Making cookies
Cookie cutters come in so many shapes. Roll the dough and press the cookie cutter into the soon to be delicious cookie. What a fun experience. No matter the age. Then the frosting comes out and the designs are applied. What about children who do not like the cookies? Those cookie cutter shapes are so fun. So what are we to do? This is where we make air dry clay cookies with cookie cutters for ornaments to give as gifts or the home.
How many cookies should mom eat?
Picky kids make this experience less fun. Last year, I thought I would have my children make these delicious fun decorated cookies and they would eat them. Catch that? They would eat them. Well we made them. It was very fun. But I ended up eating most of them. Just keep in mind, those cookies tasted like ginger bread cookies and were sweet with frosting. Moms should not eat that many cookies. Aren’t kids supposed to eat anything sweet? Not mine.
It was decided that we would not do that again. However, the cookie cutters are here and are so fun. During last Christmas, the children received big buckets of air dry clay. So why not make clay cookies.
And that is what we did.
We took handfuls of clay out of the buckets. Then we rolled and patted it into a ball or dumpling form. They enjoyed that because of the television cartoon Ninjago. It has been running over and over in our home. Next they banged the dumpling on the table/plastic cutting sheet. This process begins to flatten the clay like a pancake. Then just like rolling dough to make actual gingerbread cookies we used a kitchen rolling pin. Rolled it about 1/4 inch thick, so it does not crack or break easily. Lastly, we used a skewer to poke a hole, when they dry, we attached a string or ribbon for hanging.
Let it dry for three or more days.
After several days drying, apply paint. You may use a pencil to draw on the harden clay before painting. This is helpful to adjust designs. Or you could predesign the clay cookie for a young child to have guidance with where to paint. It is not needed. Just have the kids paint. Acrylic paint dries fast and does not need to be sealed.
What are we to do with the clay cookies when complete?
It would be nice to make it a tradition. Each year we make a new clay cookie to decorate our home. However, if each child makes four and parents join in, then that would possibly be too many over the years. Instead, the clay cookies are going to be gifts to the teachers, grandparents, and aunts. Yes, keep one or two for the children to decorate their home too.
Here are our end results. What do you think? As a more skilled artist then my 6 and 8 year old, I had to enhance the results a bit. They are giving these away-you know. And yes some are my designs too.
