Recipe #1

1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup store bought applesauce (homemade sauce will likely be too watery)

Or, any equal portions of both ingredients depending on the quantity you desire.

Stir together cinnamon and applesauce with a spoon until the dough becomes stiff, then use your hands to create a ball of dough.

Place the ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, flatten slightly with your fingers.

Place a second sheet of waxed paper over the top of the dough and roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick.

Use cookie cutters or your own template shapes.

Air dry creations on a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet or a cooling rack for at least 24 hours until they are completely hard.

Recipe #2

Mix 1 cup cinnamon and 1 cup applesauce with 1 Tablespoon of white glue.

You want a consistency that can be rolled with a rolling pin but not quite as sticky or it will stick to your counter!

Sprinkle counter with cinnamon and roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters.

Cut a hole in shape with the straw so you will be able to hang them.

Let dry about 24 hours.

They shrink as they dry.

Cut lengths of gold thread, make loops and hang. they will keep their scent for a few years.

Refresh scent with cinnamon fragrance oil.

Recipe #3

1 cup cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. allspice
1 tbsp ginger
3/4 c. applesauce

In medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger & nutmeg. Add applesauce, stir to combine.

Work mixture with hands 2 to 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut dough with cookie cutters.

Using straw or pencil, make small hole in top of ornament.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 150 degrees for 1 hour

Remove from the cookie sheet and bake on the oven racks for another hour and a half.

Use these ornaments to decorate gifts, hang on tree, etc.

Recipe #4

Combine a 16 oz. jar of applesauce, 8 oz. or more of cinnamon, and 1 oz. of either allspice, nutmeg or cloves (I use allspice).

Combine all ingredients and mix *very* well.

Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness (putting plastic wrap around the rolling pin works well).

Cut out the ornaments .

While dough is still wet, poke a hole in each ornament .

Dry in a 150F oven for about 3 hours, turning halfway through.

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Creative tips:
For extra "sparkle," mix in decorative glitter.

Make your own shapes by trimming the dough with a table knife following around patterns you've cut from cereal box cardboard.

After cutting out shapes, use a drinking straw to create holes for jewelry or ornaments.

Use toothpicks to make smaller holes for threading. Leave in dough until dry and remove.

For a wall hanging, thread a colored ribbon through the shape.

For a brooch, decorate with fabric paint and glue a metal clasp pin to the back (available at craft stores).

Decorate creations with acrylic paint or fabric.

The creations can be used as decorations on a gift box or bag.

Important note: Adult supervision and participation is required for this activity.

Gingerbread dough for craft projects that makes ornaments to hang or put in baskets that look and smell like real cookies and are made with normal ingredients but bake up rock hard and keep for years and smell great for years. Use gingerbread dough and your favorite cookie cutters to make gingerbread man garlands, gingerbread ornaments and houses.

Recipe #1

3 tabs. shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teas. baking soda
3/4 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon of cloves, ginger and cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy, stir in molasses. Sift the dry ingredients together. Stir them into shortening mixture in 3 parts alternating with a 1/4 cup of water each time. Dough will be stiff. Refrigerate overnight. Cut dough into 3 pieces. Knead to warm dough slightly, then roll each piece out about 1/4 inch thick. Cut cookie out with a gingerbread pattern of your choice

Use a drinking straw to punch hole in center if ornament will be hanging. Place cookies on cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes, turn oven off and let cool in oven.

Remove from cookie sheet and place on rack to dry for about 3 days to totally harden.

These cookies are purely for decorative purposes and not to be eaten.

If you wish you can seal cookies with 3 coats of clear acrylic and decorate with colorful acrylic paints when dry.

Recipe #2

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix sugar, shortening, molasses and cold water in a large bowl.

Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350; spray the pan with cooking spray.

Shape or cut out your ornaments.

Bake 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown.

Immediately loosen from pan, but do not remove.

Cool 5 minutes, remove from pan onto wire rack.

Cool completely

Scented Cookie Dough Ornaments

4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1/4 cup cinnamon
3 Tbls nutmeg
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbls ground cloves

Add water to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough is the consistency of modeling clay or softened Fimo.

Shape with hands or use cookie cutters of your choice and place on an non-greased pan or pan lined with parchment paper.

*Remember to poke a hole in the top before baking if you plan on hanging the ornament. The resulting hole will be nearly half the size after baking.

Bake at 200 degrees for one hour.

Cool and finish with coat of water-based polyurethane.

Important note: Adult supervision and participation is required for this activity.