Cookie Cutter 101

 
I learned how to make cookie cutters, just in time to make myself a cute shamrock cookie cutter for St. Patrick’s Day! 

Seriously this copper cookie cutter is so beautiful!

I showed you, in my last post, many things I used this for and gave you a list of many more things you can use cookie cutters for, other than the usual cookies!
Now I’ll show you how to make your own cookie cutters:

Supplies needed are:
Roll of copper*, pliers, shears, printed design, eyelets, crop-a-dile II, measuring tape, tape

Use a tape measure to figure the length of copper needed (the circumference of your design), by measuring around your printed design.

When you are using this copper roll you should pull the copper from the inside of the roll so that it does not unravel.

Cut the desired length using metal shears.

You want to start and stop your design on the longest straight section of your design.  This is because where you join the copper together it will be where you stop and start and you want it to be the easiest to fit the crop-a-dile into.
 
Use your needlenose pliers or pliers to start bending your copper strip.  It bends pretty easily, especially for how strong the finished cookie cutter is and how well it holds it’s shape.

Please do not tease me for my manly hands.  I swear the camera adds not just 10 pounds, but also masculinety to a person! ;)  Actually that was my handy helper being a hand model for me.  Some tutorials are too hard to take pictures of by myself!

If you use needlenose pliers take into account that the nose part of these pliers is a diagonal edge and not a straight (perpendicular) one, so hold your needlenose pliers at an angle to make sure the bend you are making is straight (perpendicular to your long edge of copper).  Otherwise your cookie cutter will not be flat when you set it down.

As you make your bends line them up with your pattern to make sure you are staying accurate.
  
Continue bending all the way around your design.  I used objects that had curves the same size that I needed, to wrap the copper around for ensuring a smooth curve when necessary.
(How was that for a run on sentence?)

Once you have made your shape with your copper, secure it with a piece of tape.  This will hold adequately.
I like to finish things off the whole way so I used my crop-a-dile to attach eyelets to secure the ends of the copper together. 
 
I went through one layer of the copper at a time when punching the holes out.  Then, I attached my two eyelets.  Though in this case I am told they should be called rivets because this is metal we are working with and because of how we are using them.   If you finish your cookie cutter off this way you are going old school like good ol’ “rosie the riveter”.  This would be the skills you would need to build an airplane (the riveting part).

 
Now, tell me how cute this shamrock cookie cutter is!  I have so many more ideas for more cookie cutter shapes now! 
Rebecca

*I know I will be asked where to get the roll of copper from.  I ordered it online from Basic Copper.  This copper is made for making cookie cutters.  Basic Copper's website says, "Both sides of the copper strip have been lightly treated so that the edge will be smooth against your hand when pressing the cookie cutter into the dough, but still sharp enough to cut the dough easily. Having both sides treated allows you to use the cutter in either direction to make the most out of your dough."  So don't just use any kind of copper for this.  Basic Copper is offering my viewers a 10% discount on your order of cookie cutter copper with them!  How nice is that?  Just use the code, 10offrw!  


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