Decorate Sugar Cookies Just Like the Pros
You can learn to beautifully decorate sugar cookies just like you see on social media and I can teach you how! Whether you like to learn from pictures and text or videos and words, I've got you covered! I have created photo Cookie Cards and a Video Tutorial so that you can choose your method of instruction.
*This tutorial is provided for those that have purchased my annually offered Buttercream Icing Christmas Cookie Decorating Kit. If you are creating the cookies and icing on your own, I decorate with American Buttercream.
Christmas Cookie Cutters
Cookie Cards: Sugar Cookie Decorating Guides
Use my Cookie Cards below as a guide to decorate your Christmas sugar cookies. Step by step photos plus written instructions give you all the details that you need to create beautifully decorated sugar cookies of your own.
Decorate a Christmas Tree Cookie
with Buttercream Icing
- Turn the tree upside down. Pipe up and down vertical lines on the bottom section of the tree.
- Pipe up and down vertical lines on the next section of the tree overlapping the bottom section slightly.
- Repeat on the next two sections.
- Pipe up and down vertical lines on the bottom for the trunk.
- Sprinkle with white nonpareils for snow.
- Add a gold star sprinkle at the top.
PRO TIP: For an alternate design, outline the entire cookie and then fill in with a back and forth motion. Pipe garland and decorate with sprinkles for ornaments.
Decorate a Present Cookie
with Buttercream Icing
- Pipe an outline around the square of the present shape, leaving the top ribbon section blank.
- Fill in the square using a back and forth motion, creating horizontal lines of icing.
- Pipe vertical lines of ribbon in the center of the present, criss crossing each other.
- Pipe three bow loops at the top of the cookie.
- Pipe two trailing ribbon ties on either side of the vertical ribbon lines.
- Pipe a knot in the top center where the three bow loops and vertical lines of ribbon come together.
- If desired, pipe another set of three bow loops at the top of the cookie.
- Pipe a scalloped fluffy wreath. Add Christmas sprinkles to decorate the wreath.
PRO TIP: Be sure to cut the opening of the icing bag small enough to be able to pipe the ribbon details. There are countless ways that you could decorate this cookie. Get creative with different "wrapping paper" and ribbon for each cookie.
Decorate a Reindeer Cookie
with Buttercream Icing
- Turn the cookie upside down. Pipe an outline around the head and chest of the gingerbread man to create the head of the reindeer.
- Fill in the head using a back and forth motion, creating horizontal lines of icing.
- Pipe an outline around the bottoms of the gingerbread arms to create the tops of the ears. Fill in using a back and forth motion.
- Pipe the inside of the ears.
- Pipe an upside down triangle nose.
- Pipe two large round eyes. Add a black sugar pearl in the center of each for the pupils.
- Pipe scrolled antlers on the gingerbread man legs.
- Pipe wavy garland in the antlers. Pipe berries on the garland.
PRO TIP: For an alternate design, decorate this cookie as a traditional gingerbread man. Outline the entire cookie and fill in using a back and forth motion. Pipe face, buttons and squiggle icing details.
Step by Step Sugar Cookie Decorating VIDEO Tutorial
Visual Learner? Let's Decorate Cookies Together!
Follow along to my step by step video tutorial. Learn how to decorate Christmas Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Icing including a Tree, Reindeer and Present. I break down the decorating process into easy to follow steps and give you helpful tips along the way.
Helpful Cookie Decorating Tools:
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Want to Learn More?!
Looking for more inspiration? Check out my Royal Icing Christmas Sugar Cookie Decorating Tutorial. Learn to decorate the same Christmas cookies with royal icing in different designs that can also be translated to buttercream icing.
