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White Clay Dough Ornaments for Kids to Make (2 Ingredients)

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Easy, bright, WHITE CLAY DOUGH ORNAMENTS  for kids to make with baking soda, cornstarch and water.

My daycare hooligans LOVE playing with dough! And now that the Christmas season is drawing near, we’re doing Christmas dough activities!

Last week it was our Christmas Playdough Cookie shop, and this week we’re making white clay dough ornaments for the kids to take home and hang on their Christmas trees. (Check out our Cardboard Sugar Cookie Ornaments too!)

How to make white clay dough ornaments cornstarch and baking soda

Bright White Clay that Stays White when Dry

What I love about this recipe is that the clay stays pure white when it dries. Some clays that contain flour, and they always end up being cream-coloured when they dry. This clay is made with just baking soda and corn starch, so it dries snow-white.

How Much Dough Does This Clay Dough Recipe Make?

Using standard sized cookie cutters, we get about 26-28 ornaments out of one batch of this dough.

Recipe for White Clay Dough:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup baking soda (bicarbonate Soda)
  • 1/2 cup corn starch (corn flour in the UK)
  • 3/4 cup of warm water

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Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients in a cooking pot, and add the water. Stir over medium heat while the mixture bubbles and thickens. Continue stirring as mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes similar in consistency to thick cake frosting.

Remove the pot from the heat, and allow the dough to cool until it’s comfortable to handle.

Turn your dough out onto the counter or a cutting mat and knead it into a smooth, supple ball of dough.

We often glitter our ornaments afterwards, but you can also add glitter during the kneading stage if you like, like The Imagination Tree did with their clay reindeer ornaments. 

baking soda, cornstarch, cookie cutters, rolling pin

Making your ornaments:

clay dough christmas tree, rolling pin on green cutting mat

Roll your dough out to about 1/4 inch thick, and use cookie cutters to cut out your ornaments.

Make a hole in each ornament with a drinking straw, so you’ll be able to thread a cord through for hanging.

What to do if your clay dough is too wet?

You want your dough to feel slightly sticky but you don’t want it to actually stick to your hands. If you find it’s too sticky to handle, toss a little extra baking soda on the counter top and knead it into your dough.

red straw poking hole in clay ornament on red cutting mat

Decorating your ornaments:

Gently press your beads and jewels into your ornaments.

Push them in deep enough to embed the bead or gem in the clay but not so hard that it goes right through the other side.

kids making clay dough ornaments for Christmas

Drying your ornaments:

Transfer your ornaments to a baking/cooling rack and allow them to dry fully. We’ve found they dry faster on a baking rack than on a baking pan because the air can circulate underneath the ornaments.

To prevent clay dough from cracking when drying:

You can place them in the oven set on very low heat for a couple of hours., but we’ve found it’s best to let them dry slowly at room temperature to minimize cracking.

We leave ours sitting near (but not too close to) the fireplace overnight. It can take up to 24 hours for the ornaments to dry if the room is cool or if the humidity is high.

white clay dough ornaments drying on baking sheet

When they’re completely dry, thread some ribbon or cord through the holes in your ornaments, and hang them on your Christmas tree!

Aren’t they pretty?

2 ingredient white clay dough ornaments

You can Glitter or Paint Clay Dough Too!

You can get even fancier when decorating your ornaments, and jazz them up with paint and glitter. We’ve done it here:

You can also press your dough onto a patterned surface for an embossed effect before cutting and drying your ornaments.

Enjoy and have fun!

white clay ornaments with baking soda, corn starch and water
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2-Ingredient White Clay Dough

This easy recipe makes a bright white clay that’s perfect for kids to make homemade ornaments with.  
Author: Jackie Currie

Supplies

  • 1 cup baking soda (bicarbonate soda)
  • 1/2 cup corn starch (corn flour in the UK)
  • 3/4 cup of warm water

Instructions

Making your Clay Dough

  • Mix dry ingredients in a cooking pot, and add the water.
  • Stir continuously over medium heat until while it bubbles and thickens.
  • When it pulls away from the sides of the pot and resembles mashed potatoes, remove from heat. 
  • Let it cool a bit, and then transfer to clean counter or cutting mat and knead it into smooth, soft ball of dough.
  • If dough is too wet, sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the countertop and knead it into your dough until it’s no longer sticky.

Making your ornaments:

  • On a cutting mat, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick, and use cookie cutters to cut out ornaments.
  • Poke a hole in each ornament with a drinking straw.
  • Press beads and jewels into the surface of the clay.
  • Transfer ornaments to a cookie sheet and allow to dry for several hours in a warm, sunny spot, or overnight in cooler temperatures.
  • Loop a ribbon through the hole in each ornament, and hang on your Christmas tree.
Tried this guide?Mention @happyhooligansblog or tag #happyhooligansblog!

And now, for a terrific, easy salt dough recipe, head on over to Red Ted Art.

More easy and inexpensive Christmas Crafts for Kids:

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • happyhooligans

      I would think so, Shannon. There isn’t anything in there that would spoil. The ones we made several years ago all got sent home with the hooligans, and I’ve never asked if they’ve lasted, but I really think they would’ve. They’re very solid and clay-like.

      Reply

    • Any W.

      5 stars
      Wow, was this dough ever easy to work with. I made the cut outs for your Thanksgiving grateful tree idea. I wasn’t sure it would be enough once we rolled it out and started with the cookie cutters, so we mixed up double! Haha So, now we have TWO big cookie sheets of shapes drying- one Fall-themed for Thanksgiving, and then we went ahead and got out the Christmas cookie cutters! The other tray will be painted/decorated for the Christmas tree! Thanks for a great recipe.

      Reply

    • happyhooligans

      Probably, Shelly. It feels quite like play dough, but it dries hard, so handprints might work. Over at the Imagination Tree (Follow the link in my post), Anna has a handprint dough ornament. You can check out that recipe too.

      Reply

  6. Pam Blais

    Making these tonight with a couple of my little grand kids. I think they would be a great gift for them to give to their parents. Also going to have them make a set for my tree…We may need to get the rest of the grandkids over here soon to make theirs. LOL

    Reply

  7. Natasha

    At last a recipe that doesn’t need salt! All my salt based play dough or clay stayed clammy due to it drawing moisture from the air. In fact, the ornaments I made never dried and broke after a couple of days:( Going to try this! Thanks!

    Reply

  11. kellie

    We made these last night and found the dough super sticky at first and then it dried so fast we were rushing to get the beads in…then when checking them this morning im seeing that theyre all cracking…

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      Sounds like something was wrong, Kellie. Ours was soft and pliable the whole time we we were making our ornaments, and even after drying by the fire, and now 2 days later, ours are not cracking.

      Reply

    • Kara

      Our dough did not dry fast, but we left them at my mother’s to dry, returned 5 days later and ours too were cracked, all but 2.

      Reply

      • Dawn

        I made these with my grandkids today and some of them cracked and come of the jewels came off. I think next time we’ll make them a little thicker and push the jewels in further.

    • Ashley

      2 stars
      I just made these and they drying to fast I couldn’t get a hole in them without breaking them. We planned on painting them but we can’t even move them without them breaking.

      Reply

      • Jackie Currie

        Hmm. That’s really strange. We’ve made these lots of times over the years, and they’ve never dried that quickly. They generally take hours to dry. I’ve even forgotten to poke holes initially and remembered a little while later, and done it then. Was your air temperature exceptionally warm? Or is it possible you used less water or more of the powders than the recipe called for?

  14. Andrea

    I tried to use this dough this year for a class project with my preschoolers and when it dried it broke and cracked. We were devastated.

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      Sounds like maybe your dough was too dry, Andrea, or perhaps you rolled your ornaments too thin. I’ve heard a few people say the same, but the majority of people say they love the recipe. Ours are almost a week old now, and they haven’t cracked or broken. We rolled ours quite thick though, so maybe that’s the trick.

      Reply

    • happyhooligans

      Right. You definitely want it thick enough that it won’t crack or break easily. I’d say at least 1/4 inch thick.

      Reply

  16. Vanessa Buller

    I don’t seem to be able to see anywhere that gives the amount of each ingredient to use. I am guessing equal amounts , would I be correct? Great idea, the salt dough I usually make always ends up stinging the little grazes on my hands that I get from gardening .

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      There’s a link there to the Imagination Tree’s site for the recipe, Vanessa. Just click on that, and it will take you there. 🙂

      Reply

  18. Heather

    Hi! I’m running a preschool Christmas party for kids and their families in December. I’m looking for a few fun activities to do but will not have access to a stove or anything (all table top). Do you think if you seal the clay in a container that it will last overnight or maybe even 2 days? Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      We haven’t painted any, Diana, but I love acrylic craft paint for any project. It’s vibrant, durable and water/streak proof.

      Reply

  29. jenn

    For some reason the link to the recipe does not work for me. Can anyone write out the measurements of ingredients and baking times for me please? Really wanted to try these this afternoon!

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      Oh shoot, The Imagination Tree’s website is down right now, which is why you can’t open the link, Jenn. I’m sorry! I don’t have the recipe written down anywhere – I always refer to that link when I need it. Anna is aware that her site is down, and she’s working on it, so hopefully it will be back up soon. Sorry!

      Reply

  32. Connie

    Thanks for the white clay ornament recipe. My 4 year old granddaughter and 6 year old grandson had the most fun making these ornaments. Some of the stone didn’t stay in very well so I added a spot of glue and it worked perfectly. We are putting them on our Christmas trees.

    Reply

  33. Sharon

    I tried this last night and this morning I could squeeze them and they flattened like a pancake. I baked them for over an hour. I suspect they still have moisture in them. Should I return them to the oven?

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      It sounds like they definitely still have moisture in them. We leave ours by the fire, and they dry as hard as a rock. I would let them air dry for a couple of days, or return them to the oven and bake longer on your lowest heat setting.

      Reply

    • happyhooligans

      Did you just add the glitter to the wet dough, Ali? I would think you would need to glue the glitter on once the ornaments are dry.

      Reply

      • ali

        Yes i followed the instructions in the link she said she sprinkled them with glitter so they sparkled…maybe we will try glue and glitter 🙂

    • happyhooligans

      I don’t really recall how many ornaments we got out of the batch, Nicole, but what you see in the photos might give you an idea. I wouldn’t make the dough ahead of time, as I think it might dry out quickly. If you must, you could try wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap so it’s air-tight, but I can’t guarantee that will work.

      Reply

  36. Liz

    We made these last night. I loved the idea and couldn’t wait to make them and give them as gifts to teachers and grandparents. I spent more than I would have just for beads on these tiny Christmas themed buttons that look so cute… little gingerbread men and mittens and glittery holly, etc. My kids, 6 and 3 helped with every step and were so excited. We made two batches which produced 16 ornaments. I even bought little gift bags and tissue paper for wrapping. Well, we are absolutely devastated that they are horribly cracked all over. The thinner ones and thicker ones alike. I even brushed more water on them as they were drying and starting to crack. I did put them in a 150 degree oven for 5 minutes and then turned the heat off and let them sit in there for an hour, based on what I read in the comments. The ones with fewer beads are still cracked but slightly less so. Maybe I’ll try this again and just use food coloring or glitter as the original recipe suggests. I’ll definitely test it before doing it again with my kids though. We spent all afternoon on these and they’re unuseable.

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      I’m sorry you ornaments didn’t turn out, Liz. I haven’t dried the clay in an oven. I let ours air-dry by the fire. You might try air-drying your next batch, as ours turn out well when we do it that way.

      Reply

  39. Mel

    Don’t have any baking soda so am going to try baking powder, it says on the web to times amount by two or three so let’s see how it goes! My little two are home poorly so a nice carm activity is just what we need- love all your posts thanks

    Reply

  40. Ashely

    Mine all cracked and have fallen apart and they were so awesome. Im confused about the cooking part do you cook it till the dough is almost formed or do you just let it cook till it is bubbling?

    Reply

  41. Lisa

    We rolled ours thick and let air dry. Many also cracked like others were stating but only 2 broke. The kids aren’t home from school yet so they don’t know. I’m going to make the salt ones before they get home and once those dry, cover them with shellac. The end result wasn’t really a bright white like I expected, more of a dull beige after drying.

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      How odd. That’s what I like best about this dough is how bright it is. I’m not sure why yours would be beige when baking soda and cornstarch are so bright. Sorry you weren’t happy with yours, Lisa!

      Reply

    • happyhooligans

      I would think you probably could, Ruth. Either that, or sprinkle the shapes with glitter, and gently press into the dough. Let me know if you try that!

      Reply

    • happyhooligans

      There’s a link to the recipe in the post, Jennifer. It will take you to The Imagination Tree’s site, where you’ll find her recipe.

      Reply

    • happyhooligans

      I don’t recall just how many we got out of one batch, Janita, but the ornaments you see in the photos were from a single batch.

      Reply

  46. Karen Nixon

    This is awesome! I like the texture so much better than the salt dough, plus my salt dough ornaments always puff up a bit and distort the design. Thanks for sharing! We will be making TONS more of these for Christmas presents from the littles this year. <3

    Reply

  48. Ellie

    Hi, can anyone confirm what the quantities would be in grams and ml for UK baking? I tried doing a conversion but I think I must have got them wrong as the clay has continued to dry out and has cracked completely.

    Really disappointed as they looked so good after we’d just done them!

    Reply

    • happyhooligans

      If you google “measurement conversion”, you’ll be able to convert my measurements into your own, Ellie. I’ve heard some people say theirs have cracked, but we’ve not had that happen. We just made them again at Valentines, and our were ok. I think variables such as humidity, house temperature etc. might have an effect. I would add a little more water next time to see if that prevents them from drying out. So sorry it didn’t work out for you this time!

      Reply

    • happyhooligans

      As low as your oven will go, Lynda, and even then, it might be too warm. You might want to leave your oven door open a bit. I’ve heard others say that if you dry them too quickly, they’ll crack.

      Reply

  50. Sabrina

    Mine are in the oven right now making a fathers day gift with the kids handprints! I pray they come out good and are done before my hubby gets home lol

    Reply

  51. Noelene Rossouw

    5 stars
    Just made a set of handprints of my baby boy using this recipe. Not messy at all and super easy to follow. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

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