I’ve been talking a lot about my desire to learn to think outside the box a little more. I am always completely blown away by Callye (Sweet SugarBelle) and her ability to make anything out of nothing. In fact, I really need her to be my buyer because I’ll pass right over certain products (like the Wilton Fangs cookie cutter, for example) and then she’ll do something totally crazy awesome with it.
So I’m trying to learn. And after meeting Callye last week, and learning some of her methods for thinking outside the box, I came home totally stoked to try some new things.
I love the rectangle set of cookie cutters.
I actually resisted liking them for quite some time. Because really, you can do without them in a pinch. You can use a ruler and a pizza cutter and get all the rectangles you could ever want. But once I bought this Fox Run Set, I wondered why it took me so long to get them! They have come in handy for so many things, and are so infinitely easier to use than a ruler and pizza cutter.
I have been wanting to feature them for a while, but didn’t really know what to do with them.
Well, I came home from Cookie Camp all fired up to be creative. I knew I wanted more Halloween cookies on the blog. I knew I wanted to feature the rectangle set. So I decided to think outside the box by thinking inside the box. Get it? Inside? The box… because it’s a rectangle….
Yeah.
So the first cookies I came up with were these guys:
I’m quite sure Frankenstein has been done on a rectangle before, since his head is a giant rectangle and all. But I was proud of myself for thinking of the other ones! 😀
Then I thought just some spider webs would be cute and simple.
Easy, simple. Anyone can do it. Outline, flood, let dry, then add a spider web and spider. Easy peasy.
Then I got crazy ambitious. I had just seen the most adorable cookie done by Haniela, that was just a silhouette of a child blowing a dandelion. And then I saw a Halloween card that had the silhouettes of trick-or-treaters. I figured it was a sign, so I tried it.
I think it has potential! It isn’t perfect, but it’s kind of a cool effect. I want to try it again soon.
So then I got off my ambitious kick and went back to simple and less creative.
I don’t have a Kopycake (obviously! Ha ha), and I really didn’t feel like spending a ton of time getting the font just right, so I didn’t. I just looked at a picture of fun-size Hershey bars online and went for it. These are pretty small– about the actual size of a fun-size candy bar. So I kept them super simple. Although it doesn’t look too impressive up close like this, when they were mixed into a platter of cookies, it totally worked. I’ll show you that in a minute.
The next two were thoughts along the same lines. I wanted a haunted house, but a rectangle is kind of limiting. So first I did another silhouette-type design:
And then I got an idea. How about just a haunted door?
Does it work? I don’t know. I’m not sure I’ll do it again, but it was worth a shot.
I recently got to see a Cookie Artisan (Maryann) platter of cookies in real life. They were amazing. I loved her sign, and so I got the idea to do a scary “KEEP OUT!” sign.
I tried to make the lettering look rough and scary. I piped it on and then scraped at the edges a little with my boo-boo stick. I think next time I could do it better. But not bad for a first shot.
This next one is a simple idea that wasn’t executed as well as I’d hoped, but again, it has potential. I think that’s what I’m learning about “thinking outside the box”– sometimes you have to try it a few times to make it work, but you know if you’re on the right track.
Next time I’ll do the background a different color. But it’s cute in its own way.
I really liked this next one. It was fun to do, super simple, and it turned out cute.
I know what you’re thinking. That this isn’t a true rectangle. Which is true. But all I did was trim the tiniest bits of the top left and bottom right corners off before baking so that the bag would have some dimension. Easy easy easy.
I thought it needed some depth, so I painted on some charcoal black petal dust in the corners where the bag would be folding inward.
Here’s how it looked afterward:
Just like the fun size candy bars earlier, I went super simple with the candy in the bag. You just want the overall look to be there.
So those are my thinking outside-yet-inside-the-box cookies.
And I tried some Glorious Treats tricks for photographing my cookies. You know, like actually putting them on a plate and stuff. 😀 I hope she’ll be proud of my attempts at taking some prettier photos.
Here’s one:
And another:
Look Glory! Props! 😀 I’ll get the hang of this yet.
I came away from this little exercise realizing the the possibilities for the Rectangle Set of cookie cutters is seriously endless. What would YOU do with them?
Comment on this post by Thursday October 13th at midnight (wherever you are!) and I’ll enter you to win a set all your own. Please enter only once. I’ll choose THREE winners using Random.org.
Another fun (similar, yet different) project coming up soon!
Nothing like thinking inside the box to get the creativity flowing!!!
Awesome ideas Karen. I’ve been looking for a set of rectangular cutters myself. Till now I’ve been hand cutting around my grandsons old maid card!
Super Cute! Can’t wait to see what you will do next!
Freaking awesome!!!
I love these especially the trick or treating silhouette! I don’t own a rectangle cutter so I would love to win these!!!
Great ideas! I especially like the kids trick or treating. Keep the ball rolling on thinking outside the box.
I love your cookies! So cute!
I’m inspired by both you and Callye….thanks for all you do.
I love love love the mini candy bars! I mean truly they are all so cute but the candy bars have me smiling! They would be so cute piled up in a candy dish!
You are totally amazing!
Your cookies are AMAZING Karen! I love the trick-or-treat bag, love the silhouette of trick or treaters, love the outlined pumpkin. Super cute! You’re much too hard on yourself – obviously or you wouldn’t have been with all the greats at cookie camp last week! Your cookies are super fun. I love the mummy! What would I do with the rectangle cookie cutters – make candy shaped cookies without a pizza cutter 😉 Thanks! Cristin (Pinkie) of Cristin’s Cookies http://www.cristinscookies.com
I would use them to make cookie pictures – making little family portraits or landscapes or something (super simple) and then do the edges like a wooden frame, or something like that. 🙂
Wow! These are really creative cookies, awesome!!!
Wish I can think inside the box too!
I would try all the designs you did. Love the candy bars and the little tricker treaters.
Wow!! These are awesome! Sometimes I get a little discouraged b/c I don’t have to money to spend on a kopykake or the room to store it, but looking at these makes me realize you don’t really have to have one to make very cute cookies!
I really love your cookies. They are so cute!!
Good on ya, for pushing the boundaries you’re used to! Callye is such an inspiration, especially in that regard! I LOVE the candy bar minis…so much that I instantly got a big craving for some chocolate. Like, NOW! lol
Thanks for sharing your experience, and fun Halloween designs!
Sweet Regards ~ Scott
I think I would try doing a haunted house puzzle. You know, do several rectangles with different parts of the house and then put them all together to make a big picture. Your great cookies gave me the idea! 🙂
These all look fantastic!
All of the cookies are awesome! You did a great job on the shillioutte one!
Wow, I need to learn how to think out of the box also. I would never have thought of doing any of these designs. You are a very talented lady.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Rose
Awesome designs! Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow! I like all the ideas. Thanks for sharing.
How cute, it makes me love Halloween all over again. Have to admit it isn’t my favorite holiday. I may just have to rethink the whole idea.
Honestly, your cookies amaze me!! I would love to have just a 1/4 of your talent! 🙂
I really need to get into this cookie thing…..maybe these would help?! Just sayin
I love the pumpkin! Such cute execution, as always!
Wow! Now I can’t wait to make my own monsters! Love them all! I am going to mix up a batch of sugar cookies right now!
Super cute (AND creative)!!!!! I’m sticking my tongue out at my cousin laughing at my suggestion for friendly Frankesteins for the kiddies for Halloween. She didn’t think it could be done. He looks pretty friendly (and cute) to me!
SO awesome, I loved them all !
Your creativity gene is working at warp speed! Great job thinking outside the box, all your cookies are fun and fantastic.
Karen me parecen sensacionales, con una forma tan sencilla has conseguido unas galletas tan preciosas, me encanta frankestein y todas las demas.
Besos
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing them!
Wow! What great ideas! you are right, the blank canvas of a rectangle cookie provides endless possibilities!
Terrific cookies! Rectangle cutter=Christmas cards, soon!!!!!
Cookie camp obviously has worked – your cookies are super creative!
I’d love to have this set! I especially like your silhouette cookies, they look amazing!
These are amazing! You have given me so many great ideas! The trick-or-treaters are my favorite! I have to try something like that!
Really great collection!! I especially love the gray/black sillouette one!! So cool!
P.S. The last photo looks extra great! You made me smile =)
These are awesome and very cute!! Love Frankestein.
Besos!
I LOVE the krackel bars…well all of them, but HOW cute!!! And I’m aboutta go check my rectangle box…I dont think I have ever seen a full set like that before!
Love these!! So creative. I think I’m in need of some rectangle cutters myself 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
Awesome! Very well thought out! I’d love to give it a try!
Wonderful job!!!! Such great ideas for rectangle cutter :0)
So cute and creative! Well done!
You inspire me to be so much more creative! I have learned a lot from you and I know I will continue to do so. Love those cutters! You did such cool things with them…
I love the door! I definitely think it is worth making again!
I LOVE the mini candy bars! Too cute. 🙂
¡Me encanta! Con unas formas tan simples la de cosas originales que podemos hacer. No hay nada como dejar volar la imaginación…
“Besicos” desde Zaragoza, Karen.
I’m new to cookie making and it seems the possibilities are totally endless! I would like to try to make different flags and presents with the rectangle cutters!
I love the Trick or Treat bag!!!
I’d love to “think inside the box – to think outside the box!!!” What fun cookies! I’d love to a set to play with! 🙂
I love you silhouetted pieces!!–
I would love a set of rectangles!
Really amazing cookies!
Those are amazing cookies!
Uaaaauuuuu!!! Amazing cookies! Congratulations!
Love love love. You are so creative!
Cori
I LOVE the different faces, too cute!
BRILLIANT! An amazing use of our four-sided freinds.
Hola mi nombre es Maria Fernanda o puedes llamarme mafer que es mas corto, soy de Ecuador de la ciudad de Guayaquil es la primera vez que escribo en este tu blog, te he seguido desde hace un año y visito tu pagina web a menudo para ver que hay de nuevo, me parece que tus galletas son tan lindas que no tienen comparasion y tus videos son los maximo!! me gustaria tanto poder comprar tus productos el problema es que no se cuanto vaya a pesar lo que compre, ya que aca en mi pais mas de 4 kilos t cobran $400 y yo no puedo pagar esa cantidad, claro que depende de lo que se compre pero eso no lo voy a saber, pero bueno espero poder visitarte en tu tienda pronto. Tambien te queria comentar que las galletas de halloween estan super cheveres te salieron muy bonitas, te cuento que yo me dedico hacer alfajores y t preguntaras que es alfajores? bueno tambien es una especie de galletas con relleno de manjar o dulce de leche tambien se le dice y son super ricos mmm!! deliciosos ojala algun dia puedas pobrar uno de mis alfajores jejeje bueno Karen no me queda mas que felicitarte y sigue adelante con tus lindas galletas que seguramente deben ser deliciosas tambien. Cuidate chao!! =o)
Rectangles are awesome! I love the candybar idea, too. The shading of the trick-or-treat bag is a nifty idea, one with loads of potential!
Surely someone has thought of doing a series of books using the rectangle cutters. I wonder if you could do a spooky mirror, maybe using melted candy for the glass, with some cob webs in the corners or something. How about a cute old-school chalkboard for a teacher?
Hi! They are wonderful! I love all of them and I think that the bag (it says: “trick or treat”) is very original. All of them are great ideas for Halloween. Here, in Spain it isn´t very typical but I my familiy will be proud of me if I do them. Thankyou, Karen! Please, dont stop doing this magnific cookies.
These are so creative! I love thinking outside of the box…or rectangle! 😉
Oh these are so cool!! 🙂
I love your Halloween collection! And I would love the rectangle cutters…I am a little tired of the pizza cutter/ruler combo myself.
I found your blog thanks to Sweet Sugarbelle and I’m so excited! Adorable cookies! Can’t wait to check what else you have here! Thanks for the chance to win!
Those rectangles would be perfect for making cookie-fied versions of my mom’s handmade cards!
That is so funny that you said you have resisted buying these because you could do the same thing with a ruler and pizza cutter. Every time I have an order that requires rectangles, I do the same thing and my sweet husband always says, why don’t you just buy the rectangle set? So funny, I would love to add this to my collection!
Your ideas are incredibly cute!!! As I was scrolling down I just figured there would be only 3-4 designs, but they kept coming and coming!! Seriously can’t believe you could come up with that many!!! You did a great job.
I love your ideas, Karen! I don’t own the rectangle set either, but after seeing your creations I’d love to have one!
A set of rectangles will give a deserved rest to the square cutters that I trim when needed (;)
Awesome cookies! Thank for the tip about using charcoal petal dust!
Oh my, I totally love the haunted door and I absolutely think you should do it again. Actually I loved all your ideas…I can’t believe all the things you came up with using just a rectangle! I need my shapes! Welcome home!
How fun! I would love to own this set to come with my own cookie ideas.
Those turned out great!
Adorable!! Your cookies are fabulous!! I would love to have a rectangle set. I keep talking myself out of buying them…but now I’m pretty sure I need them!
Very cool! My favorite is the silhouette of the trick or treaters. I’d use the rectangles to make Detroit Tiger (Old English D) cookies. Go Tigers!
THisis totally awesome, I love using simple shapes and you’ve done it so well.
Oooh I just noticed your sweet mention, so sweet of you.Thank you Karen. I’m so obsessed with silhouettes ;-))) I’m putting them on everything these days.
I like addition for props, props are everything..they really make the photo.:-) I’m sure Glory will be super proud once she sees this. Great Job.
Love all the cookies and ideas. I need some rectangular cutters, I’ve been cutting cookies with a template and that gets old after a while. Great post!
LOVE LOVE LOVE ssssoooo cute ! The trick or treaters and the house are my favs. GREAT job 🙂
These are all so cute…I want to make some for my sons’ classes this year. Now I know what I’ll make!
Your pics are GREAT, Karen! Love the candy bar COOKIES…
You amaze me! I’d have loved to be a cookie camp with all you wonderful cookiers! I only dream of being as good as all of you. Thanks for your continued inspiration! Thanks, Jeanetta
Oh my! I would start working on thanksgiving themes!
Oh goodness, I’ve been using the ruler and pizza wheel method for WAY too long. I love the look of tiled cookies, but the measuring/cutting gets old. I would definitely make more of those if I had rectangle cutters.
AND I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your pumpkin cookie!!!! Its so perfect just the way it is!!!
I know I can’t win the cutters because I’m the mom, but I know what I will ask for if I win the bet I have going with you!! As always your cookies are fantastic and I’m not one bit prejudiced! Great job.
Wow!! Karen you really show that the possibilities of using a square cutter are endless! I love them all!!
Fantabulous Cookie Decorating. Inspires me even though I don’t have these cutters.
Maybe soon things will change 🙂
I would love to try these or just another picture within a rectangle. Great set!
I’m going to get piping!!! I think its pretty slick the way your trick or treat writing is perfectly curved!
These are awesome!! I’m new to cookie decorating and have yet to overcome my fear of royal icing but you are giving me inspiration! Thank you!!
Holy toledo girl – these cookies are just awesome! I don’t know how you do it!!
Great job Karen!! These cookies are so cute. I’m anxious to try to make them myself :0)
I have often used rectangle cookie cutters for monograms for weddings. It leaves just the perfect amount of space for a gumpaste flower!!
Nice job! I wish my best were as good as your “needs work”s.
They look like picture frames the way you laid them out so I might go with spooky portraits. I love these type of sets and don’t have rectangle yet.
Karen!! These look fabulous! I especially like the silhouette of the trick or treaters.
I would like to do some Hallmark greeting cards on them. I think it would be fun to get a card with a matching set of cookies.
I’m already dreaming of rectangle christmas cookies! The possibilities are endless!!!
Oh how I desperately need these cutters! The ruler/pizza cutter method doesn’t work for me…My rectangles always look like trapezoids. UGH!
Hi Karen! Those cookies are beautiful!!!! I would love to go to camp one year and meet all of your master cookie decorators!
Thyjuan
I love the simple rectangles! I would love to make some etch-a-sketch cookies, or tv sets.
Nice, you have a very creative mind! I love them all, but especially the silhouette gray one.
These are absolutely DARLING! I wouldn’t have bought those cutters either but now I don’t think I can live without them! Awesome.
hola el año pasado fui y muy muy lindo quseroiaver cuando se hace nueva mente para ir alguien me podra responder este mail .por que las cervesas de alla tienen otro gusto y quiero ir a tomar nueva mente jaja
You blew me away with this set! wonderful work Karen!
I loved all of your ideas !!!! I also have a great haunted house that i would try and copy !!!
I absolutely love these! I wish I had 1/2 of your talent! Never short change yourself!
These are amazing!
Love these! Can’t wait to try them out!
Amei tudo,principalmente a família de bruxinhas próxima a arvore. As vezes temos que deixar nossa imaginação florecer dentro da gente. PARABÉNS
You ROCK! I am quite unimaginative too, so I am totally impressed with your creations! Thanks for sharing! Now I would LOVE to get one of these sets!
Karen, you’re so inspiring. I’ve always assumed you’ve done everything there is to do with cookies. Frankly, to find out that you haven’t is wonderful! I love continually learning and growing and I’m inspired by all the fun you seem to have with your blog posts. Great, wonderful, amazing cookies!!!
Love, love, LOVE them Karen! How fun to come up with all those ideas just with a rectangle cookie cutter! Amazing as usual! Miss cookie-ing with you! 🙂
I am so impressed! I wish I had more time to “create” and get artistic with my cookies! But thanks for the great ideas!!!
Sarah
Your cookies are AMAZING!! How do you make it look so good without a Kopycake???? WOW!!
Karen, those are fantastic!! I , also, need to learn how to think outside the box and you have given me some great inspiration!
I would use them to make a wedding favor for my wedding next month! I love your halloween designs!
It’s amazing how all the ideas flow and to see how great they are when completed. Amazing work!
Great job on the Halloween cookie ideas! I’ve only started decorating cookies a year ago but I’ve been using other people’s ideas. Hopefully some ideas of my own will come in time. The cookie camp sounded amazing..wish there was one for beginners.. I would have loved to watch how other people do cookies from beginning to end!
I really like the silhouettes and the spider web! I have a set of scalloped square cutters that I use all the time – I’d love to have rectangles too! My cookies always look more creative when I use the squares instead of an actual shaped cutter.
They are all totally adorable! Wish I had the patience to do cookies like that!
Love these!! YOu did a great job! My kids would be so super impressed! Happy Halloween!
Love! I haven’t baked cookies in almost 6 months (we’ve moved, lived with my parents for a while, now finally in our home) and your post has inspired me to start up again! Great work, but you make it seem like anyone could do it. 🙂
What great ideas and inspiration!
I really like your ideas and techniques…
Mary Beth
Oh my oh my. I loved all of them and I am dying for a set of rectangles. I bought a set of squares a while back and I love them. The uses are endless. Great job on all the Halloween cookies. I thought they were great.
You have come up with some very creative ideas. Very cute. Good work!
I love your cookies and beautiful pictures!
Wow Karen! Your skills are amazing. Thanks so much for sharing your amazing talents with us!
Woww Amazing !!! I love them all karen !!
OH, I hope I win this time, I have been really wanting that rectangle set–I love what you did with them Karen, you are always such an inspiration!
Simply Amazing! I love the originality of your cookie creations!
Wow!! Those cookies are really amazing, I love Halloween cookies with those rich colors 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win
I always find inspiration in your blog, “terrific” cookies…
Awesome! Very creative!
Love love your Pumpkin and mini candy bars!
I love Callye’s designs her Talent is second best to none!
Ok, first of all, I don’t know why you always get down on yourself about your creativity – those Halloween cookies are awesome! My favorite is the night silhouette. I’ve done the pizza cutter/ruler trick myself, so what would I do with these? Let’s see, I’ve done speed limit signs, Monopoly money and a bunch of Vikings logos so I guess I would just save myself the trouble of the hand-made rectangles!
Wow! Those are really creative! And inspiring!
It seems like once the imagination door is opened, the possibilities just keep on coming! How about an ironwork fence (like one sees around a cemetery) with tombstones all around? or a spooky tree with the smashed witch on it? etc., etc., ……
Great cookies and great ideas!
Your cookies always are awesome! Halloween card silhouettes of trick-or-treaters are wondenful!!
Wowza!!! Great job. Cute, cute, cute!!!
The silhoutte of the trick or treaters is absolutely my favorite! It’s elegant and simple, but has an intricate feel to it that is so gorgeous. I’ve been digging on cookie blogs to get ideas for the baking I do every year for Christmas, and I always see the coolest ideas on here. I’m completely addicted!
Great decorating and great ideas!!!
I just happened upon your blog today – how fun! Your creativity is inspiring. Thank you for the chance to win the giveaway. I’m not sure what I’d do with the cookie cutters first, but I’d love to give them a try!
Love them all! My fav is the treat bag and the haunted house and kids silohuettes! I would love the rectangle cutters, and my first project with them would be Halloween cookies!
oh my gosh, you are too hard on yourself! The cookies really came out great. I am head over heels in love with the trick or treaters silhouette cookie, and the trick or treat bag with all the tiny candies on top!! The mini candy bars were so perfect, too. Keep up the great work.
Seriously AMAZING!!! I think the mini candy bars look perfect! I can’t imagine ever having enough experience, or steady enough hand to do the silhouettes, but you have certainly inspired me to try!! 🙂
I want! I want!
I too love the bag and the mini candy bars…oh, and the house…oh and the trick or treaters…way too cute.
These are all so creative and amazing. The trick with with black petal dust on the ttrick or treat bag was fabulous.
Karen, Those are all so amazing!! How creative you are. You need to run your own cookie camp there in Idaho! I’d come in a heart beat. I would love to have the rectangle cookie cutters. I keep looking at the simple shapes but then need inspiration. Now you have supplied it. I hope I win.
Oh, the possibilities are endless! You are so talented. 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win!
Very cute and inspiring! Your ideas are just so great and I thank you so much!!!!
These are awesome and I’m featuring them tomorrow on my blog tomorrow. http://www.trilogyedibles.com
Thank you, Karen!! 😀
Oh my goodness! I’m just a beginner cookie decorator – what inspiration! Thanks!
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