How to Make Cinnamon Ornaments with Applesauce

December 3, 2021

Learn how to make cinnamon applesauce ornaments as an easy family Christmas craft. Use them to decorate your tree, as festive gift toppers, or as air fresheners throughout your home during the holiday season. These naturally scented Christmas ornaments have been popular for years. Not only are they easy to make, but they also smell wonderful. Try this fun homemade ornament idea for your own tree or to give as DIY holiday gifts to friends and family.

Cinnamon Ornaments With Applesauce

When I was a kid, I remember making cinnamon ornaments with applesauce with my mom and brother. We got to mix the dough, then roll it out flat before cutting it into fun shapes using cookie cutters. My mom would then bake them in the oven. Once they cooled, we added string to make a simple homemade ornament. Those Christmas ornaments lasted many years. In fact, I found some recently after digging through some old boxes my parents had in storage. Some of these were still tucked away inside. And, believe it or not, they still smelled like cinnamon! Talk about nostalgia.

After being reintroduced to this fun holiday craft, I was inspired to make them again! Not only is this a great project for adults, but these easy cinnamon applesauce ornaments are perfect for kids to make, too. They’re also perfect for a craft night with friends!

This year, I’ll be giving extra ornaments as homemade Christmas gifts in addition to using them to decorate my own tree. However, you can also make this easy Christmas craft to use as seasonal hanging air fresheners. Rather than hanging them on your Christmas tree, you can also hang them in your kitchen and living areas to use as decorations and natural air fresheners in lieu of a holiday room spray.

Can You Make Apple Cinnamon Ornaments Without Applesauce?

No, you can’t really make applesauce and cinnamon Christmas ornaments without the applesauce. The applesauce works like a glue to bind the ornament together. It also gives it bulk and dimension.

There are variations for making cinnamon ornaments, however. If you don’t have applesauce, you can try another recipe that uses glue. Those ornament tutorial are no bake crafts. However, it’s just as easy and affordable to make a recipe for applesauce cinnamon ornaments. I also prefer making them this way.

Is a Recipe for Applesauce and Cinnamon Ornaments Edible?

Technically, the ingredients in applesauce cinnamon ornaments (without the decorations) are edible. However, I really don’t recommend eating the ornaments. Because, ew. There’s a lot of cinnamon, so it won’t taste great. Hopefully this will discourage little from taking a nibble. However, if they do, it shouldn’t harm them.

The other good news is that cinnamon is that, for the most part, these are also safe for display around dogs and cats. Therefore, if you have pets in your home, you don’t have to worry about one of them getting sick from accidentally nibbling on one of your decorations. (However, if they ingest an entire ornament with more than a Tablespoon of cinnamon, then I recommend that you contact your vet as it can cause illness. They, or a poison control center, can then advise you on the next steps to take.)

Additionally, ornament crafts tend to be handled A LOT. This also makes them less than ideal for consumption. So, while the answer is maybe? the recommendation is absolutely not.

Can You Add a Fragrance to These DIY Reindeer Ornaments?

Yes, you can add a fragrance to these DIY reindeer Christmas ornaments. They do have a strong cinnamon scent that’s naturally fragrant. However, you can add essential oils that complement the scent. Should you choose to add additional fragrance to this Christmas craft, then I recommend using one of the following essential oils:

Clove essential oil
Ginger essential oil
Geranium essential oil
Frankincense essential oil
Cardamom essential oil
Grapefruit essential oil
Lavender essential oil
Lemon essential oil
Wild orange essential oil
Ylang ylang essential oil

Alternately, you can also add an essential oil blend. My favorite premade blend suggestions for these scented ornaments are Citrus Burst, Winter Spice, or Gingerbread.

When adding essential oils to your holiday ornaments, I recommend adding up to 1 teaspoon of essential oils per batch. Displace the amount of applesauce in the recipe with the amount of essential oils you use for best results.

Further, If you do incorporate essentials oils into this project, you should take care that the ones you choose are safe for use around kids and pets if that’s a concern. I also recommend that you wear gloves when you make these ornaments. This will prevent the essential oils from irritating your skin.

What Other Shapes Can I Use to Make Apple Cinnamon Ornaments?

I made reindeer cinnamon ornaments using a gingerbread man cookie cutter. Here are some other easy ideas for shapes using cookie cutters:

Vintage Santa
Acorn (for a woodland themed Christmas tree)
Vintage Ornaments
Modern Christmas Tree
Gingerbread Man
Holiday Shapes (this set comes with a rolling pin)
Grinch (also be sure to check this homemade Grinch Christmas candy!)
Coffee Cups
Christmas Gnomes
Santa’s Sleigh
Candy Cane
Christmas Bells
Reindeer (you can also use a gingerbread shape to make reindeer ornaments)

However, you can use any other shape that you’d like to craft these holiday decorations. Even a shot glass or a cup is a great way to make circles if you don’t have any cookie cutters at home.

How to Decorate Applesauce Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

There are numerous ways to decorate homemade ornaments. However, I used puffy paint to decorate the ones I made. If you like, you can also use royal icing, glitter glue, or small beads to decorate. A gold or silver Sharpie or paint pens would also work well.

If you’re adding decorative elements to your DIY Christmas tree ornaments, be sure wait until they’ve been baked and have cooled completely before you add any decorations. Otherwise they may not hold.

What Kind of Paint Do You Use?

I used puffy paint to create the decorative designs. Not only is it easy to work with, but I also like the texture of it. You can also use acrylic paint to decorate these easy Christmas tree ornaments. However, be aware that the dry ornaments will soak in some of the paint. Therefore, you may need to add additional coats when using traditional acrylic paints.

Do You Need to Bake Applesauce and Cinnamon Ornaments?

Baking your holiday ornaments isn’t a requirement. If you’re home isn’t humid, you can allow them to air dry on a cookie sheet for 24 to 36 hours.

However, I highly recommend that you bake this recipe for applesauce cinnamon ornaments. This way, they don’t get bumped or dropped while drying. It will also save an enormous amount of time.

How Long Will These Christmas Ornaments Last?

With proper storage, your applesauce cinnamon Christmas ornaments will last for many years. To store, wrap them in tissue paper. Then store them with your other holiday decorations until the following year.

The cinnamon scent should also last a long time. However, if the fragrance fades, and you would like a stronger scent, simply add a drop of cinnamon leaf essential oil to the back. The oil may stain the apple cinnamon ornaments, so keep that in mind if they are keepsakes.

Tips for Making Cinnamon Ornaments with Applesauce

Here are some tips for making applesauce cinnamon Christmas ornaments:

You can use a drinking straw to create a hole in the dough before baking. Otherwise, you can use glue to add baker’s twine to the back.
Add up to 1 teaspoon of essential oils for a stronger scent.
Add a drop of essential oils to the back of the ornament to refresh it.
I recommend baking these ornaments to ensure that they are dry. They need to be completely dry before storing them.
You can use acrylic paint to decorate your ornaments. However, be aware that it could smear if not sealed with a clear coat.
Add any glue, beads, or paint after baking.

Do Cinnamon Ornaments Go Bad?

No, as long as the applesauce and cinnamon ornaments are fully dry when stored, they will not grow mold or go bad. They will last for many years.

Recipe Ingredients for Easy Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

You will need the following ingredients to make these reindeer ornaments:

Applesauce
Ground cinnamon

Material and Supplies:

In addition to the recipe ingredients, you’ll also need the following craft supplies and materials:

White puffy paint: This will be used to paint the antlers, eyes and ears onto your reindeer ornaments.
Black puffy paint: Additional details, such as the eyebrows and mouth, are painted on with black paint.
Small red beads : Small red beads are used to create a three dimensional nose each of the reindeer Christmas ornaments. Choose the best size bead for the size of your chosen cookie cutter, between 3-5mm.
Gingerbread man cookie cutter: You can use a reindeer cookie cutter if you like. However, a gingerbread shaped works as well! You just want to be sure use one without feet.
Baker’s twine: Twine is used to hang your holiday decorations on your tree or somewhere in your home. It can also be used to tie them onto holiday presents as gift toppers.
Glue: You can use white glue to adhere the twine to the back of each ornament as well as to glue the nose onto your reindeer. However, for lasting durability, I recommend a stronger glue, such as E600.
Baking sheets: You’ll need two baking sheets for baking your reindeer cinnamon ornaments in the oven.
Silicone baking mats or parchment paper: You can use either of these to cover your work surface to help prevent sticking. Additionally, you’ll also need to line the baking sheets.
Mixing bowl: You can mix the ingredients for this recipe on the counter. However, a bowl will help prevent messes.
Measuring cups: Use measuring cups to measure out the applesauce and cinnamon for these ornaments.

How to Make Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Follow these steps to make my easy recipe for applesauce cinnamon ornaments:

1. Combine the applesauce and cinnamon together either in a large bowl or on a covered counter surface. (I recommend covering your work surface with parchment paper. Otherwise, you can also use a silicone baking mat.)

Mix until it forms a moist dough that’s easy to work with. You don’t want it to be sticky. If the dough is too dry, you can add more applesauce. Otherwise, if it’s sticky, use additional cinnamon. (It’s not always an exact science. So, don’t be afraid to adapt the recipe as needed.)

2. Once the dough is formed, roll it out to ¼ inch thickness using a rolling pin. To prevent sticking, you can dust your surface as well as the rolling pin with additional cinnamon.

3. After the dough is rolled flat, use the gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out several shapes. Place the shapes as closely together as possible to make quick work of the task. Then reshape any remaining dough from the outside edges and repeat the process.

4. Once all of your ornaments have been cut out, place them onto two parchment lined baking sheets. (You can also use silicone baking mats in place of the parchment paper.) Bake in a preheated oven at 200°F for 90 minutes. Or up to 2 hours if needed.

5. Now remove them from the oven and allow them to completely cool before proceeding to the next step.

6. After the reindeer ornaments have cooled, use white puffy paint to paint antlers, ears, and eyes onto each of the ornaments.

7. Then use the black puffy paint to create a mouth for each reindeer along with eyebrows.

8. Next, add a small drop of glue to each of the reindeer where the nose should be. Place a red bead onto the glue and allow to dry.

9. Finally, attach the baker’s twine to the back of each reindeer using your chosen glue. I recommend using a stronger glue to ensure a better hold. The twine will allow you to hang your ornaments on your Christmas tree.

Alternately, you can also create a hole in the top of each of the Christmas ornaments using a straw. However, this will need to be done prior baking.

10. Once the paint and glue have completely dried on this easy Christmas craft, they are ready to be displayed or used as holiday gift toppers.

Now you know how to make easy and fun ornaments to decorate your Christmas tree for the holidays! If you like this easy Christmas craft, then be sure to check out my other ideas for DIY essential oil gifts.

Yield: About 24 Reindeer Ornaments

Cinnamon Ornaments with Applesauce

Learn how to make applesauce cinnamon ornaments as an easy family Christmas craft. Both kids and adults enjoy making this fun project for the holiday season. You can use these reindeer Christmas tree ornaments to decorate your tree or as fragrant air fresheners throughout your home. They also make lovely homemade gifts as well as gift toppers for your holiday gifts.

Active Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Difficulty Easy

Materials

1 Cup Applesauce
1 1/4 Cup Ground cinnamon

Tools

White puffy paint
Black puffy paint
Small red beads
Gingerbread man cookie cutter
Bakers twine
Glue
Baking sheets
Parchment paper
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups

Instructions

Combine the applesauce and cinnamon until it forms a dough. You can add more cinnamon or applesauce as needed.
Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick.
Use the gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out several shapes. Place them as close together as you can and then reshape the dough and roll again.
Place the cut ornaments onto two parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 90 minutes to 2 hours at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or until dry.
Let cool completely.
Use white puffy paint to paint on antlers, ears, and eyes.
Follow with the black puffy paint to make a mouth and eyebrows.
Glue a red bead, for the nose, onto each of the ornaments.
Attach the baker’s twine to the back of each Christmas ornaments with a strong glue.
Once the paint and glue have completely dried on this easy Christmas craft, they are ready to be displayed.

Notes

Use cinnamon to dust the surface and your rolling pin to prevent sticking.

Alternately, if you don't want to glue the twine onto the back of your ornaments, you can also create a hole in the top of each one using a straw. However, this will need to be done prior baking.

More DIY Christmas Ornaments

If you like my easy Christmas craft for making homemade ornaments for the holidays, then be sure check out my other tutorial for making DIY Christmas ornaments:

Or try Annie’s Christmas Ornament Club Kit. This monthly subscription sends all the special supplies and instructions you need to craft beautiful, original Christmas ornaments for your tree or to give as gifts to loved ones.

For more DIY holiday gifts and Christmas decorations, follow Soap Deli News across your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Or subscribe to my newsletter.