The Christmas Cookie stand. A long easel for displaying cookies. Because if you create cookies that are works of art you should display them like they are.
O.K., we're at the part of the month where you've either made cookies or have been given cookies. If neither of these things have happened you need to reconsider your priorities. And your friends.
A few years ago at Christmas I made a bunch of gingerbread cookies that were all in the shape of my favourite farm animals. Which would be all farm animals except the rat.
They turned out beautiful and I loved them. They were perfect for me and I was sick of making my usual Gingerbread men wearing a thong. But when I put them out on a plate or even a platter they didn't look nearly as impressive. Therefore I didn't look as impressive.
Now, when you have everyone over for dinner there are two things you want to accomplish in the small amount of time that people are in your home. 1) You want them to feel at home and welcome. 2) You want them to be insanely envious of you, your life, your home, your food and how effortless and impressive you are all at the same time.
I put a lot of work into the stupid farm animal cookies but just stuck on a plate they didn't display well. Without those cookies looking their best I was just another schmo having a Christmas Eve dinner so I needed to do something.
Enter:
The DIY Cookie Stand
In 2015, on Christmas Eve, 10 minutes before everyone was supposed to show up here for dinner I ran downstairs, found a length of 1"x4" wood and some trim and made a cookie stand.
I cut two triangles and screwed them into the back of the wood so it would act like a really, really long cookbook stand.
And then I glued a thin piece of trim to the bottom of the front of the board so the cookies would have something to rest on and stand upright.
Depending on how long you make it, it can either run all the way down a dining table or in the corner of a kitchen counter or wherever.
The angle of your triangles should be somewhere just less than 45 degrees. It doesn't really matter. As long as your two triangle supports are the same angle they'll stop your cookies from falling over.
They should be just tipped back to not fall off and display well. You'll know you got the angle right if your cookie stand incites a crowd of people to applaud cookies for the first time in their lives.
These are quickly made Gingerbread houses and a few Gingerbread apartment complexes. Because not everyone lives or wants to live in a house.
Granted, these cookies aren't all that impressive. If you want impressive read about my Snowglobe à la modes from a few years ago.
Like I said they're not my best work but guess what? People will still applauded and gave each other knowing glances that they came to the RIGHT house on Christmas Eve, because of the kick ass stand.
What's funny is this is the one year I might actually have time to make those really cool farm animal cookies. I won't be displaying them on the stand though, I'll have to hand deliver them with kitchen tongs while wearing a mask.
The Christmas Cookie Stand.
You can whip this cookie display stand up in less than 30 minutes.
Materials
- Length of 1X4 wood
- Length of thin trim wood
- Wood glue
- Screws or nails (optional)
Tools
- Saw
Instructions
- Cut your 1x4 to the length you'd like. If you have a lot of cookies and want them to run down an entire table you could make it 6 or 7 feet long if you want.
- Cut 2 triangles to act as support. My triangles dimensions are 4" x 3.5" x 3". This gives good support and an ideal lean to the display board.
- Glue the 3" side of the triangle supports to the back of your board. Screw in one screw if you want extra strength. You know, like if you make cement cookies or something. Otherwise you don't really need to screw it.
- Cut a length of thin trim so it's the same length as your main board. The trim just needs to be thick enough for the cookie to rest on.
- Glue the trim to the very bottom of the main board, clamp it and let it dry.
- You're done.
Recommended Products
I'm an Amazon affiliate some I get a few cents when you buy something I've linked to.
Many years ago Martha Stewart told me that "You should feel good about making your home nicer for your family and your friends. And if they secretly hate you for it you should feel really, really good about it."
When she told me this she was on the television and I was on my couch. Also I added in that last bit about people secretly hating you myself, but we all know it's what she really meant.
If you're going to do something, DO IT. Don't half ass it. Kick ass it. Always.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Just wondering did you harvest the 8 point buck whose antlers are used in the photo. Btw if you did congratulations.
Another use for this rack: While having a cookie decorating party/get-together/session of one, you can lay the finished cookies on the board to dry. That has always been an issue for us and this solves the problem wonderfully!
"If you’re going to do something, DO IT. Don’t half ass it. Kick ass it. Always."
The BEST mission statement if I ever saw one. Could that possibly be your personal mantra/motto? If not, maybe it should be? This statement catches the essence of you and your blog. KUDDOS!
Youse guys are all awesome and funny and supportive and helpful (well, except for the billy goat gruff under the bridge whose initials are kidneybear) and I love everything about your posts, Karen, and I think we are all pretty kick-ass to have found you to love!
The end.
Ha! Thanks Patty, lol. I'm not too worried about trolls. ;) ~ karen!
I love this - not just because it's a woodworking project I may actually be able to do. I'm thinking of making two so they can face both sides of the table.
Thanks Karen.
And dear, dear kidneybear, you know how us Canadians have a rep for never saying a harsh word?
Well, please fuck off.
See? I said please. That's how we roll in Canada.
Well, to not say please in front of telling someone to fuck off well ... that would just be rude. Thanks Claire! Now off you go to make your cookie stand. ~ karen!
I think the easel idea is a lot of fun.
Since you are showing off your decorating/baking skills, why not gild the lily by highlighting your carpentry abilities. I'm thinking a multi-tiered Christmas tree easel atop a lazy Susan...this is possibly a good project. To the workshop!
you could consider this...scrabble cookie..