Make your own DIY Cookie Cutter…in any shape!
Have you ever found yourself wanting to bake up a batch of cookies, but you don’t have a particular cookie cutter in the shape that you need? I certainly have! Once, I got a last minute request for roller skate shaped cookies for a friend’s birthday, and knew that I had to get creative with what I had lying around. I knew I didn’t want to make a template and cut out the shapes by hand with a knife; while that does work well for making just a few cookies, it can quickly get pretty time-consuming. After a few tries, I came up with a method of making a DIY cookie cutter out of foil that is strong enough to make several dozen batches of cookies, and with proper storage, can be reused.
I recently released a tutorial for the killer gingerbread cookies inspired by the film Krampus, and after taking a look at the 12 different gingerbread cutter shapes that I had, I realized just how inaccurate the shape was. The cookies in the film are proportioned slightly different than all of the gingerbread cutters that I own – their head is extremely large. So I decided to make a tutorial for a DIY cookie cutter resembling the cookies in the film, so you all could recreate them for your holiday cookie platters.
DIY Cookie Cutter Using Aluminum Foil
What You Need:
- Heavy-duty foil
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Stapler
- Drawing or printed template
What To Do:
I started by sketching out the general outline on a piece of paper, but I’ve provided a printable template for you to download below to save you a little extra time. Then I tore off a few sheets of heavy-duty foil – it’s important to use heavy-duty foil when making a DIY cookie cutter, because the extra strength really helps it to retain it’s shape.
I then folded the sheet of foil in half, making a crease in the center. A ruler will help you get straight creases.
Then I folded the outer edges to that center line, using a ruler for straight edges, and a firm object to smooth out the foil. A bone folder from my paper-crafting worked great for this!
Then repeat bringing the edges to the center two more times.
Lastly, fold straight down the center line, and again, use a firm object to smooth out the strip. You should be left with a strip of foil that is fairly sturdy and rigid. If your strips are too short, don’t worry! Just make another strip, and join them together.
Use a scissor to trim the ends so they are nice and neat. To join the strips together, insert the end of one strip into the end of another strip, and staple shut.
Start forming the foil around your drawing/template – using pencils, skewers, and round objects will help you to get all the bends and curves that you need. Try to plan using the joined ends on an area with a straight edge, or a corner (for the gingerbread man, I used the joined area under the straight part of the arm). Trim away any length you don’t need, and join the remaining two ends together with another staple.
Then roll out your dough, and cut away with your custom-made DIY cookie cutter! Simply use this like you would any other cookie cutter. While the cutter is pretty sturdy, it’s good to be a little careful with it so it doesn’t get bent out of shape.
If you enjoyed my tutorial on how to make a DIY cookie cutter, I’d appreciate it if you’d share it with your friends and family on social media. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel for more fun episodes of my horror cooking show, tutorials, cocktails and much more! And if you created something using this tutorial, don’t forget to tag me on Twitter or Instagram & use the hashtag #HomicidalHomemaker for a chance to be featured!
I know this is probably sacrilegious but do you happen to know if a GF gingerbread recipe out there? Would love to make these!! They are freaking amazing!!
Love this made some Halloween cookie cutters and they worked great
That’s awesome, Destinee! I’d love to see photos of what you made!