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We made these paw print ornaments last year about this time after we learned that one of our dogs, Oscar, was really sick and declining quickly. Our pets are a huge part of every aspect of our lives, including the holidays. The kids were really hopefully Oscar would make it until Christmas, but unfortunately he did not make it until Thanksgiving.
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The night before we had to say good-bye to Oscar, we made salt dough paw print ornaments to remember Oscar and keep him apart of our Christmas.
The idea came to me late that night, but luckily these are super easy to make using ingredients that most everyone has in their pantry. We made the paw print, put them in to bake, and then painted them at a later date.
These ornaments are a great way to include your pets in your Christmas traditions.
Ingredients & Supplies
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup warm water
- Acrylic paint
- Clear sealer
- Cookie cutters
- String
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Mix flour and salt. Slowly add water while stirring.
3. Flour your working surface and rolling pin. We used a larger cutting board, so we could move our dough…see step #6. Knead the dough until soft and pliable.
4. Roll the dough out on your floured surface.
5. Cut shapes with cookie cutters . We used a paw print and circle cookie cutter that were slightly larger than our dog’s paw.
6. Take your dough to your pet and press their paw into the dough to imprint their paw print.
7. Place paw print ornaments on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Using a straw make a small hole in int ornament to later thread a piece of string through to hand the ornament.
9. Bake for 2-3 hours until dry. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
10. Paint your paw print ornament. We painted only the areas where the paw made an impression.
11. Spray with sealer to preserve.
12. Pull a piece of string through the hole, make a loop and tie off to hang from the tree.
We are so glad we have this memory of Oscar and can hang this paw print ornament on the Christmas tree every year. This year we plan to make one for our other older dog, Simon, as well as our one year old dog, Jake. This is Jake. He keeps us very busy with his boundless energy and the kids on their toes. His favorite things to chew on our Legos and Barbies.
Pamper Your Pets During the Holidays
Jake is already really excited about Christmas. He surprised me by coming out of our bedroom with one of his new Christmas toys a couple of weeks ago. He was excited to find all his treats today. One of the cats decided to stand guard, so the dog would not get his treats 🙂 Tuck (the cat pictured) is a big cuddlier. Our other cat, Checkers has a good time rolling around with Jake.
We have two dogs, two cats, and a lizard. The kids remind me every year that Santa needs to bring all the animals a stocking and gifts, even the lizard. I grab their favorite Prunia food and treats at Dillons (Kroger banner store) while I’m shopping for groceries. With three kids, I’m at Dillons a lot making it super easy and convenient to include the pets in our holiday celebrations. They have everything you need for your cat and dog.
I picked up Beneful dry dog food, Beggin’ Strips, and Busy dog treats for the dogs. Beneful dry food is better than ever with it’s new reformulated Originals and IncrediBites ranges, featuring meat as the #1 ingredient and no sugar added. Our older dog loves the bacon flavor of Beggin’ Strips and the younger dog stays busy chewing on the Busy dog treats (rather than Barbies).
The kids say I don’t buy the cats enough treats, so I picked up Fancy Feast Purely cat food, Friskies Party Mix, and Whisker Lickin′s cat treats to make them feel pampered and special this holiday season.
For more holiday pet love click here.
Spread holiday love to your furry friends with the help of Purina! Now through the end of November, take advantage of great savings on your favorite Purina pet products available at Kroger with this Coupons.com link, while supplies last.
This is not to be taken as professional veterinary advice. Please consult your veterinarian for recommendations and practices appropriate for your pet.
More Ornament Inspiration
Join our Facebook Homemade Kid Ornament group for more Christmas ornament inspiration and follow our Christmas ornament board on Pinterest.
Find more Homemade Christmas Ornaments here.