Cutting-edge designs: cookie cutters make more than sweet treats—use them to fashion festive gifts - Home: Project

Sunset, Dec, 2002 by Mary Jo Bowling, Jil Peters

Cookie cutters are irresistible because of their delightful shapes, which also make easy-to-use templates for many projects other than baking. This holiday season, make the magic of cookie cutters extend beyond the kitchen by using them to create beautiful wrapping paper, candles, and soaps. The colorful packages above feature circle and snowflake imprints. No special skills are required, just a little patience and a steady hand. Let paint dry several hours before wrapping gifts.

Embellished candles

You can easily dress up plain votive candles with seasonal images by melting wax chips (available at craft stores) and using cookie cutters to punch out shapes. The resulting wax designs are attached to solid-colored votives to make personalized gifts.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place wax chips in a foil or foil-lined pan (refer to "Technique" at left). To create a thin sheet of wax, we used 1/2 cup of wax chips in a 9-inch pie pan.

2. In an oven set to 3500, heat the wax until the chips dissolve, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let the wax cool for several minutes. Test by inserting a skewer into the wax; when the tester comes away clean, the wax is ready.

3. Use cookie cutters to press out seasonal shapes, such as snowflakes. While still warm, remove each cut shape from the wax sheet and gently mold it against a candle so that it is slightly concave and will fit around the candle. Set aside the molded wax on a clean surface.

4. After cutting out desired shapes, place the pan with remaining wax back in the oven. When wax has remelted, remove pan from oven and, using a plastic spoon, drip two or three drops of warm wax on the side of one candle at a time. Gently press a cut shape over he wax drippings to affix.

Holiday soaps

It's a snap to make decorative soap for gifts or your own bathroom by using meltable blocks of soap, such as Soap Expressions, from a craft store. The soap can be tinted or perfumed, if desired, with additives available from the soapmaking section of craft stores. We used simple white soap and cut it into snowflakes.

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the soap slabs into 1- by 1-inch chunks, place them in a glass measuring cup, and melt them in the microwave. We used 1 cup of soap and microwaved it for 1 minute on 100% power, but be sure to follow manufacturer's directions on the soap you purchase.

2. Pour melted soap into a foil pan or foil-lined 9-inch pie pan (refer to "Technique," at left). Allow the soap to cool and harden. Use cookie cutters to press out holiday shapes.

3. Set two or three mini soaps on a dish for guests to use, or wrap soap in small boxes or tissue-filled bags for family and friends.

RELATED ARTICLE: Patterned gift wrap

Create these distinctive gift wraps with snowflake and scalloped-circle cookie cutters on solid-colored paper. Make intriguing patterns by stamping the shapes--either joining or overlapping--in acrylic paint on the paper.

DIRECTIONS

1. Dip the cutting edge of a cookie cutter into white heavy body acrylic paint (sold at art stores in 4-oz. tubs).

2. Stamp the cookie cutter onto a sheet of paper, starting at a top corner (see above). If the paint is too thick or lumpy, add a few drops of water and stir gently until thinned and smooth.

3.Repeat the process, lining up or overlapping the shapes, to create simple patterns. Allow paper to air-dry thoroughly before wrapping gifts.