What’s an activity that the whole family can get involved in? One that doesn’t cost the earth? One that helps everyone prepare for the joy that is Christmas?
Making bread dough Christmas ornaments! Traditionally crafted in German and Scandinavian countries, these ornaments offer creativity and longevity. Here are the basics:
Dough:
225gms plain flour
100gms plain, white salt
2 teaspoons cooking oil
100 mls water.
Stir the flour and salt together before adding the oil and water. Mix dough with your hands, adding extra drops of water if need be (the dough should be firm enough not to stick to your hands but not so dry that it is crumbly).
Turn dough out onto a smooth surface and knead for at least 10 minutes, until it is smooth, pliable, and slightly warm.
To make a small wreath ornament for a Christmas tree:
Make two sausage shapes of dough, approximately 20 cms long and 1 cm thick. Lay them side by side. Starting in the centre, twist them around each other, continue gently twisting – working outwards, first to one end and then to the other. Seal the ends of the twist and bring them together to make a small wreath. Cut out some dough into holly leaves and berries and adhere to the top of the wreath by lightly wetting the back of the shapes with water. Place onto a baking sheet covered in baking paper.
To make a hook to hang the wreath from a Christmas tree, use pliers to cut off the ends of a bobby pin so that all you are left with is the “U” with prongs around 1.5 cm in length. Stick this hook into the top of the bread dough wreath so there is enough room to thread ribbon through once it is baked and cooled.
Cook the wreath at 145o C for 90 minutes. Cool completely before painting the leaves and berries with paint (ordinary children’s paints will do), before spraying with clear Estapol.
