.
What Makes This Special
What makes these cinnamon applesauce ornaments truly special is how everyday pantry items transform into charming, aromatic decorations with minimal effort. The natural spices double as both scent and binder, resulting in sturdy, heartwarming crafts that double as personalized gifts or tree accents. Whether you let them air-dry gently or bake them at a low temperature, you’ll end up with long-lasting ornaments ready to brighten any space. Print and save this article for future holiday seasons, and if you have questions or fun stories from your crafting, share them below—we’d love to hear how your DIY decorations turned out!
Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
Description
Craft cinnamon-scented ornaments using applesauce dough infused with cloves and nutmeg. Roll, cut, and hang these fragrant shapes after air-drying or low-temp baking for a homemade holiday touch.
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a mixing bowl, combine the ground cinnamon and applesauce. If using, add the white glue to the mixture for a stronger hold.
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If you'd like your ornaments to have an enhanced fragrance, add the ground cloves and nutmeg to the mixture. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until they form a dough-like consistency.
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Lightly sprinkle some ground cinnamon on your work surface to prevent sticking. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick.
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Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the dough. Remove the excess dough around the shapes to leave only the ornaments.
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With a straw or toothpick, carefully make a hole at the top of each ornament for hanging. Ensure the hole is large enough for your chosen string or ribbon.
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Place the shaped ornaments on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Leave the ornaments to dry in a cool, dry place for 24-48 hours. You can also speed up the process by baking them at a low temperature (around 200°F) for about 2 hours, flipping them halfway through for even drying.
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Once dry, string your desired ribbon or string through the holes and they're ready to hang or gift!
Note
- These ornaments not only smell amazing but also make great gifts during the holiday season.
- You can customize the shapes to match the occasion or season.
- After hanging, they can last for several months if kept in a dry environment.
- Consider using food-safe glue if you plan on making ornaments that will be in contact with food items.
