I firmly believe that babies are never too young or little to start crafting with. Especially when it comes to holiday crafts.

Arts and crafts projects help develop fine motor skills, and, as little ones grow, these hands-on activities allow them to expand their vocabulary and explore their creativity. 

But, most importantly to me, creating together — whatever it might be — builds memories and harvests traditions. How special is it to bless your children with special moments they can look forward to each holiday season and, in the process, give them a lifetime of memories? It’s beautiful, really. And it’s because of this that I refuse to ever use the excuse of “it’s too hard” or “it’s too messy.”

One Christmas craft project we tackled recently to kick off the season as a family was making cinnamon ornaments for our tree.

I remember making these in kindergarten and even still have my ornaments from 1995.

Justin had never made them so I thought it would be a fun activity to do with Jack to mark his first Christmas. 

We made a few cookie cutter cutout ornaments with the easy, two-ingredient cinnamon dough I share below. The most special ornaments, though, are the ones we created with Jack’s handprint.

I could cry thinking about how I finally GET to be a mom for Christmas, and about how I GET to do these fun activities with my son. It’s something I prayed for, for so many years and now it’s my life. 

I will forever cherish these ornaments and remember how tiny his hands were for his first Christmas.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 2 2.37 oz. bottles ground cinnamon

SUPPLIES

  • Cookie cutters
  • Drinking straw
  • Ribbon

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix applesauce and cinnamon in small bowl until a smooth ball of dough is formed. Use your hands to incorporate all the cinnamon. Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thickness. Cut dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters. You can also roll out dough and press your child’s hand in it to make a handprint ornament. Make a hole at top of ornament with drinking straw and Place on baking sheet.
  2. Bake 2 1/2 hours. Cool on wire rack.
  3. Insert ribbon through holes and tie to hang.

*Recipe is adapted from the McCormick cinnamon ornaments recipe.

Download this FREE printable recipe card here for your kitchen.