Homemade Cookie Cutter

I was hooked the minute I saw royal icing cookies I found while blog hopping.

As if I don't have enough hobbies already, now I'm going to add cookie decorating?

Bake at 350 and Sweetopia are two of the sites I adore for instruction and inspiration.

Those are some talented ladies!

They make the most beautiful cookie creations. 

Well, long story short, I got busy and made some of my own.

I purchased the basics (piping tips and bags and some Halloween

cookie cutters) and this is what I ended up with.

Although I have a long way to go before my cookies

look like the ones at Bake at 350 or Sweetopia,

I didn't think they turned out to bad.

I felt like baking today but the only cutters I had were of

the Halloween variety.

No appropriate cutters, itching to bake, what's a woman to do?

Well, if your like me, you make your own!

I had recently seen a post where someone had made cookie cutters and

although I read it, I didn't bookmark it.  I searched but, for the life

of me I couldn't find it anywhere in blogland.

I knew the post said they used aluminum flashing from the 

home improvement store but that was about all I could remember.

I had looked through DH's workshop but couldn't find any flashing.

As he was at work and I was itching to go, I looked around and

found I had some of those disposable aluminum pans on hand.

I printed out a picture of a long tutu that I wanted to use as a template

and went to work on the aluminum pan.

I cut it up, pounded all the little indents out with a rubber hammer, 

folded, twisted, bent, crimped and cursed.

(Don't underestimate the power of a few choice words! I think I ended up

scaring the aluminum into submission!)

After about 30 minutes, this was my finished product.

(The "cutter" side if facing up in this picture.) 

You can see the lip of aluminum I folded over so 

that it wouldn't cut my hand when I pushed on it.

Is it perfect? No. 

Does it work?  Well, you tell me!

Take a look....

Pretty little tutu cookies waiting to be dressed with icing!

I found that the slight imperfections in my cutter (wavy edges)

were almost nonexistent after the cookies were baked. 

Am I going to make all my cookie cutters?  No sirree, Bob.

Getting both sides to be symmetrical was not an easy task. 

Cutters are so inexpensive (well, at least the ones I will be buying)

that it doesn't make sense to make all your own cutters as

the aluminum pans aren't cheap themselves.

If I need a cutter I can't find out locally or need a special

design that isn't available already, I will certainly give it another go.

Until next time,