Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Posted by Lori:

After my husband and I had been married for a year and a half, I was ready to make our Christmas tree more special and give it a "homemade" feel. I made lots of Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments. Many of them have broken, but we still have three of those ornaments from 1989 on our tree. Our children always think that is neat that they are so old! (Funny - to me, 1989 doesn't sound that long ago - does it to you???)

This year our two youngest boys were home and the older two were gone. They wanted to do something fun and I suggested making this ornaments. It was smelly and messy and gooey - perfect for two little boys!

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

1 1/2 cup cinnamon

1 1/2 cup applesauce

1 T. Glue

In small to medium bowl, mix ingredients all together and form a ball.  (Can add a little more glue if needed).  Roll out dough on waxed paper to 1/4" to 1/2" thickness.  Cut out with cookie cutter shapes.  Using straw or small dowel stick, make hole in top of ornament.  Place ornaments on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 150 for 2-3 hours.  Allow to cool.  Thicker ornaments may need to air dry a little more.  Paint with acrylic paints or puff/slick paint.  Allow paint to dry.  Tie with ribbon to hang on tree.

Variations:  Add more spices, such as nutmeg or cloves.  Spray with sealer to make them shiny and preserve them more.  Use as place card holders for Christmas parties.  Use as tags for Christmas presents.  If using a gingerbread man, poke holes in his hands and tie several in a row to make a garland.  Make real-looking cookies to set out on a tray...just leave off the ornament hole, but continue the other directions.

If you look closely at my boys' ornaments, you'll see some "unique" gingerbread men.  The youngest put big stars and hearts on his.  The other one made his more "offical" gingerbread-man-looking.  I look forward to having these ornaments for many, many years.  Then, they'll look back 2009 and think "that wasn't that long ago" and their kids will say, "Wow, those ornaments are OLD!"