If you don’t have a bottle cleaner, you can roll up a paper towel to clean the inside of the can. However, be careful around the opening, since the edges can be sharp.
If your scissors aren’t sharp enough to cut into the can, try using a box cutter to puncture the metal, and then finish cutting with the scissors. If you don’t have an empty soda can available, you can cut out the bottom sheet of an oven liner with a pair of sharp scissors.
For larger cookies, cut horizontally across the aluminum sheet that you made so that the strips are as long as possible. For smaller cookie cutters, cut the strips vertically so they’re shorter.
If you have a more complicated shape, like a mustache, try tracing the shape onto a piece of cardboard. Then, cut the shape out of the cardboard, and bend the aluminum around the perimeter to form the cookie cutter. For some simple shapes you can make, try wrapping the strips around a cup to make a circle. You can bend different parts of the circle to make a heart or cloud shape. You can also easily make a triangle, square, or a crescent moon.
If you don’t have food-safe adhesive, you can use regular tape to attach the edges. If you use tape, the cookie cutters will be more delicate, so be careful when you use them! Once you use the cookie cutters, you can hand-wash them with soap and water to reuse them. Be sure to let them dry completely before storing them to prevent rust.
If you don’t have photo paper, you can print out the image on regular paper, and then trace the outline of the shape onto a piece of cardboard.
If you’re making a cookie cutter for letters of the alphabet, use a sharp tool, like a craft knife, to carefully cut out any interior shapes.
If you’re planning on baking the cookies immediately, place the dough on top of a sheet of parchment paper on the cookie sheet to prevent them from sticking to the metal.
Be careful while you’re cutting and holding the stencil in place. If the stencil moves, your shape might get ruined.
Remember, you can reuse the dough that you pulled off of the sheet. Simply form it into a ball and roll it out again to form a smaller sheet of dough. Once you’ve cut out all of your cookies, you can throw your cookie cutter away. Since it’s made of paper and can’t be cleaned, you shouldn’t reuse it.
