You'll have them saying thank you "vera" much when you bring out these Potted Aloe Accent Cookie Stencils and Matching Cookie Cutters from Confection Couture!
Here's what you'll need:
- Potted Aloe Accent Cookie Stencil with Matching Cookie Cutters
- AirGenie Airbrush System
- 1 extra AirGenie Airbrush Tool (recommended)
- Gyro-Cut Craft and Hobby Cutting Tool
- Cookie Magnets
- Plastic Bottle with Dropper Tip
- Quadrant Masking Tool (x2)
- Stencil Genie
- Screen Genie
- DecoPac Airbrush Food Coloring
- Lime Green
- Emerald
- Dusty Mermaid
- Electric Blue
- Navy Blue
- White
- Tangerine
- Super Red
- Harvest Brown
- Sugar Cookie ingredients
- Royal Icing ingredients
- Glad Press'n Seal
- Paper Towels
The first step, of course, is to bake and ice your sugar cookies.
Masking
For masking off particular elements of your stencil, try using Glad Press'n Seal.
Cut off a piece roughly the size of the stencil and place it over the top, flattening it out to remove any bubble or wrinkles. Use the Gyro-Cut craft and hobby cutting tool to trim and remove excess plastic around the edge of the stencil.
Next, carefully trim around the areas of the pots that you'll want to be blue. Turn the blade sideways and use it to lift a corner of of the trimmed Press'n Seal in order to peel it away.
Repeat this for all three pot designs.
Mixing Colors
If you're looking for a shade of blue that's different from those offered from DecoPac, try mixing a squirt of Electric Blue colorant with a few drops of Navy Blue in a dropper bottle. Mix thoroughly and test out the color on a sheet of white paper. Adjust the ratio of the two blues if needed to achieve the perfect shade.
Preparing to Stencil
With the blue of your choice loaded into the AirGenie airbrush tool, take the Stencil Genie and separate the the upper and lower portions. Place the thicker side down (for thicker cookies), magnets facing up and place the stencil with the first potted aloe plant design centered in the middle of the square.
Next, use two Quadrant Masking Tools to surround the design and protect the rest of the cookie from overspray. Now, place the Screen Genie over the top of the stencil tool and lock everything together using the upper portion of the Stencil Genie. Place the entire assembly over the corresponding cookie.
Next, add some cookie magnets, in stacks of three or four to the edges of the stencil to help press it flat against the curved cookie surface.
Airbrushing the Blue Elements
While airbrushing, you can use a chopstick or long needle to add gently pressure to any areas of the stencil that are still tending to lift away from the cookie. Apply the color in light, even coats.
Repeat the above steps to add blue stripes to the next flower pot design.
If desired, switch to a new airbrush tool and load it with some straight Navy Blue colorant. Use this to add the blue to the third pot design.
Cleaning the Stenciling Tools
To clean your stencil in between colors, first be sure to remove the Press'n Seal before rinsing the stencil thoroughly using clean water. Do the same for the Quadrant Masking Tools and Stencil Genie.
The Screen Genie can be cleaned either by rinsing it under running water or by spraying water backwards through the screen using a chemical-free spray bottle.
Before loading a new color into the airbrush tool, clean it thoroughly.
First, rinse out the reservoir 3-4 times using clean water. Next, reattach the hose and run clean water through the tool on full power until empty. Repeat this step, once more with water, and a third time using an inexpensive 100-proof vodka. Continue to run the unit for a few seconds after it's empty to ensure that all of the liquid is gone.
Airbrushing the Terracotta Elements
To achieve the reddish-brown of the terracotta pots, mix the following colors in roughly equal amounts, adjusting the exact ratio as needed: super red, tangerine, harvest brown, and white.
As before, test out the color on a sheet of white paper and adjust the shade if necessary.
Add a new piece of Glad and then, using the Gyro-Cut, remove the plastic covering the remaining sections of all three flower pot designs.
Airbrush these terracotta elements using the techniques discussed earlier.
Airbrushing the Green Elements
Redo the Glad Press'n Seal over the stencil and now mask around the aloe plant elements of all three designs.
Load the green of your choice into the airbrush tool or combine colors to create your own!
Proceed with airbrushing the remaining elements, either all with the same shade of green or by switching between each cookie.
Apply these cookies liberally to soothe the frowns of your family and friends at your next gathering!
