Home Decorating DIY: How to Make a House Key Keepsake Ornament

Renae B., Lombardo Homes Division Sales Administrator, contributed to this story.

This year, my husband and I hit a major milestone: we bought our first home! We wanted an ornament for our Christmas tree to commemorate this event – but instead of buying one from the store, we decided it would be more special and memorable to create one ourselves.

Follow the steps below to make your own house key keepsake ornament.

What you’ll need:

1. 1 cup flour
2. 1/2 cup salt
3. 1/2 cup water
4. Circular cookie cutter or circular container
5. Rolling pin
6. Baking sheet
7. Ribbon
8. Marker or paint
9. Clear shellac spray (optional)
10. A house key

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°.
2. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.
3. Add water to flour mix and stir with spatula. It will eventually become too thick to mix with spatula, so once that happens, take the dough out of bowl and knead by hand. You can also do this in a stand mixer, if you have one.
4. Once the dough has a smooth consistency, roll it out onto a flat surface. (Important: Lightly flour the surface beforehand.) I made mine about 1/2″ thick.
5. Take a circular-shaped object (or another desired shape) and press into the dough. Make sure it is large enough for your key and able to fit your address.
6. Once it has been cut, transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Avoid handling it as much as possible so the dough doesn’t become stretched out. From here, press your house key into the dough and remove.
   (Tip: I had leftover dough, so I made a paw print ornament with my puppy’s paw. It’s easiest to do this by placing the baking sheet on the floor and pushing your pups foot into the dough. I also advise recruiting someone else’s help.)
7. To make the ribbon hole, use a marker cap or similar object to punch out the hole.
   (Tip: Flour the marker cap both on the inside and outside to prevent the dough from sticking.)
8. Bake for 2 hours. Flip the ornament and bake for an additional 2-3 hours.
9. Once the ornament has cooled, decorate as you please!

Did you make a key ornament for your Christmas Tree? Leave a comment and let us know how it worked!