Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #13: Rice Krispie Treats

May 6th, 2013

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Why not create wonderful shapes for your Rice Krispie treats by using cookie cutters? Start by getting the following three ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 package (10 oz.) of regular marshmallows
  • 6 cups of Rice Krispies cereal

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Open a bag of marshmallows and dump those in. Stir constantly until the marshmallows are melted. If you want to add a fun color with food coloring, now is the time to stir it in. Remove the pot from the stove, and dump 6 cups of Rice Krispies into the pot. Stir.

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Spread the mixture into a greased 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Make sure the pan is greased, or you will sorely regret doing so. Pieces of Rice Krispies will fly through the air in all directions as you chip away at it with a table knife, trying to salvage what you can in desperation. Take my word for it: Grease the dish.

Place the dish in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Take the dish out of the refrigerator and press the cookie cutters into the the Rice Krispie treats. Use a metal spatula to scrape under the treat so that it doesn’t break apart when your children grab it with their bare hands in their eagerness to eat these yummy Rice Krispie treats!

If your kids are not in the kitchen, you might have enough time to dip the treats in almond bark chololate. Just melt some chocolate almond bark in a pot, and dip the top of the Rice Krispie treat into it. Yum!

Stay tuned for more fabulous ways to use cookie cutters…

 

 

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Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #12: Dolls and Pillows

May 3rd, 2013

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We are counting all the creative ways to use cookie cutters, and we are on #12: Dolls and Pillows! Some cookie cutters lend themselves well to make a felt doll. The gingerbread man cookie cutter is fabulous for this toy. Trace around the cookie cutter on two pieces of brown felt. Cut them out. Decorate the gingerbread man by sewing on button eyes, a red smile stitched on with thread, and three buttons down the front. Get some filler, either a cotton-like substance, or the scraps of felt that were left over from the brown felt. Stitch the entire gingerbread man, except for one arm. Then put the stuffing into the doll and stitch it shut. This pillow took me 30 minutes only because I was trying to find two matching buttons for the eyes.

This is a perfect simple sewing craft for a child to make, since the stitches just go up and down (a straight stitch). You can also make a pillow from any other shape of cookie cutter. A star pillow would be fun for the Fourth of July, and a maple leaf pillow would be good for the autumn. A clover pillow would be perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day. Smaller pillows make great pin cushions, or they can be used as pillows for dolls.

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Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #11: Garlands

May 2nd, 2013

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Another creative way to use cookie cutters is to make garlands for your loved ones to feel special. These are the items you will need for this 15-minute project:

  • colorful papers
  • needle and thread
  • thick black marker
  • scissors

Use the cookie cutter as a stencil, and draw around it with a pencil. Cut out the shapes. I cut several shapes at a time so that the process goes faster. Or your children could cut them out to practice hand-eye coordination. Grab your thick marker. I used a marker that had an outer diameter of one inch, so it was super thick. Write one letter on each shape. Then string the shapes together with a needle and thread, sewing up and down, one stitch on each shape. Leave a gap between words. Hang it up.

garlands

Ideas for garlands:

  • Happy Birthday!
  • Welcome Home, Daddy
  • Get Well Soon
  • Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
  • Aloha
  • Happy Fourth of July
  • Congratulations on Your Graduation
  • Happy New Year
  • Merry Christmas
  • Happy Valentines Day
  • Happy Easter
  • Happy Mother’s Day
  • Happy Father’s Day
  • You Did It!
  • Baby Shower
  • Happy Anniversary

As you can see, there are many occasions where you might want to make someone feel special. Why not take 15 minutes to make a garland?

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Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #10: Jello Shapes

May 1st, 2013

jello-shapes

Strangely, when you are looking for creative ways to use cookie cutters, you think of things you wouldn’t normally think of. It is a mental exercise, and it helps to ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s, later on in life when you become an old geezer. And speaking of geezers, today’s cookie cutter idea is jello shapes. Jello jiggles and makes everyone happy, from toddlers to the elderly, even if they are wearing dentures.

Make jello according to the box directions. This usually is one cup of hot water, then stir. Then one cup of cold water, then stir. Jello is not that hard to make. Throw in one or two packets of Knox powder, to make the jello stiff. You also want to choose a pyrex dish that will give you the desired thickness for your jello–a larger pan for thinner pieces, and a smaller pan for thicker pieces.

Make the jello several hours before you intend to cut it. Then take it out of the refrigerator once it’s hardened, and press your cookie cutter into the jello. Pick up the shapes and place them on a plate. Walk into a room with people in it, and serve your fancy jello shapes to them. Watch their eyes light up.

 

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Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #9: Quesadillas

April 30th, 2013

quesadillas

Wouldn’t you love to delight your children with delicious quesadillas shaped by cookie cutters? Yes. Your children will smile when you pile these onto a plate. You might even be able to sneak in tiny amounts of vegetables without them noticing, because they are so everjoyed by the happy-looking lunch in front of them.

You will obviously need flour tortillas and cheddar cheese. You can experiment with different kinds of cheese. Throw small bits of ham into the quesadilla, and maybe tiny bits of tomato, green or red bell pepper, or scallions. Mushrooms are delicious as well.

Make the quesadillas first, before shaping them with the cookie cutter. You can do this in the microwave or in the skillet. It tastes way better when fried in a skillet with olive oil. Set a flour tortilla on a plate. Grate the cheese and throw in whatever else you want on top of the tortilla, making the filling evenly spread. Top with another tortilla. Place the uncooked quesadilla into the frying pan and fry both sides. When golden brown, place on a cutting board and cut out shapes with your cookie cutter.

If you’re a tired mom and you just want to make the quesadilla in the microwave, you can do that. I’ve got to say it’s easier to cut with cookie cutters because the quesadilla is softer. Use the kitchen scissors to make your edges sharper if the edges aren’t clear. Also, if you cut around the cookie cutter with a knife, the process is easier.

Now serve these delicious quesadillas with salsa or Ranch dressing for dipping. Enjoy!

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Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #8: Gift Bags

April 29th, 2013

gift-bags

Gift bags are another one of the many creative ways to use cookie cutters, and the recipients of your gifts will enjoy getting their gift in a unique bag.

You will need the following items:

  • white paper gift bag (at craft supply stores)
  • spray paint (in whatever color you want)
  • colorful tissue paper
  • white computer paper
  • cookie cutter, of course!

Grab a pencil and trace around a cookie cutter on a sheet of paper. Then stack several squares of paper under it before cutting it out, so that you only need to cut out the figure once.

Using sticky tack, white tape, or blue painter’s tape, stick the cut-out shapes all over your white gift bag. Now grab your spray paint and spray the bag. Let it dry overnight.

In the morning, remove the figures, and you have your finished gift bag. Add color-coordinated tissue paper to the bag to make it look lovely, keeping in mind the favorite colors of the recipient of your gift. Don’t forget to load the gift into the bag before adding the tissue paper!

Stay tuned for the next instalment of “Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters.” Hint: The next idea has a Mexican flavor.

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Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #7: Patches

April 26th, 2013

how-to-make-a-patch-for-clothesAnother creative way to use a cookie cutter is to make decorations for your clothing. I will show you how to make a patch for clothes.

It all started one Sunday afternoon while resting on my bed. My daughter came up to me with a flower decal on her shirt. A light bulb went off inside my mind, and I asked her to go get the cookie cutter and put it against her shirt. Sure enough, the decal was exactly the same as the cookie cutter. I thought to myself, “You could easily make a decal for your clothes using a scrap of felt and some embellishments.”

I recommend using felt because you don’t need to hem it, and it won’t fray. Use the cookie cutter as a stencil to trace around on a piece of felt. Use a marker or pen if you can’t see pencil marks on the cloth. Cut the felt shape.

You can decorate the felt shape with fabric markers or sew a pattern with contrasting colors of thread. You can sew buttons, glitter, ribbon, or other embellishments onto your shape.

Using fabric glue, paste the felt shape onto a long or short-sleeve T-shirt that is boring and blah. Make sure you use color-coordinated fabrics for a beautiful result.

To make the T-shirt more durable, you will want to sew around the edge of the felt shape. This is a perfect simple sewing project for a child who is brave enough to use a pointy (not blunt) needle. Just sew a simple stitch up and down, all the way around the shape. Now you are finished. You may wear your masterpiece for everyone to enjoy.

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I can’t wait to show you idea #8! Stay tuned for something you can use to make birthdays special…

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Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #6: Bubbles

April 25th, 2013

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If you are looking for creative ways to use cookie cutters, you have come to the right place. Today I will show you how to use a cookie cutter as a bubble blower!

Buy some bubble solution (or make your own) and pour it into a shallow bowl, wide enough to fit the cookie cutter. Now dip your cookie cutter into the bubble solution. Lift it up into the air, and then blow gently on the inside of the cookie cutter. You should see a bubble form and float away from the cookie cutter.

This activity works best on a humid day, maybe right after a rain. If you make your own bubble solution with glycerin, you have a higher chance of creating larger bubbles. You can find my favorite recipe for bubbles and more fun bubble activities in my Bubblemania article.

Stay tuned for “Creative Ways to Use Cookie Cutters #7.” Hint: This time we will be using cloth.

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