Cinnamon-Applesauce Ornaments

This craft was inspired by In November. To learn more about the book and to see all of our In November activities, click here. 

 

Usually made to hang on a Christmas tree, these cinnamon ornaments work just as well as an autumn potpourri, filling your home with the smells we associate with this time of year. Made in the shape of leaves, pumpkins, or turkeys, these ornaments would be an excellent centerpiece or tabletop accent for your Thanksgiving dinner. Young readers would be so proud to see their contribution in such a prominent place during the gathering!

The smell of cinnamon will fill your house while making this activity and even after. If carefully packaged these ornaments can be saved and brought out year after year as a seasonal decoration that will bring back fond memories of special books and special times with your young reader.  

If you think about it, the entire story of In November centers on enjoying the autumn season through each of the senses. This activity is the perfect segue to discussing the sense of smell with your reader. For a fun, quick example of how we use our sense of smell, try having your reader close his or her eyes, and smell various items from the pantry to see if they can be identified. You might get some interesting answers! 

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Ingredients

• 1- 6.5 oz jar ground cinnamon (or about 1 3/4 cups ground cinnamon)
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 2 tablespoons white glue

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon (almost the whole 6.5 oz jar, but not quite), applesauce, and glue. 
3. Mix until well combined. If it seems on the dry side, add just a bit of applesauce. If a bit wet, add a touch of cinnamon. 
4. Roll out on counter to 1/4 inch thick, on a piece of waxed or parchment paper if desired, although it seemed to make it a little harder to transfer the shapes to the cookie sheet. You can roll it out thinner, but the finished product will be more delicate.
5. Cut out using cookie cutters in desired shapes. If you are making these into ornaments to hang, make sure to make holes near to the top (not too close!) for the string. 
6. Transfer cut-out shapes to a foil-lined cookie sheet. Re-roll dough and cut out more shapes if desired
7. Bake for 30 minutes. If you are not using the oven for anything else after baking these, turn the oven off and leave the ornaments in for a few hours. 
8. Continue to turn the ornaments over occasionally until completely dry. It can take a few days.