can anyone tell me the best way to make a cookie cutter to test out a design before i go through the trouble of finding that metal strip thing and making one? i want to make a few batches with the temporary cutter. i have seen some people making them out of heavy duty foil pans or would it be enough to just cut the dough with a sharp knife and use a template? any advice is very welcome 
Definitely do the template and sharp knife. I use this technique whenever I don't want/need to invest in a custom cutter. I like to laminate my template so it doesn't soak up too much butter from the dough. A little clear packing tape or clear contact paper usually does the trick. Beware - The laminate does make it a little slippery.
I've made a template out of a shirt box. Just drew the design on the box and cut it out then placed the cardboard on the rolled out dough and traced around with a paring knife. Not fun do if you have a lot of cookies to make. If you check out my photos, the pigeon cookie is what I made with this template.
thanks so much would i need to use an exacto knife or any regular sharp knife?
Someone said they used the metal strip from a wax paper container. I guess you could shape that and see if it works. BE CAREFUL -- it's very sharp!! I've used a paring knife and it worked fine. I wouldn't want to cut out hundreds that way!! 
BTW, I used short, gentle cuts rather than pulling the knife through. When I did that it pulled the dough out of shape. Gently pat the edges to smooth them out. On your template, make a "handle" out of tape (upside-down "T") so you have something to hold while you're cutting.
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