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Cookie Cutter Ornaments

3 fun and easy DIY projects that use what you have on hand!

By Christel M Hoydic ~ Macaroni Kid Middletown December 18, 2013
Gather up your favorite holiday cookie cutters along with a few simple supplies and you can create some beautiful ornaments for your tree.  

These ornaments are easy enough for everyone to create, so take some time to create some holiday memories, a new decoration, and even a new tradition that will last for years to come. These also make great gifts or gift tags.

Cinnamon Ornaments
These ornaments are easy to make, adorable to look at and their aroma fills the house while baking and lasts long after the holidays are over.
You'll need:
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1 1/4 cup ground cinnamon 
  • 1 tablespoon ground cloves (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment combine all ingredients. You can mix this by hand, too, if you wish.  Continue mixing until all of the ingredients come together and you can form a ball without the dough being too sticky.

Sprinkle a clean surface with cinnamon. Place the dough on the surface and again sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Roll the dough out using a rolling pin to about a 1/3 inch think.

Cut out your ornaments using your favorite holiday cookie cutter shapes and lay them on the parchment paper.  Use a straw or a skewer to poke a hole into each ornament.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the ornaments are hard. Once cooled, add ribbon to hang from your tree.
Perler Bead Ornaments
Gather up all those loose perler beads and literally dump them into a cookie cutter! Before you go all crazy though SPRAY the cookie cutter with cooking spray and place it on top of a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Place in a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully, and remove when you have reached your desired melt level. Allow the ornament to cool and then remove it from the cookie cutter.  Put a string through any hole you can find and your colorful ornament is complete.

Peppermint Ornaments
This ornament is another sweet smelling and easy to create festive decoration. Before you begin, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and be sure to spray the paper as well as the cookie cutter with cooking spray. Next, unwrap the peppermints and place inside of the cookie cutter. Fit as many as you can within the shape.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, watching carefully. Once the candy is melted, remove the tray from the oven. You may see a little melted candy seeping out from under the cookie cutter. Do not worry about the extra. You can fix that later. immediately use a skewer to make a whole in the top and allow to cool. The candy will cool and re-harden within minutes.  

Once it is cooled, pick it up and gently break off the extra pieces before taking it out of the cookie cutter. Use a piece of ribbon to tie the hanger for your ornament!