Blessed Elements

Salt Dough Christmas Mouse Ornament

This ornament really brings back memories. I designed this mouse over 25 years ago. I was a single mother and starting in October I would start making salt dough and start producing the ornaments. The ornaments bought my children their Christmas presents. While I was busy making the ones to sell I'd let my children make some for our tree. They really became excellent ornament makers.
Blessed Elements Salt Dough Christmas Mouse Ornament

I'd take the mice and other creations to work with me and sell them, send boxes of ornaments with my father and other relatives to their work place to sell. I remember one year I made enough money that I was able to buy a simple Christmas for the kids and had enough left over to buy my kindergarten daughter a new coat, hat, mittens and boots for her new school experience. There are a lot of memories wrapped up in these mice and I'm glad to get to share them with you so you can start creating your own memories. I gave them as gifts too. The children and I would gather in the kitchen and make cookies, fudge, and cheese balls. place them on plates, wrap them in plastic and add an ornament to the top before adding the bow.

Supplies

Salt Dough Recipe

Bowl and spoon(wooden spoon is always best)

Pan to cook them on in the oven

Oven

Oven 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Paper clips

Acrylic paint

Paint brushes

Tooth picks

Water in a cup to rinse brushes.

Acrylic spray to preserve them

Instead of acrylic over spray you can also melt parrafin and dip the ornaments in the melted wax and then hang to dry. It preserves them just as well and I have ornaments made in 1985 that have still resisted humidity and hang on Christmas trees to this day.

Instructions:

Instructions for Salt Dough Christmas Mice

Follow directions for salt dough

Body:

A ball about one inch

Head:

A ball about the size of a quarter
salt dough Christmas mouse ornament head and body

Flatten our balls to begin the mouse. Flatten the top of the body slightly more so the head of the mouse can be affixed to it. Slightly wet the top of the body and the back of the head so they adhere together. Take a tooth pick and go around the edges where they touch and make the connection seamless.

Ears:

Shape balls according the size of the head and make proportional to taste. Repeat the same process of adhering the ears on to the head as you did with the body.
mouse salt dough ears in ball stage

Take the end of the paint brush or toothpick and go around the inside of the ears to give it more depth.
salt dough mouse

Paws:

Fashion four small balls or squares for the hands and feet and attach them to the mouse with the water /sealing process as described above. competed salt dough christmas mouse

Take a paper clip and twist it in half. Stick one of the halves in the top of the head for the hanger.

salt dough mouse ornament ready to bake

Decorations:

This mouse is holding a candy cane but I've made different variations through out time. I'm had him holding a stocking, put a holly leaf over an ear ect. Be creative and make it look festive. I've even taken plaid material and fashioned scarves for them. You may choose to paint a Christmas motif on your salt dough Christmas mouse ornament instead.
Salt Dough Recipe
Here is an age old salt dough recipe that has never failed me. I'm adapt it to meet my needs.

* 1 cup salt

* 1 cup of flour

* 1 cup of water (may add more)

In a large bowl add the flour *Note: if you use self rising flour your ornaments may become distorted in the oven. I find it best to use non rising flour. I've used white or wheat for different variations.

I put the 1 cup salt in the water and heat it for 2 minutes so it dissolves and add the water in the flour. * Fine or course salt is fine to use. Add the water a little at a time while stirring. Mine always takes the full cup

Knead until smooth and shape into a ball *The better you knead the dough the happier you will be with the completed dough.

Wrap the unused dough in plastic or in an air tight container. I keep mine in the refrigerator

Other variations of salt dough:

2 cups of flour

1 cup of salt

1 to 1 3/4 cup of water.

I use a baking time of 30 minutes in an oven at 350 degrees.