There’s something so magical about holiday baking — the way the kitchen fills with warmth, the soft scent of vanilla sugar cookies drifting through the house, and the simple joy of creating something beautiful with your hands. This year, I wanted to design a set of Christmas cookies that felt whimsical and nostalgic, with bold Christmas colors, classic shapes, and just a hint of whimsy.

I filmed the full process so you can decorate right along with me, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned cookie lover looking for new inspiration. These cookies are perfect for gifting, entertaining, or simply slowing down with a quiet, creative moment during a very busy season.

So grab your royal icing, put on your favorite holiday playlist, and enjoy this festive little decorating adventure with me.

Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions, icing consistency tips, and the full video tutorial. I hope it brings as much joy to your home as it did to mine while making them.

Video – Decorating Christmas Cookies with Royal Icing

You can also find the full video on YouTube, here.

Royal Icing Recipe and Icing Consistencies

You can find my favorite royal icing recipe here. The consistency of icing is key for easy decorating. Click here to see a YouTube video on finding the right icing thickness.

Complete Guide to Royal Icing PDF

You can also find my Complete Guide to Royal Icing Consistency here.

Icing Consistency

All the icing consistencies are medium, unless mentioned otherwise. You can find my Complete Guide to Royal Icing Consistency here.

Cookie Decorating Basics

Here are some posts which take you through cookie decorating basics. If you’re a beginner, you can use these videos as a guide to basic decorating. I’ll mention details unique to each cookie in each cookie section below:

{Video} Cookie Decorating Tools & How to Fill a Piping Bag

{Video} How to Outline and Flood Cookies with Royal Icing

{Video} How to Dry Cookies Decorated with Royal Icing

Piping Bags

In terms of piping bags, I mainly used tipless piping bags for very fine details and PME 1.5 piping tips for most piping, and larger piping tips such as 4 to 6 to flood larger surfaces.

Cookie Recipe

I used my classic sugar cookie recipe for these, which you can find here. If you’d like to try a different cookie base, other recipes can be found here. 

Decorating Tools

What you’ll need (The Amazon links are affiliate links):

• Piping Tips 1.5
• Piping Tips 4-6
• Piping Bags
• Tipless Piping Bags
• Couplers
• Americolor Gel Colors
• Scribe Tool or Toothpicks
• Piping Bag Ties

Cookie Cutters

The custom cookie cutters are from Wella Cookie Cutter Co. The cutters are beautifully designed and genuinely ergonomic to hold. They cut through the dough cleanly (even chilled dough) and give such crisp outlines. You can tell a lot of care goes into the design and craftmanship.

If you’re looking for custom shapes or professional-quality cutters, I highly recommend checking out Wella Cookie Cutter Co. They’re wonderful to work with, and I’m grateful for Tracy’s generosity and talent.

I hope these cozy Christmas cookies inspired you to try a new technique, experiment with colour, or carve out a moment of creativity for yourself this season. There’s something so rewarding about watching a plain cookie transform into a tiny piece of edible art, and I’m always amazed at how relaxing the process can be once you settle into it.

If you try this set, I would love to see your creations — feel free to tag me on social media or leave a photo in the comments below. And if you’re looking for more holiday baking tutorials, there are plenty more seasonal ideas coming your way.

Thank you for spending a little time decorating with me today. Wishing you a warm, peaceful, and cookie-filled holiday season! If you have any questions or comments please feel free to drop me a line below in the comment section or on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

xo,

Marian