I'm going to make an assortment of christmas cookies. I'm especially excited to try making sugar cookies and decorating them for the first time. I am going to try following the cookie tutorial. My question is, what tools do I need? I know that I can make the cookies and icing, but I dont know what else I need. I need to get some christmas cookie cutters. what kind of coloring do you use (gel, paste, powder)? what brand would you recommend? where do yoU order from? anything else I'm not thinking Of? any tips I should know before I begin? thanks so much for your help!!

You picked a great recipe, the No Fail cookies are awesome! I use Wilton gel food coloring that I get at Michaels because it's convenient but plan to switch over to Americolor as what I have runs out.

Depending on how intricate you want the design, you may need bags and tips - this too you can get at Michaels. If you are just filling the cookie with color and doing dots and straight lines, you can nip the corner off of a zip lock type bag and use that.

You can also use colored sugar that you can buy at the grocery store and Michaels has other decorating sprinkles and stuff that you can get if you want. Just go and look around the store and see what you like.

Have fun with these...the best way to know what you like is to try it.

Thanks so much for the help! Unfortunately, we just moved to a really small town and I don't even have access to a Michael's or any other craft store for that matter. I will have to order anything that I need from online. to make it worse, a lot of our kitchen supplies are missing since the move so I even need to get new spatulas and stuff..augh! that's why I'm trying to compile a complete list of everything needed to make and decorate cookies. I'd hate to start making them and then realize taht I forgot something important! also, what websites would you recommend to order things from?
thanks so much for your tips! I really appreciate your help! Im excited to get started!

I love www.sugarcraft.comthey seem to have everything!

I really like www.countrykitchensa.com and www.kitchenkrafts.com

Berta

Nothing that you wouldn't already have for your cake decorating except maybe squeeze bottles. If you want to make big cookies, then I'd suggest a cookie spatula. You're just making and coloring royal icing. No special cookie dye needed. It's really easy.

Thanks for the websites! I really appreciate it! I'm going to get on and order it today so hopefully it will be here soon. I'm clueless...what are the squeeze bottles for? also, what kind of coloring would you recommend? gel, paste, powder???? I'm very clueless but looking forward to experimenting and having fun with it! thanks!

I am new to the whole decorated cake/cookie thing and just find the squeeze bottle easier to use. I had a mess the first time trying to fill the bags with the different colors of royal icing. Squeeze bottle is just easier for me. I also used baby spoons to smooth the icing. They're just the right size.

I used a squeeze bottle for the first time over the weekend to fill in my snowflake cookies and can't tell you how much easier it was than using a parchment filled bag. I just used the tip of the bottle to spread the thinned icing around inside my outline and it was just so much faster and easier. I got my squeeze bottles at Walmart in the Wilton section.

thanks! I hope our walmart has that! I'd definitely like to try that. I'll look next time I'm there. anything else you can think of?

have fun!! i know you will love decorating cookies they are sooo much fun!! if you can find very much "equipment" use kitchen "tools" like put icing in a zip lock sandwich baggie and snip off tip for decorating..just a little tip but it might help..have fun and be creative!!

Wilton has a new set of 40 cutters. I think they were $9.99 but may be $14.00. They have some cute ones in there, and come in different sizes.

If you have access to target. I picked up some really cute cutters in thier Dollar Isles. They also do have the Wiltons cutters for 9.99 and some other wilton stuff.

thanks for all the responses! one more question about the squeeze bottles. the ones that can fit different tips, do they have to be the plastic tips or can normal metal tips fit as well??? I don't want to have to order plastic tips just to use with the squeeze bottles if I don't have to. thanks!

You can use any of you regular tips on the squeeze bottles....