Halloween Cookie Cutter Ornaments

If you are looking for a Halloween decoration that will last for a long time, why not consider cooking up a batch of Halloween cookie cutter ornaments? They are not hard to make, and if stored properly will last for a very long time. I've had mine for about sixteen years! They won't yellow out or fade. As long as you store them in a cool, dry area, they will last for a long time.

Halloween cookie cutters come in all sorts of shapes and styles. You can get regular outlines of pumpkins, witch faces, jack-o-lanterns, bats, and ghosts. Some of the more expensive ones will have ridges inside them so that your "cookie" will be more detailed. Either one you decide to use will work for these ornaments. Here's what you will need to make a batch of them. Each batch will make six to eight cut-outs depending on which design you will use. Remember these are for decoration ONLY and NOT for Human Consumption.

Halloween Cookie Cutters Ornaments: Materials List

1 Cup Cornstarch

2 Cups Baking Soda

1 ½ Cups Water

Large Saucepan

Baking Sheet

Cookie Cutters in Different Shapes

Rolling Pin

Various Colors of Acrylic Paint

Different Size Paint Brushes (larger ones for all-over painting, and smaller ones for detail work)

Black or Orange Ribbon for Hanging

Clear Spray-On Sealer

STEP #1: Halloween Cookie Cutter Ornaments

Preheat your oven to 250-300 degrees. Then start by mixing the Corn Starch and Baking Soda together in the saucepan. Add all of the water at one time and cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Once it reaches the right consistency, take it off the heat and allow it to cool down enough to handle. Sprinkle out a small amount of cornstarch and place the ball of dough in the center. Rub down the outside of the dough and your rolling pin with a little bit of Cornstarch also. Roll out the dough until it's about ½ to 1inch thick. Dip your cookie cutter in cornstarch and start cutting out the shapes. When you can't cut anymore out, knead the remaining dough then roll it out again to cut out more shapes. Keep going until you run out of dough.

STEP #2: Halloween Cookie Cutter Ornaments

Once you have your shapes cut out, lay them on a baking sheet making sure that they are not touching the sides of the baking sheet or each other. Once they are placed on the baking sheet, take a toothpick and make a hole in the top of them large enough for the ribbon to go through to hang them with. If you don't want to hang them, you can skip making the hole and use them for wreaths or centerpieces instead. Bake them in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are hardened. Don't overcook them or they will dry out and crack.

STEP #3: Halloween Cookie Cutter Ornaments

When you have them out of the oven, cool them and allow them to "cure" a bit for about two hours on a baking rack. Once cured, you can begin painting them. Get as creative as you want! There is no right or wrong way to decorate them. If your children are old enough, they will enjoy this step of the process. Once you have them painted give them about four hours to let the paint set up real good. Then you can take them outside and lay them on newspaper to spray on a couple of coats of the sealer, allowing for the proper drying time in between coats. Let them dry completely, then thread the ribbon through the hole and tie it off to hang them.

When it's time to take the decorations down and store them away for the year, wrap them in bubble wrap and pack them away someplace safe and dry. Each year you will have them to use over and over again. You can use them in different areas of decorating; whether hanging, or in a centerpiece. Or you can make them to go on packages of Halloween cookies to give away as gifts. Don't just use this recipe for Halloween though. You can make cookie cutter ornaments for each holiday, from Christmas to the Fourth of July!