This Christmas handprint ornament creates a beautiful Christmas tree keepsake made from your child’s handprint to hang on your Christmas tree. Making handprint ornaments each Christmas is a great holiday tradition to watch the growth of kids handprints over time and is a fun ornament craft for kids of all ages. This DIY handprint ornament craft works well at home or in the classroom.

Handprint Christmas Tree Ornament Craft

There is something so great about making homemade Christmas tree ornaments, especially when they are made from handprints! Hand ornaments are some of our favorite memory ornaments each year when we unpack the holiday decorations.

Related: More Christmas handprint art ideas for kids

This DIY Christmas ornament and handprint tree decoration was inspired by our friends at The Imagination Tree, check out her project for more ideas which include making these salt dough ornaments with colored dough. This homemade ornament is so easy to make, and is also very budget friendly which is even better!

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Supplies Needed to make this Homemade Handprint Ornament

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Acrylic paint
• Toothpick
• String
• Star embellishment

How To Make a Salt Dough Handprint Ornament

Step 1 – Make the Salt Dough

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and water. It will come together to form a dough ball.
2. Remove it from the bowl and knead it until it is smooth on a flat surface using additional flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
3. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is about 1/2-3/4 inch thick.

Step 2 – Make the Salt Dough Handprint with Your Child’s Hand

Press your child’s hand onto the dough to form the handprint. The tree looks best if your child’s fingers are pressed together. You need to press evenly until you can easily see the impression of the hand, but it has not pressed through the dough.

Step 3 – Creating an Ornament from the Handprint

If you want a round ornament, use a bowl or circle cookie cutter to cut around the handprint to create your ornament.

We made an oval ornament by free handing around the handprint with a knife, lightly at first and then cutting through when we were satisfied with the shape.

Step 4 – Create a Place for a Christmas Tree Hanger

Poke 2 holes in the top of the ornament using a toothpick to run string or ribbon through once the ornament is finished.

Step 5 – Dry Salt Dough Ornament

Allow to air dry in a warm place for 48-72 hours. You can also bake the ornaments at 200 degrees F for 3-4 hours to speed the process.

Step 6 – Decorate Your Salt Dough Tree Handprint for Christmas!

We painted the dried ornament using acrylic paints, and added red and gold fingerprints to the “tree” as ornaments.

Once dry, use the acrylic paints to color the ornament. Glue a star embellishment to the top (we found our gold wooden star at the local craft store!)

Add string and your ornament is ready to hang on your tree!

Our Experience With This Christmas Tree Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments

We’ve done so much salt dough handprints crafts. They make a great gift and a great keepsake ornament. Older kids and younger kids can both make these handprint Christmas ornaments.

Which is why we had so much fun. It is a fun idea. And we make these every year, since their first Christmas with their cute baby handprint ornament up into elementary school and middle school. The hardest part of raising kids is them growing up, so I want to be able to look back and remember how little they were.

I think that’s why I love salt dough crafts the most. This fun activity makes the most special ornament that we also send off to grandparents who can’t be here with us. I am pretty sure my mom’s Christmas tree is mostly handprint Christmas crafts. Nothing beats handcrafted Christmas ornaments.

Related: Check out our big list of salt dough handprint keepsake ideas

More Christmas Handprint Art Ideas

• Make this sweet Nativity Handprint Ornament
• Make a handprint reindeer craft – perfect for preschool
• Make handprint Christmas cards this year

More Homemade Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make

• If you loved this DIY salt dough ornament, then you definitely won’t want to miss this awesome list of Christmas ornaments kids can make!
• No bake clay ornament recipe is great for making all sorts of festive holiday decorations.
• Make a salt dough snowman!
• These Christmas dough crafts turn into ornaments for your tree.
• We have over 100 Christmas crafts kids can make.
• Homemade ornaments have never been easier…clear ornament ideas!
• Turn kids artwork into ornaments to give or decorate for the holidays.
• Popsicle stick ornaments have never been more fun!
• Pipe cleaner Christmas crafts turn into ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree.
• One of our favorite painted Christmas ornaments starts with clear glass ornaments.
• Have you tried making this snowflake ornament craft?

How did your Christmas Tree handprint ornament salt dough project turn out?