DIY Paw Print Christmas Ornament

This DIY Paw Print Christmas Ornament is a sweet little keepsake! Not only is it easy to make, but I am going to show you how your dog can paint their ornament!

You might remember my DIY Dog Christmas Ornament from last year. I love those ornaments so much! There’s something so special about having keepsakes my dogs have painted themselves. So I thought this DIY Paw Print Christmas Ornament would be a great addition to our Christmas tree this year.

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I will be transparent with you – it was challenging the convince the dogs to press their paws into the clay! Yoda, Okja, and Elvis were easier to convince than Luna. So for her, I opted to use one of my large dog bone cookie cutters and would let her paint that rather than a paw print.

However, after a little break and lots of treats, I got her paw print. So if your dog isn’t a fan of pressing its paw into the clay, you can try to take a break and come back to it or use a large dog bone cookie cutter and allow them to paint that instead! Both ornaments are honestly adorable.

*Be sure to monitor your dog for the duration of this activity. This activity is safe, but you want to make sure your dog does not accidentally chew the bag. Also, make sure you’re only using dog-safe peanut butter. Some peanut butter contains Xylitol which is considered toxic to dogs.

What you will need for this DIY Paw Print Christmas Ornament Project

I opted to use air-dry clay for this DIY Paw Christmas Ornament . I feel this kept things easy, especially if younger children want to help, and you never have to turn on the oven like salt dough ornaments. However, plenty of salt-dough ornament projects are available with a quick Google search.

This is everything you’ll need:

Can your dog paint their own Christmas ornament?

Yes! I painted the paw prints silver myself, but the dogs painted the fun colors. You can learn more about teaching your dog to paint in these previous blog entries:

The cool thing about allowing your dog to paint their ornament is that this doubles as an enrichment activity! You’re going to spread dog-safe peanut butter on a Ziploc bag, spread your chosen paint colors on the ornament, and seal the ornament in the bag. Of course, you will want to monitor your dog during the entire activity to make sure they do not chew or try to open the bag.

Then, the motion from your dog licking the bag will uniquely spread the paint over your ornament! You can follow the step-by-step DIY Paw Print Christmas Ornament Guide below.

DIY Paw Print Ornament Step-By-Step

Follow the instructions for prepping your air dry clay. Mine just required that I work the clay between my hands for a few minutes.
Take a few small slabs and roll them to about a 1/2-inch thickness.
Place your rolled-out pieces of clay into a ziploc bag and seal them. You can use your cookie cutter to cut your round shape now. Doing this while the clay is in the bag will give your ornament edges a rounded shape rather than a blunt edge. Do not remove the clay from the sealed bag yet. You will remove it after you get the paw print, and you can remove the excess clay from the cookie cutter mark. Keeping the clay in the bag will keep your dog’s paw from coming in contact with clay and the clay clean.
I noted above that this next part was difficult, but with patience and treats, I know you will be able to convince your dog to help you with the paw print.
Place your sealed bag of clay on a hard surface. Give your dog a treat if needed, and then firmly but gently press your dog’s paw into the center of your clay circle. Repeat for each pet if you’re making multiples. Make sure to gently mark the bag or back or the ornament with your dog’s name, so you know which ornament it is. If you can’t convince your dog to make the paw print, you can make the dog bone ornament using a dog bone cookie cutter.
Gently remove the paw print ornament from the bag. Now you can remove and discard the excess clay outside the cookie cutter marks. If any edges need smoothing, you can dip your finger in water to smooth them. Using a straw or skewer, poke a hole in the top center of the ornament. This hole is where you will hang your ornament.
Now allow your clay to air dry per the instructions on your container. Mine took the entire three days to dry. Make sure to protect the surface your clay is drying on. I opted to allow my clay to stay on top of the plastic bags.
Optional: Once dry, you can paint your clay with a quick wash of white acrylic paint.
Now we’re ready to paint! Take new Ziploc bags and spread a thin layer of dog-safe peanut butter on one side of the bag. Now dab thick globs or streaks of your chosen paint colors all over the ornament. Place the ornament in the bag and tightly seal it.
Now lay the bag on the ground, and allow your dog to lick the peanut butter from the sealed bag for a few minutes. The licking of the bag will uniquely spread the paint. Ensure you’re monitoring your dog to ensure the bag does not break. We do not want them to come in contact with the paint.
Remove the ornament from the bag and allow it to air dry for a few hours. Using a fine-detail paintbrush, you can fill the paw print with paint. I chose silver paint for this.
Allow to dry completely, and spread a thin layer of craft sealant over the entire ornament. I chose Modge-Podge – it’s affordable, works well, and is easy to use. Once completely dry, add your string, and now you have a lovely DIY Paw Print Christmas Ornament!