Recipe(tried): Gingerbread Men Christmas Decorations (not edible)

Ok, here's one that you can use for embellishments on packages, wreaths, etc, or make a little boxful and give as a gift: (these are non-edible, btw! thank goodness..)

GINGERBREAD MEN CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
(not edible)

1 cup ground cinnamon
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tbsp all purpose glue
3/4 cups water
You can also add a tablespoon of cloves and a tablespoon of nutmeg if you wish.

Mix cinnamon, applesauce, glue and water (also cloves and nutmeg if desired) in a bowl till it is the consistency of cookie dough. Add more water (1 tsp at a time) if it's too thick, or more cinnamon if it's too loose. Cover & refrigerate for a couple of hours (this also stores for a number of days in an airtight container, if necc.)

Sprinkle wax paper with cinnamon, and after kneading dough until smooth, roll it out flat (about 1/4-1/2" works well for small to medium sized ornaments). Cut dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Use a toothpick to make a hole near the top for hanging. Place cut shapes on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees F for a couple of hours, turning shapes over about every 30 minutes.

Then thread jute, wire, ribbon, raffia, torn fabric etc through holes to hang. I store mine year to year in an airtight container - they survive the basement this way. I bag them up in baggies first and suck out all the air that i can, and then stick them in a tin & they've been fine. You can decorate the finished shapes with those fabric paints that come in the bottle with the point, like if you did a gingerbread guy you can use the white to put on fake frosting, etc. You can also hot glue little dried flowers, pressed leaves, etc., onto it to make it a bit more decorative ornament. You can string a bunch of 'em on a long piece of torn fabric, jute etc, and make a country-type garland. These things really have lots of uses.

You can also shape a ball out of the dough, about 1" around or so, dry it, glue on cloves or whatever later, add a hangar, and you have a little pomadore type ornament. I've also scored the little balls and shoved a little piece of twig in the top and made little mini-pumpkins out of them for the fall - toss in with a bowl of potpourri, use 'em on the Thanksgiving table, whatever! Surprisingly, they hold their scent for quite sometime.

I've a number of variations on the dough recipe, one as simple as mixing just the cinnamon and applesauce together to form a dough like consistency, adding nothing else. It seems to work pretty darn well, too. This is an easy project to do with kids, by the way. Right now the local stores are loaded with all sorts of neat cookie cutters for the upcoming holidays- watch for the mini ones (I just picked up a teeny birdhouse and bird shaped pair). Lots of catalogs carry a variety of these things, even little tins full of themed cutters - one is all autumn leaves, one is hearts & stars, etc. I think these are often used to cut pastry ornaments for pies, but since i don't cook.