The Holidays are all about making memories with family, and here at Living with a Golden, dogs are definitely family!  It is a tradition in our household to make salt dough paw prints to as a lasting keepsake.  You can make them as ornaments to hang on the tree, or put them in a shadow box surrounded by favorite pictures from the year.  Either way, it is a fun and easy to do project that you and your pup can do together.  

Salt Dough Paw Print Ornament

Ingredients

• ½ cup hot water
• ½ cup salt
• 1 cup flour
• Aluminum foil or parchment paper
• Acrylic paint (optional)
• Matte finish mod podge (optional)
• Glitter (optional)
• Ribbon
• Paint pen or Sharpie marker
• Glue gun (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix together the hot water, salt and flour until firm.
2. Knead dough with your hands to form dough balls.  If sticky, add extra flour.  
3. Roll out the dough until it is ¼ inch to ½ inch thick.
4. Use drinking glass to cut out circle shape.
5. Arrange circle on nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper.  
6. WASH paw! (Trust me, it makes a difference) 
7. Gently press your dog’s paw into the center of the circle to make an imprint.
8. If making an ornament, use a drinking straw to cut a hole for the ribbon.  Or skip making the hole if using in a shadow box. 
9. Transfer the circles on the nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper to a baking sheet and bake at 200(F) for 2 to 3 hours until they are completely dried.
10. Once they have cooled, if you’re feeling particularly artistic, paint the ornaments in your dog’s favorite colors.  
11. Write your dog’s name and the year on the front or back of the ornament using a paint pen or Sharpie marker.
12. For those with a sparkly personality, add a coat of matte finish mod podge and sprinkle it generously with glitter.
13. If you only want the imprint filled with glitter, allow the first coat of mod podge to dry completely. Then add a second coat to the inside of the paw print and sprinkle it generously with glitter.
14. String a ribbon through the hole to hang your ornament.
15. Or if you want to attach the paw print to a shadow box, use a hot glue gun.  

Christmas Card Paw Print Ornament 

If you’re not into kneading and baking, but still want to make a paw print keepsake this Christmas, make a Christmas card paw print ornament!  Simply select one of the Christmas cards you received, making sure it is blank on the reverse side of the picture.  Cut the picture into a festive shape, pierce the top and tie a piece of string.  Then using nontoxic paint or an ink pad, paint a paw and press onto the blank side of the ornament.  

Some helpful advice from our experience is both of these projects work best when your dog is tired!  Also be sure to have a wet cloth handy to immediately clean the paw to avoid him spreading Holiday cheer throughout the house!