Make easy, beautiful cinnamon applesauce ornaments with just TWO ingredients! This holiday craft smells amazing, looks great on the Christmas tree or as a gift topper, and is easy enough for kids and adults to make.
There’s something so nostalgic and cozy about the scent of cinnamon. It has such a warm, calming effect and can instantly transform my mood.
Years ago one of our family’s friends gave us a beautiful large bear-shaped handmade ornament that smelled just like my favorite spice.
As a child, I was mesmerized!
I remember asking how they made the cinnamon ornament, and was shocked when they told me it was made from just cinnamon and applesauce.
After getting the cinnamon ornament recipe from them, I’ve made these lovely ornaments many times since.
This classic Christmas craft is one that I just love, along with these 5-minute DIY snowman ornaments, Harry Potter broom ornaments, Harry Potter cake ornament, and wood slice ornaments.
Why Make Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments?
- They require just TWO ingredients (that you probably already have)
- They’re so inexpensive and cost hardly anything to make
- Easy enough for kids to make
- It’s a wonderful Christmas craft to make with your kids, grandkids, or class
- The fragrant cinnamon scent of these alone is enough of a reason to make them!
Applesauce and Cinnamon Ornaments Ingredients
- Cinnamon
Cinnamon is what makes these festive applesauce ornaments smell amazing!
You can pick up inexpensive cinnamon for this craft from one of the dollar stores or Costco.
- Applesauce
Smooth applesauce is the ingredient that helps to make the dough. Any brand will do!
Some people add glue to the ornaments, but I’ve never added glue in the many times I’ve made these and they’ve been fine.
I don’t think it’s necessary, but if you’d like to add some, feel free!
You could also add some nutmeg, ground cloves, or allspice to the mixture for even more scent if you’d like.
Although the ingredients in this recipe are all edible, the finished ornaments are not edible.
VIDEO- Easy Cinnamon Ornament Recipe
Ready to make a batch of these cinnamon Christmas ornaments?
Watch the process below in the video!
Make the Dough
First you will mix the cinnamon and applesauce together in a large bowl.
You can use a stand mixer for this step, or just stir it yourself with a wood spoon and a mixing bowl.
Keep stirring the mixture until it starts to come together and form a ball.
This dough ends up being wet and a little messy, so be sure to use a surface that is easy to wipe clean.
- If the dough is too wet or sticky, add more cinnamon.
- If the dough is too dry, add more applesauce.
Roll Dough
Next you will roll out the dough.
To make less of a mess, I like to place half at a time on a piece of parchment paper that has cinnamon sprinkled over the top of it.
The cinnamon will help prevent sticking and will make it MUCH easier to lift the ornaments off when the time comes.
Sprinkle some more cinnamon over the top of the dough.
I also like to place a piece of parchment paper over the top.
This makes the top nice and smooth and prevents the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
Use your hand first before rolling to press down to start smoothing it out.
You’ll want your applesauce cinnamon dough to be rolled to at least 1/4 inch thickness.
I like to make my ornaments thicker because they are less likely to break and I think they look better a bit thicker.
If you make them too thin, they have a tendency to curl up a little when you bake them and they just don’t look as cute.
Cut the Shapes
Now for the fun part!
Press cookie cutters into the dough to cut all sorts of Christmas shapes.
I used gingerbread men, a Christmas tree, a star, a stocking, an ornament, and a reindeer cookie cutter to make multiple ornaments.
The amount of cinnamon applesauce ornaments you get from this recipe will depend on the size of the cookie cutters you use.
My cookie cutters were bigger so I was able to make about 18 large ornaments.
If you use smaller 2-3″ ornaments you will definitely get more ornaments than I did!
Poke a drinking straw in the top of each shape to make a small hole that you will use to hang your ornament.
You could also use a skewer stick, but be sure to make the hole big enough (like the size of a straw) so that ribbon will fit through the hole after it has baked.
Remove the cutouts from the parchment paper.
Place ornaments on a covered baking sheet.
Move the ornaments carefully so that you don’t break them!
Bake the Ornaments
Low and slow is the name of the game when baking these cinnamon dough ornaments.
I bake mine in a 200 degree oven for around 2 hours.
The bake time will depend on the size of your ornaments.
Thinner, smaller ornaments could be done in as little as one hour, while bigger, thicker ornaments can take up to 3 hours to bake all the way.
Two hours usually seems to be just about right, but again, it will depend on a few different factors, so just keep checking them as they cook.
Your house will smell just like Christmas and all things cozy while these are baking!
Keep an eye on them and remove them when they are firm.
I like to let my applesauce and cinnamon ornaments sit out for the rest of the day and overnight on the cookie sheet, just to be sure they are completely dry.
How to Air Dry the Ornaments
You can also let your ornaments air dry at room temperature if you prefer not to bake them.
It will take days for them to dry completely, so I would choose to go the oven route if you are impatient or want to finish them quicker.
Start by letting them dry on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack when they are dry enough to move.
This will allow the air to help dry the bottom of the ornaments as well.
Be sure to turn them over occasionally so they dry thoroughly.
The Final Touch
If you’re a perfectionist like me and want your finished ornaments to look flawless, use your finger or nail file or some sandpaper to sand any rough spots or edges.
This will make them look nice and smooth and finished!
Then it’s time to add some ribbon or string to hang the ornaments.
I used some pretty red ribbon to hot glue a loop for mine.
Then I made a small bow with another piece of ribbon and tied it over the spot where I glued the loop.
This covered up the hot glue and also made the ornaments look extra special!
Decorate the Ornaments
I like to leave my cinnamon ornaments as is for a simple classic look, but you can also decorate them if you’d like!
Here are some ideas-
- Use white puffy paint to outline your ornaments or colored puffy paint to add more details
- Add some sparkle with glitter glue
- Make a small bow with ribbon and use hot glue to attach to the ornament
- Add buttons, sequins, rhinestones, or beads for added texture and color
To finish off these easy homemade cinnamon ornaments, insert ribbon or twine through the hole and tie a loop to hang them.
Aren’t they darling?
And they smell absolutely amazing, just like the classic cozy Christmas scent of cinnamon that I love.
Cinnamon Ornaments Frequently Asked Questions
How do I move the dough shapes from the parchment paper onto the baking sheet to bake them without breaking them?
This step can be a little tricky, but here are a few tips that will help to prevent your shapes from falling apart-
- Roll out your dough a little thicker so that cut shapes are more substantial and less prone to coming apart.
- Be sure to sprinkle cinnamon on parchment paper before rolling out the dough to make it easier to lift the ornaments up without them sticking to the counter.
- Be sure to sprinkle cinnamon on top of the dough to help prevent sticking.
- Use a spatula to move each dough shape, one at a time, from the parchment paper to the baking sheet.
How long do these applesauce and cinnamon ornaments last?
When stored properly, these fragrant ornaments will last for many years!
Over time they will start to lose their scent, but if you store them carefully the ornament itself will last for a very long time.
Want More Easy Christmas Crafts? Try These!
- Sock Snowman
- Easy Candy Sleigh
- Handprint Christmas Tree
- DIY Clay Snowman
- TONS of FREE Elf on the Shelf Printables!
Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
Materials
- 2 cups cinnamon
- 2 cups applesauce
- ribbon, baker's twine, or string
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Combine the cinnamon and applesauce in a large bowl. Stir until the mixture forms a ball. If the dough is too wet, add more cinnamon until it's the right consistency.
- Sprinkle cinnamon over the work surface. Place half the dough on the sprinkled cinnamon, the sprinkle more cinnamon over the top. Place a piece of parchment paper over the top and press down with your hand. Use a rolling pin to gently smooth out the dough until it's your desired thickness.
- Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut each shape from the dough. Poke a straw through the top of each ornament to make a hole for the ribbon. Place the shapes on a covered baking sheet. Bake for 2 hours or until the ornaments are firm.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely. You can use a finger, nail file, or sandpaper to smooth the edges if you'd like. Loop a piece of ribbon or twine through the hole in each ornament and tie a knot or a bow. Hang on the Christmas tree, give as a gift, or use as a gift topper for family and friends.
Leave a Reply