Christmas Cookie Decorating – Favorite Cookie Tools and Design Inspo
There’s something magical about slowing down during the holidays and decorating sugar cookies with friends or family. So if you’re planning a cozy Christmas cookie party, gifting homemade treats, or just want a relaxing afternoon activity, making Christmas cookies decorated beautifully doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right tools, a simple recipe, and a few easy techniques, you can create decorated sugar cookies that look like they came straight out of a bakery.
Over the years, I’ve decorated hundreds of sugar cookies for holidays, birthdays and everything in between. I’ll be sharing photos of some of my past Christmas sets in this post along with step-by-step instructions, my go-to sugar cookie recipe, and all the supplies I use. You’ll also find a link to my Cookie Class cookbook, where I go even deeper into piping, coloring, and decorating techniques if you want to learn even more!
My Foolproof Method for Decorating Christmas Cookies
If you’re brand new, here’s the recipe I use every single time. It’s simple enough for beginners but detailed enough to get gorgeous results.
1. Start With a No-Spread Sugar Cookie Recipe – The Jenny cookie
The key to clean, crisp shapes is dough that chills well and doesn’t puff or lose its edges. My sugar cookie recipe is soft, easy to roll, and perfect for holiday baking. It holds its shape beautifully, which is exactly what you want for intricate Christmas shapes like trees, stockings, ornaments, and snowflakes.
Best Sugar Cookies Ever – Jenny Cookies Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR PLUS MORE FOR ROLLING
- 2 TSP. ALUMINUM-FREE BAKING POWDER
- 1 CUP 2 STICKS SALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
- 1 CUP SUGAR
- 1 LARGE EGG
- 2 TSP. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter and sugar for about 1½ minutes, or until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and carefully add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Once all the flour has been incorporated, the dough should form a ball around the mixing attachment and feel soft but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and press down to form a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before rolling or store for up to 7 days tightly wrapped.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured flat work surface to about ¼-inch thickness, using additional flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes, and carefully transfer with a cookie spatula to a nonstick baking sheet, placing the cookies about ¾ inch apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven until puffy, about 7-8 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the gathered scraps and remaining disk until all the dough has been used.
2. Use a Smooth, Pipeable Icing
I like to use an American buttercream that is easy to control but still smooths out nicely.
Buttercream Frosting
Pin Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup Imperial Margerine or butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup crisco vegetable shortening
- 2 lbs powdered sugar about 7 1/2 cups
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Combine the margerine and Crisco in the bowl of an electric mixer; using a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and continue beating on low speed for an additional two minutes, or until the mixture is creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, and beat until the frosting is creamy and fluffy, about two minutes more.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 30 days.
Notes
Why Buttercream?
If you’re used to seeing royal-icing-style cookies, you’re in for a treat. Here’s why buttercream works beautifully for holiday baking:
- It’s quicker! There’s no waiting hours for icing to dry.
- It’s softer, richer, and tastes like actual frosting (because it is!).
- Kids can use it more easily, less precision needed.
- It gives cookies that charming, textured, bakery-style look.
Buttercream is perfect for wreaths, trees, candy cane stripes, snowflakes, gingerbread faces, and simple piping details.
3. Prep Piping Bags + Tips
Start by placing your buttercream into a sturdy piping bag and twist the top tightly so the frosting doesn’t push upward as you squeeze. If you’re using multiple tips, couplers are amazing. They let you switch piping tips without having to empty the bag, which is perfect for beginners trying out different techniques. Snip only a small amount off the end of your bag so the coupler sits snugly, and always practice a few squeezes on parchment before decorating your cookies. It helps you get a feel for the pressure and creates smoother, more consistent lines.
Here are the tips you’ll likely use most:
- Round tip (#3–#5) ? outlines, writing, lights, details
- Star tip (#16 or #18) ? trees, swirls, borders
- Leaf tip (#352 or #70) ? wreaths, trees, greenery
- Small petal tip ? bows, ribbons
Cookie Decorating Tools:
4. Base Layers: Smooth or Textured
Buttercream won’t “flood,” so you create your base by:
- Spreading with an offset spatula
- Using a round tip and piping lines back and forth
- Using a star tip for textured trees and wreaths
The textured look is what makes buttercream cookies feel cozy and handmade.
5. Add Detail
Here’s where the magic happens:
- Pipe lights on tree cookies
- Use sprinkles for ornaments
- Add bows to wreaths
- Add soft snowflake lines on white-iced cookies
- Create scarf textures on gingerbread shapes
- Use crystal sugar
What I use:
Decorating Inspo:
Snowflake:
White: #18 tip
Dusty Rose: #4 tip
Santa Hat:
Super Red: #4 tip
Dipped in crystal sugar
White: #18 tip
Tree:
Avocado Green: #199 tip
Chocolate Brown: #4 tip
Sprinkles of your choice
Wreath:
Avocado Green: #18 tip
Dusty Rose: #3 tip
Stocking:
Super Red: #4 tip
White: #18 tip
Bow:
Dusty Rose / Super Red: #150 tip
Angel:
White: #8 tip
Dipped in crystal sugar
Dusty Rose: #4 tip
Wreath:
Dusty Rose: #70 tip
Red: #4 tip
Sprinkles of choice
Santa Mug:
Super Red: #12 tip
Brown: #4 tip
Pale Dusty Rose (Face color): 1A tip
Nose: #12 tip
White: #10 tip (smooth) & #18 tip
Black: #2 tip
Mini marshmallows
Santa Letter:
White: #4 tip
Super Red: #2 tip
Avocado Green: #14 tip
Snowman Face:
White: 1A tip
Light green: #4 tip
Darker green: #10 tip
Black: #2 tip
Orange: #4 tip
Cookie Packaging:
Hosting a Christmas Cookie Party
If you want to turn this into a fun activity with friends or kids, a Christmas cookie party is such an easy win. Set up a table with:
- Pre-baked sugar cookies
- Bowls of royal icing in different colors
- Sprinkles, sanding sugar, edible glitter
- Small cups of warm water + paper towels
- Piping bags pre-fitted with tips
Check out my How to Host a Cookie Decorating Party post with even more ideas and inspiration!
for more decorating instructions:
As you start planning your holiday baking this year, I hope these ideas give you the confidence to jump in, have fun, and create the kind of Christmas cookies that make everyone smile. Decorating sugar cookies with buttercream is supposed to feel cozy, so don’t worry about making them perfect.
Turn on a Christmas movie, pour something warm, gather your people and enjoy the process! If you try any of these designs or use my tips, I’d love for you to tag me so I can see your creations. And if you need my full sugar cookie recipe or my cookie class cookbook, those are linked above.
Happy decorating, and happy holiday baking!
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