Here are a few vintage cookie cutter shapes to print out for the holidays and a fun poinsettia cookie design how-to. Then I’ve listed a bunch of resources listing instructions for making your own cookie cutters as well as a few different projects and ideas you can use them for (they can be utilized for much more than just baking cookies!).

Vintage Templates

Simply click on the picture to get the large file (copy to your desktop by right-click and “save picture as”).

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Angel Cookie Shape

The angel cutout was pasted into my vintage recipe scrapbook, not sure where it comes from but it’s probably 50 years old or so.

The gingerbread man is from Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book (1950).

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Gingerbread Man

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Reindeer Cookie Cut-out

These two cutouts were found in a recipe scrapbook and were clipped from a magazine. They were part of a gingerbread cookie display. You may want to resize the sleigh a bit smaller for cookie size.

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Santa's Sleigh

Instructions:

• Make patterns by tracing outlines onto cardboard; cut out.
• Lay cardboard patterns on cookie dough, cut around them with sharp knife.

Poinsettia Holiday Shape How-To

Try This Fun Cookie Shape For The Holidays

Instructions:

• Merry Poinsettias sparkle with a rosy jam center. You roll out sugar-cookie dough; cut in 3-inch squares. Then make 4 diagonal corner slashes almost to center. Place strawberry or raspberry jam in center and fold over to form flower. Top each with a dot of jam.

Online Tutorials

Some of the instructions are quite simple using basic materials, others involve some metalwork. Whichever method you choose to try your hand at, the result can be a fabulous custom cookie cutter design, truly unique and only limited by your imagination .

• Make Your Own Cookie Cutters and Gumpaste Cutters ^[5] (uses copper ribbon)
• How To Make A Bulk Cookie Cutter From Tuna Cans ^[6] How creative is this! Simple and cheap to put together and very handy for cookie baking (woohoo!)
• Make Your Own Cookie Cutter From Clip-Art And A Foil Pan ^[7] – Great idea for whipping up some cookie cutter shapes that you need for just one baking project, although shapes do hold together for a few uses. Cheap!
• Custom Cookie Cutter ^[8] – This tutorial shows you how to reshape old metal cookie cutters you have on hand that you no longer care to use.
• How To Make Cookie Cutters ^[9] – Tutorial for making cookie cutters out of hobby store sheet metal, tin snips and a few other basic tools. Basically bending and shaping metal strips into the shapes you want, then bolting a screw in to keep its shape.
• How To Make Your Own Cookie Cutters ^[10] – Instruction set using aluminum flashing (found at hardware stores), non-toxic adhesive and other basic tools.
• Advice posted in 2001 to a metalworking newsgroup ^[11] – Advises using brass strips found in the model working/hobby shops that are soldered together or glued with epoxy.
• Make A Cookie Cutter/Food Shaper ^[12]: Make your own shapes using a metal circle cutter, pipe cleaners and pliers.

Project Ideas

• Make Cookie Cutter Display Cases ^[13]
• Tip: Use Cookie Cutters As Onigiri Molds ^[14] (can do this technique for sandwiches, rice krispy cakes, etc., too)
• Make Cookie Cutter Crayons ^[15]

Basic Design Advice & Tips

• The referenced pages advise not to make the cookie cutters too large due to experiencing difficulties with the cookie dough before and after being baked. The trick is to find a good cookie dough that will work well with the size and shape of the cookie cutter as well as cutting the shape directly on the cookie sheet.
• Be careful with intricate designs, nothing too skinny to prevent cookie breakage. You’ll also want to keep the outline shape fairly basic and no sides too close together, otherwise the dough can spread while baking and the cookie ends up being baked together into a blob.