We love making crafts during the holidays. Especially those crafts you know will become treasured heirlooms you hang on your tree each year. Just like with our salt dough ornaments, these cinnamon applesauce ornaments are a fun craft to make with your family in the kitchen.

As you are making your cinnamon applesauce ornaments, your house will immediately smell like Christmas with the blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

The ornaments retain their spicy scent, but if you notice it begins to fade just a bit, add a drop of cinnamon oil to your ornament.

We make these ornaments each year to hang on the tree, use as gift toppers, give as presents to friends, and we’ve even used them as place cards for a party one year. While I thoroughly enjoy making them each year, I especially love to pull those we’ve made in previous years to hang on our tree – like this sweet one for Dad we made in 2003.

Here’s how we make them.

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Ingredients
1/2 cup ground cinnamon (4 ounce bottle) + extra for dusting
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons white glue
3/4 cup applesauce

Step by Step:
1. Combine dry ingredients. Lightly dust hands with cinnamon. Add glue and applesauce and combine with hands until smooth.

2. Roll to 1/4″ thickness and cut with favorite cookie cutters. Punch hole for ribbon with a plastic straw and write names in ornament with toothpicks if desired. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 1 hour at 150 degrees.

3. Remove from oven and allow to cool flat on cooling rack. Place ribbon or string through hole and use.

If you plan to make a large batch of ornaments, I generally omit the other spices and only use the cinnamon. This is the ingredient listing for a large batch.

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments – Large Batch

Ingredients:
2 cups ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/2 cup white glue

Step by Step:

1. Combine dry ingredients. Lightly dust hands with cinnamon. Add glue and applesauce and combine with hands until smooth.

2. Roll to 1/4″ thickness and cut with favorite cookie cutters. Punch hole for ribbon with a plastic straw and write names in ornament with toothpicks if desired. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 1 hour at 150 degrees. You may also allow them to air dry if you prefer not to bake them. Place cutouts on a flat surface and allow to air dry for 3-4 days, turning regularly.

3. Remove from oven and allow to cool flat on cooling rack. Place ribbon or string through hole and use.

I’d love to see pictures of your salt dough and cinnamon applesauce ornaments when you make them with your family! You are welcome to share them on my Facebook page!

Enjoy!

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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9 Comments

  1. Hi Robyn,
    So do you think I could use these ornaments for my students to make handprints as gifts to their parents?
    Thanks!
    Ashley

    1. Yes, I think these would be adorable as handprints. I’m actually planning on doing them with my son this coming week!

    2. Okay, I’m going shopping for the ingredients tomorrow. If I want to make approximately 32 ornaments, how many batches do you think I’ll need? Thanks Robyn!

  2. I always wondered how these were made. I may just have to make them as tags for gifts this year! thanks for posting this!