2-Ingredient Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments
2-Ingredient Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments
These applesauce cinnamon ornaments are incredibly easy to make because they require only two ingredients: applesauce and ground cinnamon. They make the house smell amazing while they dry and are a fun activity for kids and adults alike.
Once they are finished you can use them to decorate your tree, add to garlands, wreaths or tied on to Christmas gifts. Keep them year after year for keepsakes.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This site contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links at no extra cost to you.
Mavely creator – I may earn a commission from links provided at no additional cost to you.
Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Ornaments
With only two inexpensive ingredients, there is very little preparation involved and no complicated craft supplies are necessary.
These are especially fun because the dough behaves much like cookie dough, allowing you to roll it out and use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters. Once dried, the ornaments become firm and retain the wonderful cinnamon scent.
This is also a great project to make with children because they can help mix the dough, roll it out, choose cookie cutters, and decorate the finished ornaments.
Ingredients for Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments
Applesauce: Smooth applesauce works best because it creates a more uniform dough. Different brands can have slightly different moisture levels, so the exact amount of cinnamon may need to be adjusted depending on the consistency.
Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon isn’t simply providing the fragrance—it makes up most of the structure of the ornament dough. You don’t need to use your expensive baking cinnamon for this project; an inexpensive ground cinnamon works perfectly.
How to Make 2-Ingredient Cinnamon Ornaments
👉🏻 Grab your Christmas Cookie Cutters here!
Step 1: Mix the Applesauce and Cinnamon
Combine the applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl and mix until a thick dough forms. Once the dough begins coming together, knead it until it becomes smooth and workable.
Explain what readers should look for. The dough should hold together when pressed and should be firm enough to roll without being sticky.
Step 2: Roll Out the Dough
Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper or on a lightly prepared surface. Aim for approximately ¼-inch thickness.
Keeping the ornaments relatively uniform in thickness is important because thinner areas will dry more quickly than thicker areas. Very thin ornaments can also become fragile.
Step 3: Cut the Ornaments
Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. Classic choices include Christmas trees, stars, gingerbread people, snowflakes, hearts, bells, and candy canes.
Gather the scraps, knead them together, and reroll the dough until you’ve used it all.
Step 4: Make the Hanging Hole
Before the ornaments dry, use a straw, skewer, or similar tool to make a small hole near the top of each ornament.
Once the ornaments have hardened, making a hole can cause them to crack or break so do this as soon as you have cut them out with your cutter.
Step 5: Dry the Ornaments
For air drying, arrange the ornaments in a single layer and allow them to dry until completely firm.
For oven drying, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and dry them at a low temperature, turning them partway through the process. This typically takes 2 hours.
Drying time will depend on the thickness of the ornaments, the moisture in the applesauce, and the humidity in the room.
How Do You Know When Cinnamon Ornaments Are Dry?
They should feel firm all the way through and should not feel soft, tacky, or cool in the center. The thickest portion of the ornament is the best place to check.
Completely drying the ornaments matters for long-term storage. Any remaining moisture can cause problems when ornaments are stored away for the year.
Tips for Making the Best Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments
Use smooth applesauce and make sure the dough is well mixed and kneaded. Roll the dough evenly so the ornaments dry at the same rate. Keeping them around ¼ inch thick gives you a good balance between durability and drying time.
Simple shapes tend to hold up better than extremely intricate cookie cutters, especially if children will be helping. Make the hanging hole before drying and don’t place it too close to the edge.
If your dough seems too dry and crumbly, work in a very small amount of applesauce. If it’s sticky, gradually add more cinnamon until you reach a workable consistency.
Can You Air Dry Cinnamon Ornaments?
Yes, these ornaments can absolutely be air dried, making them especially convenient if you don’t want to use the oven.
These no bake cinnamon ornaments will take anywhere from 2-5 days to dry so plan ahead. Mine typically take 2-3 but it depends on a lot of different factors.
Can You Bake Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments?
The ornaments aren’t really being “baked” in the traditional sense. They’re dried in a low-temperature oven to remove the moisture.
Why Are My Ornaments Cracking?
Cracking can happen when the dough is too dry, the ornaments are rolled too thin, or the shapes are particularly delicate. Explain how to adjust the dough and handle the ornaments more carefully.
If the dough is crumbly before rolling, it may need a little more applesauce. Add it gradually rather than adding too much at once.
Why Are My Cinnamon Ornaments Still Soft?
Thicker ornaments and humid environments can significantly increase drying time. Continue drying until the ornaments are completely firm rather than rushing to decorate or store them.
How to Decorate Cinnamon Ornaments
These ornaments are beautiful left completely natural because of their warm brown color and strong cinnamon scent, but they’re also fun to decorate.
You can use acrylic paint, paint pens, ribbon, twine, or other simple craft supplies. White paint can create pretty snowflake, snowman, or gingerbread details, while adding the year makes them especially nice as keepsake ornaments.
Children can personalize ornaments with names, initials, or the year.
Ideas for Personalized Cinnamon Ornaments
Before the ornaments dry, readers can stamp names, initials, or dates into the dough. They can also make handprint or fingerprint ornaments for children.
These make particularly meaningful Christmas gifts for grandparents, parents, teachers, and other family members.
How to Use Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments
They can be used as traditional Christmas tree ornaments, tied onto presents as homemade gift tags, incorporated into garlands, added to wreaths, or used as part of holiday table decorations.
Because they’re inexpensive to make, readers can make a large batch and use them throughout their Christmas decorating.
How to Store the Ornaments
Make sure the ornaments are completely dry before putting them away. Store them somewhere cool and dry, preferably with tissue paper or another protective layer between them.
Avoid storing them somewhere damp or humid, and handle them carefully because the dried dough can become brittle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use homemade applesauce?
Yes. Homemade applesauce can be used as long as it has a relatively smooth consistency.
Do I have to bake cinnamon ornaments?
No. They can be air dried, although drying them in a low-temperature oven can speed up the process.
How thick should cinnamon ornaments be?
Approximately ¼ inch is a good thickness for sturdy ornaments that aren’t excessively difficult to dry.
Can kids make applesauce cinnamon ornaments?
Yes! This is a great Christmas craft for kids. Younger children should have adult supervision, particularly if you’re using the oven.
Can you eat cinnamon ornaments?
No. These are decorative ornaments and aren’t intended to be eaten.
Can I paint cinnamon ornaments?
Yes. Once completely dry, they can be decorated with acrylic paint or paint pens.
How long do cinnamon ornaments last?
When completely dried and stored properly, they can last for many years.
Can I use cinnamon ornaments as gift tags?
Absolutely. Tie one onto a wrapped Christmas gift with ribbon or twine for a beautiful homemade finishing touch.
Other Christmas Recipes to Try:
2 Ingredient Cinnamon Ornaments
Materials
- 1 Cup Applesauce
- 1½ Cups Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine the applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl and mix until a thick dough forms. Once the dough begins coming together, knead it until it becomes smooth and workable.
- Explain what readers should look for. The dough should hold together when pressed and should be firm enough to roll without being sticky.
- Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper or on a lightly prepared surface. Aim for approximately ¼-inch thickness.
- Keeping the ornaments relatively uniform in thickness is important because thinner areas will dry more quickly than thicker areas. Very thin ornaments can also become fragile.
- Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. Classic choices include Christmas trees, stars, gingerbread people, snowflakes, hearts, bells, and candy canes.
- Gather the scraps, knead them together, and reroll the dough until you’ve used it all.
- Before the ornaments dry, use a straw, skewer, or similar tool to make a small hole near the top of each ornament.
- Once the ornaments have hardened, making a hole can cause them to crack or break so do this as soon as you have cut them out with your cutter.
- For air drying, arrange the ornaments in a single layer and allow them to dry until completely firm.
