I have such fun decorating our family’s Christmas trees. Yes, TREES. Plural. We have our big tree that is beautifully decorated in our front room, and we have two smaller trees… a Norwegian and Swedish tree in our dining room, and our kitchen tree, decorated with miniature kitchen utensils and cinnamon applesauce ornaments – which I am going to teach you how to make today! They are very simple, last for years, and make the house smell wonderful! And who doesn’t love a spicy aroma wafting from the kitchen this time of year? It just shouts Christmas! By the way, kids of all ages will have fun joining you in the kitchen to make these, so let them help, and make some memories together!
Here’s what you may need to pick up at the store if you don’t have them on hand:
Applesauce. Cinnamon. Cookie Cutters. Material Scraps or Twine.
Easy, right? Let’s get started!
Directions, adapted from McCormick.com:
- Preheat oven to 200° F.
- In a bowl, mix together 3/4 c. applesauce and 1 cup + 3 T. cinnamon until well incorporated and smooth.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on a cutting board, and roll out dough to 1/3″ thickness.
- Cut out with small cookie cutters.
- Carefully place cut outs on an unprepared cookie sheet.
- Using a straw, poke a hole at the top of each ornament, as shown in the picture at the top.
- Bake in oven for 2-1/2 hours, until hard. I kept mine in for an additional 15 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Cut or tear strips of muslin, homespun, or twine for each ornament. I used coffee-stained muslin. Mmmm, smells delicious!
- Place a strip through the hole of each ornament and knot at the top.
- Hang on tree!
- These will last for years if stored carefully in an airtight container!
- Note: even though these are made with just applesauce and cinnamon, they are not edible. Trust me 😉
Here is a picture of my kitchen tree. It’s a work in progress… needs primitive grungy lights, another strand of red beads, and a few more handmade ornaments yet, but I wanted to give you a peek at what I do with my applesauce cinnamon ornaments!
Love & {Christmas} Blessings,
Shandy
Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for crafts, recipes, homekeeping tips & more!
About Shandy Showers
This is so cute! We will have to try this.
Shandy, I love this idea. It is a project I will try with my grandkids. I also like different trees in the house. Never had one in the kitchen. You've helped me start a new tradition. Thank you.
You are making me want to be a creative person!!! LOL Shandy these are so adorable!! I will have to try them!!! I'm also going to send the recipe to both of my daughters so they can maybe try something new this year!! 🙂
Are these kind of fragile? I was planning on making ornaments with salt flour dough, because you can paint them and they are pretty sturdy. Could you paint these too? My aunt made some of these cinnamon ones 20 years ago, and I still have 2 or 3 that we hang on our tree!
They're not too fragile. The only time I broke one is when I dropped it on the kitchen floor. LOL If you make them at least 1/3" thick, they will hold up well. I don't know about painting them (never tried!) but they look really pretty when you dust them with glitter 🙂
There has to be a creative bone somewhere in that body of yours 😉 These really are cute, and it's an easy project. I will help you be creative. Stick with me, kid! <3
🙂
Thanks, Martha! Your grandkids are sure to love this project! Kitchen trees are so fun, because you can really take creative license with them and be "kitschy" with them. The kitchen is the one place in the home where you can get away with doing that! LOL
Thanks, Tina! They really are fun to make 🙂
I am definetly trying these tomorrow….thanks Shandy 🙂
Thanks, Lannette! Hope you had fun making them 🙂
Where can I buy those exact cookie cutters??? The tree, heart and gingerbread man that size. I had those exact ones and lost them in a move. I'll be so happy if someone can direct me to them.
Hi Carole! We picked them up for $3 or $4 on a late night run to Wal-Mart in the seasonal baking section, but I had to return them because they were poorly made and my star broke apart at the seam 🙁 So while they are the perfect size and shapes, you'll need to decide if the risk is worth it. I'll be investing is some quality cutters next year. Hope that helps!
Shandy, thanks so much for your reply. I'll check the Walmart here. It's just a small one…but here's hoping. .. Carole