Sarah and Gerald’s Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

Sarah and Gerald’s Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

It was a chilly December afternoon, and the Christmas lights twinkled outside the window of the cozy living room. Inside, the scent of cinnamon and gingerbread filled the air, and a cheerful holiday playlist played softly in the background. Sarah, the caregiver, was preparing to spend the afternoon with Gerald, her client, who had a special Christmas project in mind.

Gerald, a kind-hearted man with a twinkle in his eye, had five children scattered across the country, and he wanted to give them something truly unique this year—a gift made with love. He had always been a bit of a hands-on dad, but now, with the passing years and some health challenges, he wasn’t able to do everything he once could. That’s where Sarah came in. She was more than a caregiver; she was a friend who loved to get creative.

“Sarah,” Gerald said as he shuffled into the living room, a big grin on his face, “I’ve got an idea for Christmas gifts. I want to make ornaments for my kids. I want them to know I’m thinking of them, even if I can’t be there.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Gerald!” Sarah exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “What kind of ornaments do you want to make?”

“I was thinking something simple—salt dough ornaments! You know, with all the fun shapes from those cookie cutters you brought last time. I’ve got the perfect idea for each of my kids.”

Sarah nodded. She’d never seen Gerald so excited. “Let’s get started, then! I’ll show you how to make the dough, and we’ll use these cookie cutters to create the shapes. Then we can paint them however you like!”

Gerald eagerly rolled up his sleeves. Sarah gathered the ingredients: flour, salt, water, and a bit of cream of tartar to make the dough smooth and sturdy. As the ingredients were mixed together, the sound of the rolling pin clinking against the counter filled the room. Gerald was in charge of flattening the dough, while Sarah showed him how to cut out stars, angels, and snowflakes with the colorful cookie cutters.

“This one’s for Charlie,” Gerald said, holding up a star-shaped ornament. “He loves the stars in the sky, always talks about constellations. I think he’ll love this.”

Sarah smiled as she helped him punch a hole in the top of each shape, ready to be strung with a ribbon later. They kept cutting out more shapes—hearts for his daughter Lily, snowflakes for his son Ben, a Christmas tree for his daughter Sarah, and a reindeer for his son James. Each one was a little different, just like his kids.

As the shapes dried in the oven, Gerald and Sarah took a break for some hot cocoa, the steam rising from their mugs as they chatted about all the memories Gerald had with his children—family Christmases, making gingerbread houses, and driving around to look at the neighborhood lights. Gerald’s eyes sparkled as he reminisced about the years when his kids were young, and he tried to picture them now as grown-ups.

“I think I’ll paint them,” Gerald said, looking at the drying ornaments. “Maybe for Charlie, a dark blue star with silver paint to remind him of the night sky. Lily would love pink hearts, with glitter, of course. And Sarah—well, she’s a fan of green, so I think a green tree with gold glitter would be perfect.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Sarah said, her excitement building. She helped Gerald lay out the paints: red, green, gold, blue, and white. There were brushes, glitter, and tiny pots of metallic paint ready for their artistic touch.

Together, they began to paint. Gerald carefully painted the star for Charlie with a deep, shimmering blue, then added little silver dots to represent stars. Sarah was careful to make sure the glitter wasn’t too much—just enough to give the ornaments a little magic.

Lily’s pink heart became a masterpiece of soft pastel pinks with sparkles of gold glitter. Sarah’s Christmas tree shimmered in emerald green with golden glitter twinkling like ornaments, and Ben’s snowflake became a snowy white with icy blue accents.

As the ornaments dried, Gerald’s face was full of joy. “I think they’re going to love these,” he said, his voice full of pride.

“I know they will,” Sarah said, giving him a warm smile. “These ornaments are so personal, and they show how much you care. Your kids will feel your love every time they hang them on the tree.”

When the ornaments were finally dry, they carefully tied colorful ribbons through each hole, ready to be gifted. Gerald packed them in little gift boxes, each labeled with the name of one of his children. He beamed, knowing that even though he couldn’t be there in person to celebrate Christmas with them, these ornaments would be a heartfelt reminder of his love.

“Thank you, Sarah,” Gerald said, giving her a soft, grateful hug. “This was the best Christmas project I’ve ever done.”

“Anytime, Gerald,” Sarah replied with a wink. “It’s always special when we create something together.”

As the Christmas tree lights twinkled in the corner of the room, Sarah and Gerald knew that the real gift was not just the ornaments, but the time spent creating them—the memories that would last long after the holiday season was over.

And as for Gerald’s kids, when they received their personalized salt dough ornaments, they knew one thing for sure: their dad’s love was with them, always.