Hey guys! I’m bringing you a little deja vu today! 🙂 This was my guest post for LAST YEAR’S spooktacular over at eighteen25! I’m reposting here today! This project has been a hit for many of you and I’ve gotten so many nice emails and comments about people who tried it and had fun with their kids! I appreciate those encouraging emails SO MUCH!
Thank-you!
For any of you new to this idea, here are the details:
It’s a little cookie project/gift just in time for Halloween. I call it: JACK-O-LANTERN IN A JAR!
I’d like to thank my inspiration for this project: Mr. Potato Head and his bucket of parts.
It’s kind of like an edible, Halloween version of it all.
Just look at the cookie goodness that is happening when you open up this jar!
For my cookie recipe and instructions on royal icing, please refer to THIS POST.
Or, you can use any basic sugar cookie recipe.
I don’t have any specific cookie cutters for these. I just used a good old knife. Hey, if we can carve out a super thick pumpkin, we can certainly carve out some sugar cookie dough the same way!
I like to put my royal icing in squeezie bottles. You can use bags and tips, but I find these a little easier and super kid-friendly, by the way. So once I mix up some Halloween-ish colors and I’m ready to go.
As I mentioned, this is so easy for kids! I don’t know what the kids will love more: making these, or playing with them later?! But with a little instruction, kids can easily ice with a solid color.
If you get involved though, the jack-o-lantern parts may get a little bit more detailed! 🙂
Let these pumpkin parts dry for at least 12 hours. Then grab some orange paper plates (dessert size) and encourage your kids to PLAY WITH THEIR FOOD! They can make all sorts of pumpkin and monster faces. Then when they’re bored with that, they can eat their little snack!
I thought it was cute to add a few patterned paper scraps to my paper plates for the “stem.”
So now you have a simple, yummy and darling treat!
You can make a traditional jack-o-lantern and cut each piece out, custom deluxe.
You can also add in a few basic shape cookie cutters like circles and ovals.
These eyes were made with a heart cookie cutter, cut in half before baking.
You can make these for your own kids to eat, but I thought it would make a really fun gift when packaged up in a jar! Make sure they have dried for a full 24 hours before you pile them in a jar.
I spray painted the lid of the jar orange, and added a tag and ribbon. It would be really nice if you gave them a little stack of paper plates too. You can enjoy the fun of making it, and then let someone else enjoy the fun of creating their own little jack-o-lantern snack! Wouldn’t it be fun to “spook” someone and leave this as an anonymous gift on their porch? Yep, I’m doin’ it!
I hope all of your Halloween baking, sewing and crafting is in full force!
It is at my house today!
What a fantastic idea!
I love this idea and it would be nice to send them to my grands…if time allows!
I love this idea is !fantastic!
I remember this, I thought it was great
I also remember this from last year. It is my all-time favorite post in blogland. I'm sure you reached perfection with this idea, and I love that I could repeat it! I'm sure my faces would all be black triangles, but look how cute it could still look on an orange plate with a stem. Love it!