Cinnamon-Applesauce Ornaments

    from the kitchen of Mary-Jeanine Ibarguen

Here's a fun way for the family to make great-smelling ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree, as unique gift tags, or just to decorate around the house. This recipe is too simple to make only for the winter holidays - use it anytime or anywhere you want your house to smell warm and inviting. (Note that these ornaments are not edible.)

1 cup cinnamon

3/4 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup white glue

Mix all ingredients well until they form a dough. Flatten the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Keep in mind that the dough will be quite dry, and can be tricky to work with.

Use cookie cutters to cut out festive holiday shapes. Use a toothpick, pencil or a drinking straw to punch a small hole in the top of each ornament if you plan to hang them. Keep them flat and move them to a warm, dry spot for 48 hours to allow them to dry. Alternatively, put them in a warm (not hot!) oven overnight.   (MJ’s Note:  I put them in an oven for 48 hours with just the light on.  I flipped them every 12 hours or so so they wouldn’t curl too much)

When it's time to freshen the aroma, apply a thin layer of cinnamon essential oil.