• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Simple, Sweet Life

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • Γ—

    Home Β» All Desserts Β» By Holiday Β» Halloween

    Published: Oct 1, 2014 by Claire

    Making Custom Cookie Shapes

    Share Something Sweet!

    562 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    • Mix
    • Email

    Making custom cookie shapes

    One of my favorite things about cookie making and baking is that inspiration can come from anywhere. I've made cookies inspired by cards, books, other cookie artists... really, the possibilities for inspiration are endless! The only downside is that cookie inspiration can mean a need for custom cookie shapes. Recently, I absolutely fell in love with these Day of the Dead ornaments by Jo of The Cart Before the HorseΒ (be sure to check out her FacebookΒ too!). Seriously, how can you not want to cookie these?!

    il_570xN.268658274Image Source

    It just needs to be done. But believe it or not, I don't exactly have a Day of the Dead skeleton ornament cookie cutter lying around. I know, shocking right? (Since I have yet to find a sarcasm font, I'm just going to note here that that was, in fact, sarcasm) Luckily, there are lots of options for making custom cookie shapes without sending away for a custom cookie cutter or buying anything extra. Jo was gracious enough to agree to let me use her designs, so using that as inspiration, I'm going to talk about 3 of my favorite ways to create custom cookie shapes!

    Method #1: Using cookie cutters you already have

    Repurposing cookie cutters

    If you've heard of Sugarbelle (who am I kidding, who hasn't heard of Sugarbelle?), you might be familiar with her term "cookie think." Cookie think encompasses many things, including the idea of piecing together a custom cookie shape using cookie cutters you already have.

    using cookie cutters you already own

    For this particular project, the closest shapes I had were a broom cookie cutter (using the handle for the hat), a small circular cutter (for the head), and a mason jar cookie cutter (using the jar for the body). The jar part of the cookie was obviously a little too big for the design, so I cut it down with a small, sharp knife.

    using cookie cutters to make custom cookie shapes

    using cookie cutters to make custom cookie shapes

    This is the easiest and least expensive method of the bunch, but it also depends on the cookie cutters you alreadyΒ own. For this design, given the collection of cookie cutter I currently have, this wasn't the best option (as you can probably see).

    Method #2: Creating a stencil

    Making a cookie stencil

    This second option is my favorite and the one I use the most (and ultimately what I used to cut out the majority of the cookies for this project). For this method, you'll need some basic supplies like a pencil, eraser, ruler, and some really heavy duty card stock (you can use cardboard in a pinch, too). Start by drawing the basic outline of your design. I usually freehand this part, occasionally using cookie cutters and rulers to help me get perfect circles or straight lines. To make sure your outline will work for your cookies, I recommend penciling the details onto your card stock outline just to make sure everything fits and looks right. Once you're happy with your design, cut out your shape using the outline you created.

    Making a cookie cutter stencil

    Making a cookie cutter stencil

    Gently press you card stock design onto your cookie dough, and cut around it using a small, sharp knife. This method is a great option for creating a custom cookie shape that you might use a few times, but won't need to use on a regular basis.

    Using a stencil to make a custom cookie shape

    Method #3: Creating a simple cookie cutter

    Making a cookie cutter

    This method is great if you want to create a more permanent custom cookie shape solution. For this method, you'll need some tin foil and a hot glue gun. Start by drawing a basic outline for your design (much like for the previous method). Once you're pleased with the size and shape of your design, take a long piece of tin foil (if you're unsure how long to make it, go for longer rather than shorter) and fold it in half lengthwise. Keep folding it in half, over and over again, until you're left with a long piece of tin foil that's only about ΒΌ"-β…“" wide.

    Making a tin foil cookie cutter

    Making a cookie cutter

    Using your outline as a guide, begin bending your thin piece of tin foil (edge facing down) around it to create a cookie cutter. Trim off any excess tin foil, and hot glue the slightly overlapping ends together. To cut out your cookies, simply press your homemade cookie cutter into the dough like you would any other cookie cutter (although perhaps a little more gently).

    Making a cookie cutter

    Now you can bake and decorate your custom cookie shapes! For these cookies I usedΒ my pumpkin spice cookie cutout recipe, and all the designs were hand paintedΒ or drawn on. For basic information about making and using royal icing, check out this post.

    Day of the dead cookies

    Halloween cookie ornaments

    Halloween skeleton cookie

    Have you seen something that you justΒ had to make into a cookie (or other dessert)? Share it with us in the comments below!

    Happy baking!

    Method #3 adapted from My Paper Crane

    More Cookies

    • Carrot cake cookies with a bowl of pecans, toasted coconut flakes and a bottle of milk in the background.
      Carrot Cake Cookies
    • Sugar cookie sandwich with a chocolate frosting bunny peeking out from a hole in the to leaning against a glass of milk. Other cookies, a white bowl and candy eggs are in the background.
      Easter Sugar Cookie Sandwiches
    • Malted milk cookie with a bit taken out of it on a small silver cooling rack.
      Malted Milk Easter Egg Cookies
    • Hot chocolate cookie split in half with warm marshmallow pulling between the two pieces.
      Hot Chocolate Cookies

    Share Something Sweet!

    562 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    • Mix
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    1. Sue says

      October 01, 2014 at 11:47 pm

      Love, love, love these!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 05, 2014 at 11:51 pm

        Thank you! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    2. liztiptopshape says

      October 01, 2014 at 8:03 pm

      These are so cool looking!!!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 05, 2014 at 11:51 pm

        I'm so glad you think so! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. melissajoycookies says

      October 01, 2014 at 9:42 pm

      These are so fabulous! LOVE THEM!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 05, 2014 at 11:51 pm

        I'm so glad!! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    4. Angela says

      October 02, 2014 at 1:48 am

      These are awesome! So creative!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 05, 2014 at 11:52 pm

        I'm so glad you like them! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    5. Jolenaa @TheRubyKitchen says

      October 02, 2014 at 6:04 pm

      These are absolutely gorgeous Claire! Beautiful post.

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 06, 2014 at 12:04 am

        Awww thank you so much! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    6. Audrey@That Recipe says

      October 03, 2014 at 1:33 am

      found this on Wine'd Down Wednesdays.

      Great tips. I am usually lazy, if we don't have the cookie cutter I want I make something else. Guess I should start being more creative.

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 06, 2014 at 12:05 am

        I was exactly that same myself (if I don't have the cutter, I'm not going to make it), but once I figured out how to make my own custom shapes, I realized it really wasn't that much extra work. If you try out any of the methods in this post, you'll have to let me know what you thought of them! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    7. elizabeth @LocalSavour says

      October 03, 2014 at 5:53 pm

      Claire! These are so amazing ~ well done! #FoodieFridays

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 06, 2014 at 12:05 am

        Thank you so much! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    8. Jo James says

      October 04, 2014 at 7:22 am

      Yay!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 06, 2014 at 12:07 am

        Super yay! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    9. adrian@lifewithgarnish.com says

      October 04, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      Thank you for sharing this! I've wanted to make custom cookies in the past but didn't want to go out a buy a special cookie cutter for a one time use. Now I don't have to and I can still make my custom cookies:)

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 06, 2014 at 12:09 am

        Yay! I'm so glad you'll be able to make your custom cookies now! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    10. Karen @ Karen's up on the Hill says

      October 04, 2014 at 1:29 pm

      Hi Claire, I am stopping by from the Tatertots & jello link party, and I am so impressed by these! They are beautiful and the photos are amazing! What great little gifts they would be for the holiday!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 06, 2014 at 12:08 am

        Thanks for stopping by! I'm so glad you liked these little characters! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    11. Lolly Jane says

      October 05, 2014 at 4:55 am

      Holy heck this is the cuuuuuuuutest!!! Love those cookies- the mouth especially is SO fun! Great tutorial- thanks for sharing! XO

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 06, 2014 at 12:11 am

        So glad you like these little guys! I can't help but crack a smile every time I see them sitting in my office! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    12. Judith says

      October 09, 2014 at 6:47 am

      I had to take a second look. I though they were little sewn dolls until I realized they were cookies. Sweet awesomeness!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 10, 2014 at 9:21 pm

        If you thought they were sewn dolls that's great because that's exactly what I was going for!! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    13. Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says

      October 08, 2014 at 11:28 pm

      Those are so fun! And so many possibilities!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 10, 2014 at 9:20 pm

        I'm so glad you like them! And once you know how to create your own custom cookie shapes, the possibilities are endless! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    14. katjeter says

      October 11, 2014 at 2:03 am

      OMG, these cookies are absolutely amazing. How beautiful!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 27, 2014 at 8:19 pm

        Thank you! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    15. Kim~madeinaday says

      October 10, 2014 at 8:12 pm

      Wow what a great cookie!! I would love it if you would link them up at my Halloween Linky {link is in my sidebar} So cute!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 10, 2014 at 9:22 pm

        Thank you! I'll definitely stop by and have a look at your party. Thanks for the invitation! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    16. Baking In Pyjamas says

      October 12, 2014 at 12:10 pm

      These are brilliant and so creative. This has been featured as the most view recipe on Sweet and Savoury Sunday. Stop by, grab a button and link up again with us this weekend. Have a great day! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 27, 2014 at 8:23 pm

        Thanks so much for the sweet feature! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    17. Stephanie says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:39 pm

      These look adorable!! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!

      Reply
    18. dishofdailylife says

      October 24, 2014 at 2:44 am

      I absolutely love these -- they are so creative! I just wanted to let you know that I decided to do a Halloween roundup from the past few weeks of Foodie Fridays, and you are featured tonight!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 27, 2014 at 8:36 pm

        Thank you so much for the sweet feature! πŸ˜€ I'll stop by later this evening and check it out!

        Reply
    19. Teri@The Freshman Cook says

      October 26, 2014 at 6:02 am

      These are adorable, and you are amazingly talented! So cute! Every once in a while I want to make a cookie that I don't have a cutter for, so I am going to try each of your processes and see which one I like best for me! I would love if you would stop by and share this at my blog party, Celebrate It! It’s all about celebrating what we do in our everyday lives!
      http://thefreshmancook.blogspot.com/2014/10/celebrate-it-blog-party-14.html

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 27, 2014 at 8:38 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! You'll have to let me know which method you like best. πŸ™‚ It's always interesting to see what works for others. Thanks for the invitation. I'll definitely stop by later this evening and check it out! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    20. Eden Passante says

      October 07, 2016 at 9:26 am

      This is one of the most interesting cookies I've ever seen. It's so cool!! How you managed to tie those little cookie legs to the body is unreal, I would've cracked them forsure! Love this idea!

      Reply
      • The Simple, Sweet Life says

        October 20, 2016 at 9:48 pm

        Not gonna lie, I broke more than one cookie leg in the process of making, baking, icing, and attaching them! Side note: cookie legs are delicious. πŸ˜‰

        Reply
    21. Amaya says

      December 10, 2022 at 11:30 pm

      Hello, I’ve been baking since I was 6 years old and never thought to try customizing my very own cookie cutters.πŸ₯°

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    woman with long brown hair, half up in a bun, sitting in front of an open refrigerator eating a cookie with a white and orange cat.

    I'm Claire, the baker, blogger, and general sprinkle enthusiast behind The Simple, Sweet Life. Whether you like simple sweets, comfort (baked) foods, or works of sugar art, you're sure to find something here to sweeten your day!

    More about me β†’

    Popular

    • overhead view of fluffernutter brownies on a cooling rack
      8 Ways to Upgrade Your Boxed Brownie Mix
    • a variety of cakes decorated with flowers.
      How to safely use fresh flowers on cakes
    • cacti cookies on a plate with other cookies around it
      How to Make Royal Icing: The Ultimate Guide
    • 10 Things I Wish I Knew About Cookie Decorating

    Summer Favorites

    • Spoon with lime curd dripping from it back into a glass mason jar. White flowers, a knife and limes are in the background.
      Lime Curd
    • Lemon meringue tartlet on a white plate with other tarts and a jar of lemon curd around it.
      Lemon Meringue Tartlets
    • Three blueberry doughnuts stacked with another doughnut leaning against them in front of a glass of milk.
      Baked Blueberry Doughnuts
    • Close up of raspberry lemon cupcake on a plate with out of focus cupcakes around it.
      Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Quick Links

    About
    Privacy Policy
    Contact

    Recipes

    Scandinavian baking
    Cakes
    Cookies
    Pies and tarts
    Brownies and bars
    Breakfasts

    Follow

    Instagram
    Pinterest
    TikTok

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Purchases from these links helps support this blog so I can keep creating the free recipes you know and love. All affiliate links are clearly marked.

    Copyright Β© 2023 The Simple, Sweet Life