Quick And Simple Flower/Clover Cookie Cutter From A Soup Can

This Instructable will show you how to make a flower blossom cookie cutter in just a few minutes, with only a can and a pair of pliers. No need for tin snips or metal working skills. And there's a very low chance you'll cut yourself.

I made this one specifically for hanami cookies. I have a Williams Sonoma just around the corner, but they charge $10 or more for a single cookie cutter. Down the block Sur La Table is slightly better at $8 each. And none of them had cherry blossoms.

These instructions are specifically for a five petal cherry blossom, but you can easily use the same technique to make six petal daisies, or clovers for St. Patrick's Day, or gears for your cookie mechanique.

Supplies:

• 1 'tin' can, cleaned. Bigger the can, bigger the cookies.
• Strip of paper long enough to go around the can.

Tools:

• Pliers
• Marker
• Ruler. (With centimeter markings if you have one.)

Time

5-10 minutes.

Step 1: Prepare The Can

Enjoy some soup.

Hurray! Soup! Make sure you keep the can. We enjoyed some Campbell's Chunky beef and barley soup.

Pick a can where you can use a can opener on at least one side. Avoid cans with both round bottoms and pop-tops. For example: Bad, bad. Good, good. Okay. Horrible.

We want to use the can opener because we can get a better cutting edge with it it. The edges of pull-top cans will smash the outside of the cookies.

Remove the label, clean the can.

Don't worry too much about removing the label glue from the outside. It's nearly impossible and it's food-safe.

Remove the bottom of the can

Use your can opener to take the bottom off. We're going to use this as our cutting edge.

(No, it's not cutting in the dangerous sense, but it's sharp enough to cut cookie dough.)

Comments

[sheilamommy]

Love your idea. Am going to use it this afternoon when I cut out my sugar cookies. Stored my cutters from last year and can't remember where I put them. (I think they were used for Play-doh crafts sometime in the spring.) Thanks for your post.
" I have a Williams Sonoma just around the corner, but they charge $10 or more for a single cookie cutter." this is highway robbery! Paying for the name of Williams-Sonoma I guess.

[rosewood513]

Just lovely, you would never know you did not use a "real" cookie cutter.Terrific, I will try this.
Thanks for the idea.

[jelushart]

Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray will remove the glue residue. Spray on let it soak a bit and wipe off with paper towel. Also a good way to remove nasty stickers from glass-ware and china.

[patmac]

Simple but brilliant!

[kathi kraftyzales]

I think tuna cans would be best as they take up less storage room.

[kathi kraftyzales]

Great Idea!! We (me and grandkids) make cutouts of bread for French Toast or for tea party sandwiches during the "Summer Month @ Gramma's House" and made Stars, Scottish Terriers, Teapots, Hearts, Pumpkins, Gingerbread Men, Christmas Trees, and Ducks!!!! They are fun to cut out and to eat. But when they go home, they can't take all my cookie cutters home. So, this will be our next craft project, and these they can take home!!

[Olivia]

This is one of those "OH DUH! Why didn't *I* think of that!" ideas that I love. I've been looking for a large amount of cheap cookie cutters for a kids' class, now I can make them for free!

[Jayefuu]

This is great. I love how you edited the photos for step 3 too, makes it a lot clearer. I will have to try it for some of my ibles.

[bmoses]

I LOVE this idea! Give us more.

[jauncourt]

This is BRILLIANT. And green. I keep a couple of clean, repurposed cans of different sizes for biscuit and cookie cutters, but I;d never thought to alter them. Fantastic. Also, adding to the Green Kids group, because what parent doesn't think shaped cookies are great for kids?

[Grathio]

Thanks! If you make some, please share some photos of the cookies you make! Love to see what other people can come up with.