How to Make DIY Cookie Cutters at Home: 4 Easy Methods

Decorating sugar cookies isn't the only way to make them unique. Whether you're looking to create the cookie version of your adored family pet or the customer in front of you bought the last decent holiday-inspired cookie cutter at your local craft store, making DIY cookie cutters is much easier than you may imagine.

Using household items like pliers and a soda can, you can easily make cookie cutters in just about any shape imaginable. Bonus: Making an assortment of customizable shapes for your cookie swap is guaranteed to steal the show. Read on to discover how to make your own homemade cookie cutters, and pick the method that seems easiest for you.

How to Make a Cookie Cutter With a Tin Strip

To make the most precise and sturdy cookie cutter, using a 1-inch wide tin strip coil is your best bet. You can find this specialized cookie-cutter strip of metal on Amazon or at local craft stores. When shopping, make sure the metal is food-safe and suitable for this purpose. (Tin from a local hardware store might not be the best option.)

What You'll Need

• 1-inch wide tin strip coil
• Printed design
• String
• Food-safe super glue
• Scissors
• Protective gloves
• Needle nose pliers

Instructions

1. Print out the image or draw a design on a piece of paper (true to size) of what you want to make to get an accurate measure of how much material you'll need.
2. Use a string to outline the design.
3. Cut the string once you have traced the entire perimeter. This step will help serve as a measure of how much tin you'll need to make your desired cookie cutter.
4. Put on protective gloves and cut the tin strip the same length as the string.
5. Use needle nose pliers to move the tin to match the outline of the design. Use as much pressure as needed to correctly replicate the design's angles.
6. Apply food-safe super glue to secure the ends of the cutter together and allow it to dry completely before use.

How to Make a Cookie Cutter With a Soda Can

When you're not trying to cut out any particularly intricate (or large) cookies, use an empty, clean soda can to make a DIY cookie cutter fast. The only downfall to this method is the limited amount of material available to shape your cutter, so pick a cookie recipe that you can make bite-sized. Some design options for this method can be a small star, heart, tree, or gingerbread man.

What You'll Need:

• Soda cans
• Small printed design
• String
• Food-safe super glue
• Scissors
• Protective gloves
• Needle nose pliers

Instructions

1. Drink your favorite soda, then empty and clean out the can. Put on protective gloves.
2. Cut off the top and bottom of the can.
3. Cut down the seam of the can (from top to bottom) to create one rectangular sheet.
4. Flatten the metal. Then, cut a long strip of tin about 1 inch wide and the length of the entire can.
5. Trace the perimeter of the printed design with a string. Cut the remaining string off.
6. Use the string as a measure of how much tin strip you'll need and cut it. If needed, glue two long strips together for added length.
7. Using needle nose pliers, shape the aluminum to match the outline of the picture, making sure to apply enough pressure to form the correct angles and curves.
8. Use food-safe super glue to secure the ends of the cutter together. Let them dry completely before you cut out any cookies.

How to Make a Cookie Cutter With an Aluminum Oven Liner

Here is another clever DIY cookie cutter option if you are looking for a sturdy cookie cutter for sugar cookies. Follow the steps below to create cookie cutters out of an aluminum oven liner (that you may already have on hand).

What You'll Need:

• Aluminum oven liner
• Printed design
• String
• Food-safe super glue
• Scissors
• Protective gloves
• Needle nose pliers

Instructions

1. Put on your protective gloves. Then, trim around the edges of the oven liner using scissors.
2. Measure the horizontal edge of the oven liner, drawing a vertical line down the oven liner every four inches.
3. Cut the vertical lines to create four-inch wide strips.
4. Fold each strip in half lengthwise. Then, unfold each strip. This will make a crease.
5. For each strip, fold each sharp edge in half to the crease. At this point, all sharp edges of the strips will face the crease in the middle.
6. Flatten the metal by pressing down on the fold.
7. Use a string to outline the printed design, cutting the string once you have traced the entire perimeter.
8. Cut the aluminum strip the same length as the string.
9. Use needle nose pliers to shape the aluminum to match the outline of the picture.
10. Use food-safe super glue to seal the ends, allowing it to dry fully before use.
    

How to Make a Cookie Cutter With Aluminum Foil

A roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil is the perfect option as the foundation of your cookie cutter shape. Though this method is probably the least sturdy of the bunch, it comes in handy for last-minute baking needs. It's also the one method where kids could get involved in the fun since the edges of aluminum foil aren't nearly as sharp as the other options. For best results, roll the sugar cookie dough thin, and don't press too hard when cutting out the cookie.

What You'll Need:

• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Printed design
• Superglue or hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Needle nose pliers

Instructions

1. Tear a long piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the perimeter of the cookie shape you're creating.
2. Working on a flat surface, fold the foil (about 1 inch wide) over itself until you are left with one long strip.
3. Using needle nose pliers, carefully shape the aluminum to match the outline of the printed design, applying pressure when needed to recreate the angles.
4. Secure the ends with food-safe super glue, cutting away any excess foil from the strip. Allow the glue to dry completely.