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Santa Cookies

December 19, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Have you ever seen such an ADORABLE plate of Santa cookies? Your basic delicious sugar cookie is topped with a magical combination of Starburst candy and mini m&ms to make a darling cookie that anyone can master! It’s so much easier than you think, and I’m going to show you how you can make these Santa Claus cookies, too!

cookies decorated with candy santa face stacked on glass plate

You do not need any special supplies for these cookies. Around the holidays, I typically have a batch of royal icing sitting around for any gingerbread house gluing or cookie decorating needs, but you can also simply use a can of white frosting from the grocery store to do the white parts of the Santa cookie face.

We used royal icing and a little icing writer in black from the grocery store baking aisle and these cookies came together in a snap. You can make your sugar cookies in any size – we just used a basic round 3″ cookie cutter and our favorite cut out sugar cookie recipe. You can even use pre-baked cookies or a ready-made cut and bake dough!

I think that the key to this cookie’s uniqueness is that we use Starburst candy for that smooth, perfectly red Santa cap! I’ll teach you that trick – keep reading!

santa cookies on glass cake stand with starburst and marshmallows scattered around

Do you love baking for the holidays? I have a few tried and true recipes that I make EVERY year:

  1. Chocolate Cream Pie
  2. Candy Cane Cookies
  3. Mint Snowtop Crinkle Cookies
  4. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients for Decorating Santa Cookies:

  • Sugar cookies (or any cookie I suppose!) iced smooth with white frosting – I dipped these cookies in a thinned royal icing, but you can also heat a can of white frosting in the microwave for 20 seconds or so and use that for easy dipping. Regardless of the icing, let them dry for at least an hour so that the icing is wet and sticky.
  • White Icing – We use more icing to make the fur lining of the cap, to stick the nonpareils to the marshmallow puff, and to make the beard. You can use royal icing or canned icing. For super easy decorating, grab one of these tubes of premade frosting (affil) that you can screw your decorating tip straight onto – read more about icing tube tips here.
  • Mini M&Ms – just grab a bag from the grocery store – these are so fun to decorate with! There are plenty of red ones in the bag to use for Santa’s nose!
  • Black Writing Gel – you need so little of this, but you can’t do without Santa’s eyes. If you prefer to color a bit of white frosting with some black food coloring gel, that works great too! I grabbed this from my grocery store’s baking aisle!
  • Mini Marshmallows – We’re going to stick a mini marshmallow on the side of the cap like a little puffball. It’s a cute touch.
  • White Nonpareils – I use these for everything – they are one of my favorite sprinkle basics! These are optional but give the marshmallow puff a nice polished look. You can also sprinkle them over the “fur-lining” of Santa’s cap.
  • Red Food Coloring – this is totally optional and I ended up preferring my Santa’s whose beards came up over their cheeks, but if you want to dab a bit of rosy onto Santa’s cheeks – it’s super easy to drop a drop of red food coloring into some extract or clear alcohol and use that!
  • STARBURST candies – ok! Your key to making these unique cookies is that smoooooooth red Santa cap! We make that with Starburst! Grab a berry flavored pack and you’ll get a few different shades of red to work with.
ingredients for santa cookies with labels

How to Decorate Santa Cookies

  1. Bake and ice your cookies with a smooth layer of white frosting.

    This is the base of Santa’s face and you’ll want to make sure the icing is nice and dry to the touch before continuing. I usually wait at least an hour.

  2. Make the Starburst Santa caps.

    This is going to blow your mind! Those tiny little Starburst candies are super versatile. Pop your candy (I do one or two at a time) into the microwave for 10-15 seconds and heat. It will soften right up. Unwrap it and roll it between two sheets of parchment paper. You need to work quickly as it’s only easy to roll when it’s nice and warm. Starburst candy being rolled out on parchment paper with other Santa cookie ingredients scattered around.

  3. Cut out the cap shape.

    Once the Starburst is rolled out large enough to cover the width of the cookie, use the same cookie cutter you used for your cookies and cut the curve of the top of the cap. Then, trim the bottom of the Starburst to make a straight or just slightly curved line that will be the bottom of the cap. Press the caps onto the top halves of each cookie.Santa cap cut out from Starburst candy with other ingredients and tools scattered around

  4. Pipe the fur lining of the cap with white frosting.

    Make a squiggly line with your white icing. Super simple.cookies with white face and red cap shape and piping bag with white frosting showing squiggles of icing on cap lining

  5. Add a marshmallow puff ball to the cap.

    Add a little bit of icing to one end of a mini marshmallow and dip it in nonpareils to make the puff ball for the cap. Use icing to “glue” the puff to the side of the Santa face where the cap and fur lining meet.

  6. Add a bunch of fluffy white icing for the beard and a mini m&m nose.

    noses and beards added onto the Santa cookie faces

  7. Finish with the black piped eyes.

  8. Add cheeks.

    This is optional and I liked most of my Santa cookies without rosy cheeks, but you can either punch little round cheeks from your Starburst scraps or mix a bit of red food coloring with some vodka or almond extract (the alcohol will evaporate) and dab the cheeks on with your fingertip.

santa claus cookies on glass cake stand with starburst and marshmallows scattered around

And….you’re DONE!! Wasn’t that fun and easy? I just love how these Santa cookies turned out.

Filed Under: Christmas, Desserts, Food and Recipes, Holiday Inspiration Tagged With: santa, sugar cookie

Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

December 11, 2020 by girlinspired 2 Comments

This melt in your mouth cut out sugar cookie recipe yields soft, buttery cookies with a slightly crisp edge and a delicate hint of almond. You may have just stumbled upon the BEST easy to follow recipe which even includes no chill time. These simple sugar cookies are ready in under 20 minutes for you to decorate or enjoy plain while cozying up with a nice cup of tea or some holiday hot chocolate!

cookie dough rolled out, cookie cutters, some shapes cut out with rolling pin and dishcloth

If you’re a fan of any and every sugar cookie, you should also check out this copycat Lofthouse recipe. Soft pillowy sugar cookies slathered with a thick coat of icing are a little more involved in the ingredients and process but definitely a must-try! We also love using this sugar cookie recipe to make the BEST Candy Cane cookies with Peppermint Marshmallow frosting! mmmmmm.

decorated Christmas sugar cookies with sprinkles and colored frosting

What are sugar cookies?

There’s a reason why tried and true cut out Christmas cookies remain a fan favorite. This centuries-old cookie is made with only a handful of ingredients. It consists of butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla, or in this case almond extract. A simple cookie that delivers on taste and function!

With a cut out sugar cookie recipe, specifically, you want very little leavening ingredients so that the cookies do not puff or spread too much and turn your pretty cut out shapes into indistinguishable blobs! There are no eggs and just a touch of baking soda in this cookie recipe.

Get out your favorite cookie cutters, set up a decorating DIY station, and have loads of fun with the family without all the fuss and shopping for crazy ingredients you’ve never heard of. They’re a great starter cookie if you’re just beginning your baking journey and they’re easy enough for the kids to help out!

More Holiday Cookie Favorites

Santa Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

Ginger Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

You’ll be able to whip up a batch of soft cut out sugar cookies in a pinch. The dough freezes well, which comes in handy when you’ve got unexpected company at your door, or when it’s 10 o’clock at night and your kid tells you they need a dozen cookies for school by the next morning.

They make delicious gifts when packaged up nicely but, of course, they are perfect just for you to bake and enjoy at home during the holidays!

Cut Out Cookie Supplies:

You do not need any special equipment to make this cut out sugar cookie recipe. Mix the ingredients with a standing mixer or a hand mixer, but you can also just mix them up by hand!

You will need a rolling pin – I’m always collecting vintage rolling pins because I just can’t resist a cute red handle. Any smoothly rolling rolling pin will do! Dust the rolling pin with flour to prevent it from sticking to your dough!

COOKIE CUTTERS come in every shape and size imaginable! I had a lot of fun with my newest set of Christmas cookie cutters (ref) and they arrived on my porch in a day! Everyone loves a simple round cookie though and you can even just use the top of a glass or mason jar to cut out perfectly shaped round cookies!

Sugar Cookie Ingredients:

  • Salted butter – Softened. To cut down on prep time, keep the butter at room temperature earlier on (at least 20 minutes) before starting.
  • Granulated sugar – Because, sugar cookies.
  • Egg – Room temperature as well. Having ingredients all starting out at one temperature will make for even baking.
  • Almond extract – Using almond extract instead of vanilla is a preference. You can definitely swap one for the other. Both will add their own lovely individual flavor. Get crazy and use them both together!
  • All-purpose flour – Stick to all-purpose if you can. If you do end up going rogue and trying something different, keep me posted on how that goes.
  • Salt – The magic of salt is that it brings out the natural flavors of, well, everything!
  • Baking soda – This will help give the cookie the shape that doesn’t spread out too far and gives it a bit of a rise (almost yeast-like).

How to Make this Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe:

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. This creaming process of fat and sugar is the foundation for many baked goods. It helps beat and hold the air into the mixture which gives way to a wonderful texture. You can’t beat cold butter so this is why it’s important to get everything to room temperature. Then, add the egg and almond extract and continue beating.

Step 2: Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and add it to the butter mixture. Combine everything until the dough comes together. Scrape down the sides as best as you can, incorporating all ingredients. At this point, if you’re wanting to freeze the dough for later use, wrap in plastic wrap and either keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If you’re baking immediately, continue on to the next step. If you do find your dough a little too soft (this can happen too) chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes before rolling it out.

cookie dough rolled out with rolling pin and dishcloth

Step 3: Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Grab two sheets of parchment, waxed paper, or plastic wrap. Place the dough in between the sheets and roll out the dough until about 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick. Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out as many shapes as your dough provides. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Scoop up the remaining dough, form it into a ball, and re-roll it to get even more cookies. You might need more than one baking sheet.

Christmas cut out cookies ready to be baked on cookie sheet

Step 4: Bake until the bottom of the cookies are just slightly golden brown – so slight you can just barely see the browning, but it’s there. These don’t take very long so don’t stray too far once they are in the oven. They won’t be soft and chewy if you overcook them and you certainly don’t want them to burn! Once completely cooled, have so much fun decorating them. Make sure you grab one before they’re gone!

Christmas cut out cookies baked on cookie sheet

Pro Tip: Try not to handle the dough too much. If this happens, it will become too dry and perhaps a little tough.

decorated Christmas sugar cookies with sprinkles and colored frosting

As awesome as these cookies are all on their own, the icing on top really does add a little something extra! If you’ve ever been mesmerized by one of those cookie decorating videos it might appear as though icing a cookie is a serious business.

In real non-professional pretty cookie maker life, it’s totally not. It’s actually a ton of fun and with a simple sugar cookie icing, it’s way easier than you might think. I even found these tubes of pre-colored frosting and my standard cake decorating tips screw right onto the tubes! It does not get easier than that!

tube of red frosting with Wilton decorating tip

So, grab your ingredients, put on some Christmas tunes, and make the most of this holiday season! Oh and don’t forget to leave a couple of cookies out for Santa!

How can I add color to my dough?

For a fun and festive idea, add some gel food coloring to your recipe for extra flare. Add it in to the butter/sugar mixture just before adding the flour.

Where do I find fun cookie cutters?

I love checking kitchen stores and cute new shops when I travel. And, of course, I’m always on the hunt at antique stores for a fantastic vintage cookie cutter. BUT, you can find cookie cutters almost anywhere. In fact, I picked up this multi-pack of Christmas cookie cutters right here! (referral link)

Can I make the sugar cookie cut out dough ahead of time?

Yes, you definitely can make the dough in advance. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in a freezer ziploc bag and refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months! The dough, even frozen, thaws enough to roll out in a matter of minutes!

Can I freeze the cookies?

Yes you can freeze your finished cookies! I love to make a big batch of cut out cookies early in December and then we can pull out whatever we need when the girls have friends over and want to do some cookie decorating or when it’s time to pick some special cookies for Santa!

Do these sugar cookies hold their shape?

This recipe is excellent for cutting out shapes because it has no eggs and very little baking soda in the recipe. Therefore, the dough does not puff or spread much at all. Unlike some recipes that have no baking soda or baking powder, this one does puff just ever so slightly – this makes it my absolute favorite because the finished cookie has a nice soft, slightly chewy texture that you can sink your teeth into. Chill your cutouts right before baking for the least amount of puff.

There are definitely days for more complicated recipes, but don’t forget good old-fashioned decorated sugar cookies in the holiday baking line-up! I hope you love this recipe as much as our family does!

cookie dough rolled out, cookie cutters, some shapes cut out with rolling pin and dishcloth

Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

This cut out sugar cookie recipe turns out perfect every time. Sweet, buttery, and laced with almond extract, you won't find a better sugar cookie to use for all your holiday cookie decorating.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 24
Calories: 155kcal
Author: girlinspired
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand mixer.
  • Add in egg and almond extract and beat together well.
  • Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and add to butter mixture.
  • Mix until combined and the dough comes together.
  • Dough does not need to be chilled, but can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) or freezer (up to 3 months) until ready to bake.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment, waxed paper, or plastic wrap to 1/4"-1/2" thick.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut shapes. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are just barely showing a bit of browning.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before removing cookies from baking sheet and transferring to a cooling rack.
  • Frost, if desired, when cookies have cooled completely.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Notes

When cutting out shapes, handle dough as little as possible so it doesn’t become tough or dry.  You can scoop up excess dough after cutting out and re-roll it, but dough gets tough after more than two time being rolled out.  I’d recommend dividing the initial ball of dough into two pieces and roll them out separately. 
If dough seems too soft, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before rolling out.  You can also place the sheet pan with cut outs into the refrigerator for 15 minutes or more before baking to help cookies retain their shapes during baking.
Dough can be colored with gel food coloring just before adding the flour into the butter/sugar mixture.
*Nutritional calculations do not include frosting or decorations.

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Christmas, Desserts, Food and Recipes, Holiday Inspiration Tagged With: Christmas cookies, sugar cookie

Candy Cane Cookies

December 10, 2020 by girlinspired 10 Comments

Peppermint everything sounds good to me this time of year.  So I went ahead and made some cut-out sugar cookies, topped them with a fluffy spread of peppermint marshmallow frosting, and threw some crushed candy canes on top.  Mmm, mmm, mmm.  Festive and easy, you know you want to make some of these Candy Cane cookies!

stacked sugar cookies with white frosting and pieces of candy cane on top

I like to use my super easy cut out sugar cookie recipe for these candy cane cookies because there are so few ingredients, it mixes up in a snap, and there’s no chill time needed!  You could even cut these out into cute little candy cane shapes!!

Candy Cane Cookies - sugar cookies topped with Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting and Candy Cane bits!

I’ve shared this sugar cookies recipe in the past, but it’s always nice to have it handy – especially heading into prime sugar cookie time!!  The almond extract in the dough really makes this a standout, in my opinion.

Start by mixing up the dough.  Flour a board and your rolling pin.  Roll out the dough to desired thickness.  I like a thicker, softer sugar cookie.  Cut the cookies out in desired shapes and transfer to a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Remove from the oven as soon as you see the tiniest bit of browning along the bottom edges.  Cool for 2-3 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack; cool completely.
 
Candy Cane Cookies - sugar cookies topped with Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting and Candy Cane bits!
 
Now, for the frosting.  I first shared this marshmallow buttercream recipe when I changed it up with some strawberry extract, but this time, I gave it a peppermint makeover.  The frosting is mostly whipped marshmallow and butter and it is delicious.  It’s a softer frosting, perfect for topping a cookie or cupcake without intricate designs.  It also doesn’t harden, so keep that in mind when transferring, storing, and serving the cookies.  Because the candy cane pieces rested above the frosting level, I was able to stack these cookies without the frosting sticking to the cookie on top of it.

Candy Cane Cookie Recipe

stacked sugar cookies with white frosting and pieces of candy cane on top

Candy Cane Cookies

Sweet, buttery cookies topped with the most delicious peppermint marshmallow frosting and crushed candy canes!
0 from 0 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 24
Calories: 364kcal
Author: girlinspired
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting

  • 14 oz. marshmallow creme/marshmallow fluff
  • 1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 cup crushed candy canes

Instructions

Cookie Instructions

  • Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand mixer.
  • Add in egg and almond extract and beat together well.
  • Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and add to butter mixture.
  • Mix until combined and the dough comes together.
  • Dough does not need to be chilled, but can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) or freezer (up to 3 months) until ready to bake.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment, waxed paper, or plastic wrap to 1/4"-1/2" thick.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut shapes. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are just barely showing a bit of browning.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before removing cookies from baking sheet and transferring to a cooling rack.
  • Frost, if desired, when cookies have cooled completely.

Frosting Instructions

  • Beat marshmallow creme with a whisk. Gradually add butter, 2-3 tablespoons at a time.
  • When all the butter has been incorporated, add powdered sugar and peppermint extract. Whisk 1-2 minutes more until frosting is fluffy and smooth.
  • Top each cookie with a layer of frosting and sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Notes

 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 601IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

 

Candy Cane Cookies - sugar cookies topped with Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting and Candy Cane bits!
 
What have you been baking? 
 

Filed Under: Christmas, Desserts, Food and Recipes, Holiday Inspiration, Popular Posts Tagged With: Christmas cookie, peppermint, sugar cookie

DIY Snowflake Confetti and Winter Tablescape

December 7, 2017 by girlinspired 2 Comments

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

I’m OBSESSED!  There is no end to the cool stuff that I can make in my craft room!!  Today’s task?  CONFETTI!!!!  You guys! I made confetti in the shape of SNOWFLAKES!  I am so excited.  I tried out this new product called Party Foil – and it’s fantastic.  I used it to make both 3D and teeny tiny snowflake confetti for my winter tablescape.  Turned out so pretty and, once again, I’m blown away by the capabilities of my Cricut Maker machine.

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

I did these projects using my iPhone and the Cricut app.  I will caution you to leave enough time to cut out these puppies – it took a couple hours to cut all the confetti and snowflakes.  I didn’t have to babysit the machine for a second and there was not a single glitch – I just set it and walked away for a good long while as it did its job.  This is the magic of the Maker and the nifty app where you set the material type – see that “Party Foil” setting?  It adjust the machine so that it knows exactly how to cut out the party foil in intricate little pieces for perfect snowflakes!

Here is the set of snowflakes cut file I used for the confetti – I sized down and up to get a variety of sizes and duplicated the image to cover a 12×12 sheet.

Make your own CONFETTI with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

LOOK HOW TINY THESE ARE!!!!!!!!!

Make your own CONFETTI with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

I used several different 3D snowflake images to cut the larger snowflakes for my tablescape!  They didn’t take nearly as long to cut and the edges came out perfect – I really expected to have to go in and trim some of the intricate cuts and struggle with weeding, but NO!  Not a one!

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

 

Make your own CONFETTI with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

Make your own CONFETTI and 3D snowflakes with Cricut and Party Foil!! #craft #holidaytablescape #diy #cricutmaker

I can’t stop thinking of all the different confetti I want to make!  Why?  Because who doesn’t love confetti?  And beautiful tablescapes for parties or just to make everyone smile?!  How will you dress of your table this holiday season?

Enter below for a chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafting, Holiday Inspiration, Parties Tagged With: christmas table, diy confetti, holiday table, party decor, snowflake, snowflake confetti, tablescape

DIY Personalized Gift Bags

November 28, 2017 by girlinspired 4 Comments

**This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hobby Lobby. The opinions and text are all mine.
The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?Christmas is one of my FAVORITE seasons – I love the baking and the festivities, the sparkle and the music, and, of course, the reason for the season.  I also REALLY LOVE giving GIFTS!

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?Picking out that perfect something and wrapping it up in a beautiful package brings me so much joy.  Gift-giving is for sure one of my love languages.  If it is for you, too, then you’d probably agree with me that the packaging is just as important as what’s inside.  December is just around the corner and I don’t want to find myself scrambling to wrap presents at the last minute.  I want each and every package to be wrapped beautifully and with intention.  I went into Hobby Lobby and brought home a fun pile of crafts to embellish some DIY personalized gift bags to have on hand. (When you go, don’t forget to use your 40% off one item coupon – you can find one every single time you shop at the top of the Hobby Lobby website.)

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

In the “Wearables” department (that’s the aisle with blank t-shirts, caps, aprons, tie dye kits, etc., there is an entire wall of handbags, drawstring bags, tote bags, and gift bags that you can personalize/customize.  I chose a tote bag in my daughter’s favorite colors and some variety packs of small drawstring bags.  Then I wandered around collecting tassels and fabric glue from the fabric department and iron-on designs from the embellishment aisle.  SO FUN!

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

To add tassel around the top of the bag, you have a couple options.  Purchase about 1 1/4 yard of the ribbon or measure all the way around the top of the bag and then add a few inches for some wiggle room.  You can then stitch the tassel ribbon around the top of the tote OR, if you don’t have a sewing machine or need a no-sew project, you can use fabric glue and glue it on.

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?Start at an inconspicuous edge of the tote and add some glue, pressing the ribbon securely against the glue and bag.

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?Since it takes a bit of time to dry (and 24 hours to dry completely), use binder clips to hold the tassels in place.

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?As the tassels were adhering, I played around with some of the other embellishments I picked up at the store.  Some were iron-on, some could be glued on with the same fabric glue.

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

I ended up choosing this blingy “A” for my daughter, knowing it would make her eyes light up.  haha.  Follow the instructions on the package to iron it down securely on the tote bag.

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?THAT’S IT!!  Package up the gift, add some cute tissue paper and you have a gift within in a gift.  SO GOOD, right??

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

I used a variety of other smaller iron-on embellishments to quickly customize a bunch of other little drawstring bags.  These will be perfect for gifting jewelry, small trinkets, accessories, or gift cards!  This seriously couldn’t be easier.  Just iron in place for 20 seconds or so and let it cool.  I made all of these in less than 10 minutes!  Yippee!

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

The CUTEST DIY personalized gift bags - the packaging counts, don't you agree?

Now – how excited are you to go make some AWESOME personalized gift bags for your loved ones?  I’m in love!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hobby Lobby. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafting, gifts, Holiday Inspiration

Holiday Cards for Crafters with Cricut

November 16, 2017 by girlinspired 1 Comment

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

How CUTE are these Holiday Cards made with Cricut?

Oh my goodness, I can’t stop making alllll the things with my Cricut Maker. Yes, it can cut fabric, yes it can cut felt and wood and every single thing. But sometimes we just need to pull out all that scrapbook paper we hoarded over the years and CUT PAPER! I was scrolling through some of the images and projects in the design room and I came across the absolute CUTEST holiday cards ever. So I made them. And they are adorable!

How CUTE are these Holiday Cards made with Cricut?

How CUTE are these Holiday Cards made with Cricut?

How CUTE are these Holiday Cards made with Cricut?

Can you even stand it? Raise your hand if the wood-paneled station wagon takes you straight back to your childhood? It does for me! And if you remember alllll my Christmas projects and decor last year, you know I love a good Christmas tree flopped on top of a car. Remember the DIY snow globes and my iron-on pillow for my Christmas porch decor?? Yes!! This girl loves nostalgia and a vintage vibe for her Christmas cheer!

Create these festive and beautiful Christmas pillows with custom iron-on designs.

How CUTE are these Holiday Cards made with Cricut?

So, I don’t really think you need a step-by-step. Simply click right onto the card project, print out instructions if you need them (but basically you just cut and glue the pieces together) and follow each prompt to pop your different colored sheets of cardstock into your Cricut machine. I used my Maker machine, but you could use whichever machine you have!

How CUTE are these Holiday Cards made with Cricut?

This is what my phone screen looks like – click click and 5 minutes after I found this cute project, my machine was cutting it out. It truly couldn’t be easier. Assemble with a glue stick and PRESTO! Done!!

How CUTE are these Holiday Cards made with Cricut?

Do your kids all have the WHOLE week off from school next week? I’m thinking I’m just going to hand mine the bin of cardstock, some gluesticks, and a Cricut and let them go crazy with snowflakes and trees and whatever they want, yes? Now go make all the holiday cards and any other paper-y things you can think of! And if you don’t have a Cricut yet, GUESS WHAT? You can win one!!!

Enter below for a chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

POST DISCLAIMER
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
READER COMMENT DISCLAIMER
Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafting, Giveaway, Holiday Inspiration, Products We Love Tagged With: Christmas cards, crafts, Cricut Maker, DIY cards, holiday cards, paper crafts

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It is my hope that you will find inspiration on the Girl. Inspired. blog. All photos are copyright protected by Girl. Inspired. If you wish to share something that you have seen here, I am absolutely thrilled! Please use only one picture with a direct link back to the project you are referencing. Thank you so much for your understanding!

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