Happy New Year Cookie Banner Cookies!

Welcome to 2017!
(In a couple more days anyways!)

My oldest sister always comes down from Virginia at the end of December for our big family Christmas celebration. So right after we have our Christmas, it will be time for the big countdown!

I'm feeling so blessed to begin yet another new year...woohoo!

I can feel it!
It's gonna be a BANNER YEAR!

So let's get this party started!

 Make a batch of your favorite cut-out cookie dough or you can click here for the recipe I used. 

Also, I'm sharing links for the rectangle cutter I used (4 1/2 inch by 3 inch), as well as the number cutters. 

Roll out dough and cut out rectangle shapes. 

You will also need a 2 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch heart cutter. If you don't have these, you could just use the zero number cutter. Orrrr, cut some hearts freehand!

 Before baking cookies on your parchment lined pan, use a knife to cut banner bottoms shapes for the cookies as shown above.

Haha..banner bottoms! Sorry, I must be 7! 😜

In addition to the cutters, you will need yellow and red fondant, and gold luster dust.

Also not pictured, gold sugar sprinkles, red petal dust and vanilla extract.

 Roll out red fondant and cut heart shapes. I didn't get a photo of the tiny hearts!

If you want a little extra sparkle on your heart (and hey, who doesn't?), use a dry food safe brush to apply red petal dust!

Roll out yellow fondant and cut numbers.

  Using yellow fondant as the base will give the numbers a finished, deeper gold color.

Mix a little of the gold luster dust with vanilla extract.

Using a food safe brush, paint the numbers with long even strokes. Let dry.

Give your numbers a second coat of paint.

Look at this lovely, gold number 7!

Melt black candy melts.

 Dip tops into melted candy.

Use an off-set spatula to smooth the top and sides of candy coated cookies. Place the number on top and sprinkle on some gold sugar sprinkles.

So here ya go!
Your sweet banner is ready for the final hours of 2016!

Here's to the most wonderfullest new year filled with 💗 for us all!

Happy 2017, Karen!

Baby Jesus in the Manger Craft

Luke 2:11-14

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Thankful for The Gift sent by God to be our wonderful Saviour!

If you'd like to make your own baby Jesus in the manger craft, here are the items needed below.

S'moreMallows, Kit Kat bars, chocolate chips, graham crackers, decorator tip, shredded wheat cereal, pink and blue fondant, shredded wheat cereal and black candy decorating pen.

I melted chocolate chips to use as my "glue" for my manger craft.

Once the chocolate has set and cooled on the manger legs, use more melted chocolate to attach the two legs as shown in the photo below.
Let set to let chocolate harden. 

To make the manger to set on top of the legs, cut a graham cracker square in half. Dip the two long sides in chocolate and press together. Use a marshmallow on each side to prop the crackers up to form a v shape.

Let set till hardened.

Spread some melted chocolate onto the graham cracker manger and sprinkle with shredded wheat.

I could have done a neater job!

Cut a piece of the marshmallow to use as the baby's body.

Roll out a small piece of the blue fondant to use as the swaddling clothes.

Wrap it around the marshmallow body as you would wrapping a baby in a blanket.

Roll a small piece of the pink fondant to form the baby's head.

Dot the eyes using the candy decorator pen.

Lastly, use the small round end of a decorator tip to press a smile into the fondant face.

Aww..so sweet. 😊

Now you can assemble the pieces.

Attach manger piece to the candy legs with melted chocolate. Let set till chocolate hardens.

It's time to lay baby Jesus in the manger!

To make the star, I rolled out a lemon Starburst and cut with a star cutter.

Wishing you all a most blessed and the merriest of Merry Christmases! Love, Karen

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Candy Corn Christmas Tree Pops!

"O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging,
Not only green when summer's here,
But also when 'tis cold and drear.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me!"

That's how I feel about these candy corn Christmas tree pops! They make me happy and fill me with holiday cheer!

I'm going to go ahead and tell you now, I searched high and low with no luck for my Reindeer Corn. We must have had a run on it in my neck of the woods!

So, once again my sweet hubby came to the rescue.

He ordered my candy straight from Jelly Belly!
Yay for fast shipping!

Hopefully, you will have an easier time finding yours, 'cause you are so gonna wanna make these tree pops!

And that is just how it happened. They popped right into my head when I saw these adorable turkeys!

The fact that these need only five minutes in the oven and are decorated with store bought candies, means you will have plenty of time left over for the more important blessings that this season affords!

So let's get to it!

Reindeer or Christmas Candy Corn, lemon Starburst and candy sprinkles are the ingredients needed.

You will also need lollipop sticks..

..and star cutters for the tree topper.

Before you bake your trees, press and roll out yellow Starburst candies and cut the size stars you will need depending on the size trees you are making.

Pretty colored candy sprinkles, aka, Christmas tree lights.

Place your candy corn on a parchment lined baking pan as shown below making sure that candies are touching each other.

Gently-so as not to move the candies-place baking pan in oven. Bake 5 minutes @ 300 degrees ०F or just as the candies begin to melt.

Remove from oven and immediately twirl/twist/turn the lollipop stick to coat it with the melted candy.

While the candy is still soft and melty-fied, attach star and press in candy sprinkles.


To keep my candies from melting further on the hot pan, I lifted them off (parchment paper and all) with a large spatula to finish cooling on my counter.

Oh how cute these turned out!

Now to make these giftable and up the cuteness just a smidge, we're gonna wrap these in a cello bag and tie up with Christmas ribbon!

Wouldn't these be the merriest little addition to your Christmas party or goody bag?! How about giving your favorite bank teller one at the drive-thru..they've been giving us lollipops for years! 😉

While my oven was still hot and I was feeling crafty, I made this candy corn wreath and slipped some ribbon through it for a sweet and easy ornament!

 These colors!!

 Holly Jolly Lollipops!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a sweet day, Karen

Singing Reindeer Cookies!

Singing Reindeer?

Well of course..after I saw Jackie Topa's awesome stamping blog with her adorable singing reindeer craft! Check out her charming creations!

I knew as soon as I saw the paper reindeer, that these had to happen. How much fun is my sweet version of the aforementioned crooning cuties?!

As a child in our church choir, Christmas caroling was such a fun part of my childhood!

I don't know what Rudi is singing, but he's put his whole heart into it! Maybe Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? *wink*

I bought this decorating kit and used the antlers and jelly beans.

I also used:

black sparkle gel

black and red fondant

Nutter Butter cookies

candy coated sunflower seeds

red candy sprinkles (you could also use mini M&Ms)

light cocoa candy melts

small round cookie cutter (23mm)

I used the one from this set.

To make the oval shape for the reindeer mouth, I simply squeezed the smallest cookie cutter (23 mm) in my set at both ends till it was the shape I wanted.

I made the tangled Christmas lights with the antlers as the first piece since the gel takes a while to dry. I was just too lazy to make my own royal icing! I let my antlers dry overnight.

 The squeeze bottle makes this step super easy.

Just pipe the gel onto antlers and place the sesame seed lights. 

IIII love it!

To make the songbook, roll out fondant and use a knife to cut a 1 inch by 1 1/4 inch fondant piece.

I shaped the songbooks by laying them on the corner edge of the decorator kit box. Let sit till stiffened.

 To make the reindeer mouth, roll out black fondant, press the cutter through and gently press candy piece out.

Melt cocoa melts using package directions, or melt over low heat on stovetop. Dip cookies in chocolate. Use a fork to lift cookie out and gently tap off excess chocolate. Let set on parchment lined baking sheet to dry.

Can you believe this is my first time dipping Nutter Butters in chocolate?!

Well, it was super duper quick going, but oh my..I wanted to eat every single one of them!

 Well, now we have all our reindeer parts ready to assemble!

Simply attach all pieces to the cookies with melted chocolate. I like to use a food-safe paintbrush.

My little caroler is ready for his big mouth, red nose and jelly bean hoofs!

Oops! I forgot to get a photo of cutting the jelly beans in half, lengthwise for the hands/hoofs!

 If you have some food color markers, you could write Noel, etc. on the songbook.

I just do not have a steady hand and didn't want to chance it!

'Scuse my mess..crafting in session!

So now, your reindeer are ready for their big singing debut!

And on that note, I'll sing goodnight! 

This Christmas season, I wish you Joy!

Have a sweet day, Karen