How to Make Custom Cookie Stencils

Here’s the step by step tutorial to make your own custom cookie stencils.

It’s really so easy to make a stencil and it opens a whole new world of possibilities for your cookies (or cakes, even.) For example, I used my grandson’s name and you won’t find a stencil like that just anywhere. Also, the CAMEO software allows you to design extremely detailed stencils because you can trace images and then use edit points to fine tune the image. You can also use purchased stencils for part of your design and then create your own stencil for the personal details. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Read my full disclosure policy here for more details. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

So, let’s get started making your custom stencils!

MATERIALS NEEDED

Vinyl. I use Oracal 651
Something to cut the vinyl with. I use Silhouette CAMEO, but you can also use a Cricut, or even an xacto knife.
Stencil Material. For mesh stencil, I use silkscreen mesh material and for the hard stencil, I use Grafix .007 plastic
Royal Icing. The recipe is in my free Resource Library. You can get the password for the Resource Library by filling out the form at the bottom of this post.
A stencil design of your choosing
A cookie!
Something to spread the icing with, such as a spatula

First, decide on the cookie shapes you’ll be using.

Measure the dimensions of the cookie cutter so you’ll know exactly what size to make the stencil. Design your stencil in the CAMEO software. Allow 1/2 inch on all sides of the stencil’s design so you’ll have “wiggle” room when decorating the cookie.

You’ll be spreading the icing on top of an already flooded cookie which has dried 8 hours or overnight.

For the silkscreen mesh stencil:

Cut out the design (in my case, the “MOM,” the “DAD” and the “declan”) from vinyl. I use a Silhouette CAMEO to do all my cutting, but you can also use a Cricut Maker, an Xacto knife or scissors.

Weed the vinyl (that is, remove the excess you don’t want.) Apply the vinyl to the silkscreen. Finally, trim the silkscreen around the edges of the vinyl to keep it from fraying. It should look something like this.

The mesh is fine enough to allow the icing to flow through the mesh part, while the vinyl keeps the icing out of the places you don’t want. Using mesh instead of the plastic stencil described below gives you many more options especially when stenciling words. For example, you can do script or other fancy fonts and get away from the “stencil letter” look. It also allows for much, much finer details.

For the plastic cookie stencil:

The mesh stencils can lay right on top of the cookie while spreading the icing. Not so for the hard stencils. You’ll be applying a good bit more icing, and of a stiffer consistency. This results in the icing being raised on the cookie, which gives the design more dimension. Therefore, you need a different way to keep the stencil steady other than just holding it with your hand. I use a Stencil Genie, and love it!

The Stencil Genie holds a 5″x5″ stencil, so make your stencil that size and center your design on it. Design it in your cutting machine software, and cut it out on plastic stencil material. It should look like this after you cut it, place it in the Stencil Genie, and lay it on top of your cookie.

Time to apply the Royal Icing through the cookie stencil

For the mesh stencil, place the stencil on top of the cookie. Hold the stencil on one end, and spread thinned Royal Icing over the mesh stencil, being careful not to move the stencil. Go over the Royal Icing with a spatula or scraper to press the icing through the mesh stencil and remove any excess royal on the stencil surface. Immediately remove the mesh stencil. You can stencil another cookie if you work quickly, otherwise, rinse the stencil in warm water and hand dry before using it again.

For the plastic stencil, place the Stencil Genie on top of the cookie and proceed as above. When lifting the stencil, be sure to lift it straight up and not to one side.

The icing is spread through the mesh and onto the cookie.

Lift the stencil and see that the icing has bleed through the mesh

Tip: Royal Icing for Mesh Stenciling should be thin consistency. If the Royal Icing is too thick, it will not go through the stencil well, leaving parts of the design unprinted or pale. Likewise, if the Royal Icing is too thin, it will smear underneath the cookie stencil. Experiment with icing consistency on a piece of parchment paper before stenciling directly onto a cookie. Icing for Plastic Stenciling should be medium to thick consistency.

My grandchild was due when I began making these custom stenciled cookies. Originally, I planned to make them far more detailed, with cutesy little anchors on the backgrounds and such. However, things never do go as planned, do they? Especially when it comes to babies! In the end, I had to hurry up the cookies so I could take them to the new Mom! So in a last minute frantic dash, I simply outlined the MOM cookies and topped them off with sanding sugar. Sanding sugar cures almost as many ills for cookies as glitter does for crafts! (No one seemed to mind.)

Oh, and if you know an expecting Mom yourself, let her know about this totally free Beginning Prenatal course . It’s written a labor and delivery nurse, so she knows what she’s talking about.

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So are you ready to do this? If so, here are the recipes!

Get the password for the Resource Library with the free recipes by filling out this form. If you make custom stencils, I’d love to see them — send me a photo at [email protected] or post it on https://www.facebook.com/missaudreygail

How to make your own custom cookie stencils. Follow this tutorial and learn how to make perfectly stenciled cookies with Royal Icing. Great fun for a party! #customcookies

You can read more about making your own custom stencils in this post. and stenciling ideas in this post.