Rainbow Barley Molded Ornaments

Surprise! I have yet another colorful idea to share with you today that was really fun to make with the kids- Rainbow Barley Molded Ornaments!

If you regularly set up sensory play activities for your kiddos, chances are you have at least half of the main ingredients for these ornaments stashed away somewhere. I used some of the rainbow barley that we made this summer, but any dry sensory material such as colored rice, small beans or pasta, or even tiny beads would work. If you look closely at our bag of barley, you’ll see that it contains beads and buttons in the mix- we just threw it all in there! (Click HERE to see how to make your own rainbow barley.)

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In addition to your dry material, you will need some Mod Podge (I used the outdoor kind because that’s all we had at the moment, but any kind will work), cookie cutters of your choice, and a paintbrush. You’ll also want some waxed paper.

First, scoop a generous amount of your dry material into a cup or bowl. I filled our large cup a little less than half full. Next, add several spoonfuls of Mod Podge (I didn’t measure, but see the photo for reference).

Then, give it a good mix, or let your helper do it for you.

You want enough Mod Podge in there to make your dry material stick together, but not enough to make it runny. The consistency we got reminded me of rice crispy treats before they cool.

Now, place your cookie cutters on waxed paper and spoon enough of the sticky mixture into them to fill them up. You can either use your spoon to press the material down evenly into your molds, or let your helpers do it with their hands. This mixture is very sticky, so if you have little ones who are averse to sticky textures, skip it.

In our experience, the Mod Podge started drying and getting tacky almost immediately. Before that happens, be sure to poke a hole in your ornament for a hanger. We used a skewer.

Then, push gently around the edges of your ornaments and they will slide right out of the molds.

Let them set up on waxed paper and then give them a final coat of Mod Podge . After they are completely dry (only took ours one night) you can add a hanger and put them on your tree!

Here are some more colorful and kid-friendly ways to deck your halls this year:

Rainbow Snowflake Window Art

Rainbow Marbled Salt Dough Ornaments

DIY Wooden Christmas Tree Ornaments

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