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.
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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←
Debbie
I love it! Like a Scrabble game letter holder. So I'm thinking that this would be fun to make scrabble letter cookies and if you get a letter you don't like you can EAT it! A big scrabble board cookie with little scrabble board letters. This could be a year round fun game! Come to think of it, that would be a lot of baking. Maybe next year!
Love your humor, love your blog! A lot of fun reading time!
Jody
Hon, I was sTROLLING through the comments and laughing my ass off. Not half ass--full on ass. Oh....and love the easel.
Karen
LOL. Yep. The old comments are always interesting, today's especially. ~ karen!
KL
Quick question. I just rabbit-holed your post on tiny gingerbread houses and am obsessed. I never saw, though, what you served them on. Ice cream? Whipped cream? Would love to know. Thanks.
Karen
Hi KL. Did you click on the Gingerbread a la Mode post? It's all in there. :) It's vanilla ice cream with crumbled gingerbread. ~ karen!
Mary W
You know, if you were a real DIYer, you would have made the easel out of gingerbread! LOL
Karen
Ha!! ~ karen
Mary W
Still waiting to see the gingerbread man wearing a thong!
Janet
This is nothing short of brilliant. Thank you Karen. My son's girlfriend studied art and decorates cookies her mom bakes. They are quite a team and their finished product is just as awesome as your idea. I can't wait to present them with one of these to display their works of art.
Thera
Definitely kick ass! You, your blog, your cookie stand, cookies and commenters too! FYI I live app an hour away, I could bring snacks and would definitely ooohhhh and aaahhh!
Karen
Hahaha!! Well, when I'm short on Oooos and ahhhhs, I just supply them myself then look at my cat to try to get her to agree. ~ karen!
Kipper
Wish we could do that here. Can’t leave food out on tables or counters. Unfortunately our cat likes to play hockey with any small objects he can find when no one is looking. Should have named him Mario Lemeow instead of Cashew.
Tara
Karen you are the Queen of the Nutjobs. In a good way. Happiest of 2016s ever to you!
Maureen Locke
Love the stand, love the gingerbread houses ( perfect just the way they are) and love the blog Karen. I've gotten quite a kick out of the comments today, especially the "toning down the Canadian".. lol What exactly does that mean?... we are who we are... plain and simple. I am so very proud to call you a fellow "Canadian" and plan on printing out your quote to start my New Year with. Have an amazing Christmas Karen, thank you for sharing you life with us. PS... I'm in with the t-shirt :)
Leslie
I was just telling my husband I wish I had sent my dad a link to your blog when he was alive (he passed away earlier this year) he would have loved your humour, your blog including the maggot/fly story, not to mention all of your DIY work - you know this already Karen but keep doing what your're doing. Haters gonna hate.
Benjamin
OK Christmas is almost here and I'm completely lost... it just doesn't seem like Christmas without your traditional black fingernail polish. I don't know what to do, I can't function properly, I need some potato chips !!! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.... help us all before we have a spell. Just kidding Karen. Red or black nails you are one gorgeous 'b'. I love everything you do and so look forward to your posts, you're as crazy as you are beautiful. Keep up the awesome job and Happy Holidays to you Mr. Dressup or Miss Glitterqueen. LOL. #bewhoyouarebest. xoxo
Karen
No joke Benjamin ... I put on nail polish this morning and had a reallyyyyy hard time deciding which to put on. Red or black. Ended up with red. Now wish I'd put on black. I have a gold glitter I like to put over it to add that festive touch to it. Promise the black will be back by Jan. ~ karen!
Clare Hollingsworth
You and a cup of mint tea are the quiet me-time break I treat myself with amongst the chaos of my life. Thanks for keeping my spirits up just by being you <3
Karen
Thanks Clare. That's my job and I intend to keep it up. :) ~ karen!
brenda
love ya Karen
Brenda
hey - is this me from 5 years ago ... and who's kidneybean ... and what about black nail polish .. here's what I might do ... out cookies on an Ikea picture rail and make them to fit in there and just lean it against the butter dish ... this whole cookie display idea is the best (it'd be good for turtle chocolates, too. Covid means I get to eat everything I put on it. Also - if you give cookies away wearing a mask, you'd better sign them so people know it's you who made them ... your hair is getting longer (like the rest of us) and people might not recognize you wearing a mask if you don't sign then.
Brenda
don't 'out'' the cookies ... rather 'put' them (I'm never sure if it's spell check or me)
Jack Ledger
What did the gingerbread man put on his bed?
A cookie sheet.
j
Two laughing snorts from one blog!!?? You all are making me scare the furry kids! Too funny!
No wonder Karen B gets so many comments everyday--
Karen-never change, you could win a popularity contest anywhere. You the Canadian Funny Lady, and everyone's best friend. We all imaging we could be you--on our best day.
Karen
Oh you could be easily. Just get a couple of cats, 2 hammers and a bag of chips. Done. You're me. ~ karen!
Thera
Love the cookie easel, but I have to be the party pooper cause I love reading all the comments too. On Android mobile some of the comments get only a word
or two
down the
right
side
and some
are in
the
black
like
this.
Maybe because theyre nested?
Karen
Uch. I know Thera. Sorry. I keep meaning to figure out a fix for that. It happens with the nesting. Exactly like you say. ~ karen!
Karen Too
Kick-ass blue and white china! I like the sloppy icing, just like real sloppy snow. Art imitates life.
Heather (mtl)
Such a cool idea! Love the whole thing, especially using with name plates. No time for making it this week, but I think they'd make a great surprise for New Year's supper.
Oh, and the other day you posted about those teeny gingerbread houses. I imagine them sitting on a cloud of whipped cream would be simply divine!
Merry, merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Karen :)
Karen
Thanks Heather! You too. ~ karen!
Jossephine
Talking about Gingerbread Men I have to tell you a funny story, My handicapped brother-in-law asked if I could bake him something. I said sure what is it? He gave me a copy of something that he had seen on the computer. It was cookies with bikini tops and other cookies with bikini bottoms. So I let a few months go by and decided to make them as a surprise for Christmas for him. I used a heart shaped cookie cutter which works for both ends and I found a peanut butter cookie recipe that you could roll out. He laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair.
I love your gingerbread cookies and the icing does not have to be perfect for people to enjoy them as they are just going to be eaten anyway and they will taste great!
You really, really, really need to make some T-shirts with your wonderful sayings. Just think of the extra money you could make. lol
Monika
I think this cookie stand should be double sided so that the cookies could act as place cards and be visible from both sides. Just sayin'... and Martha would be proud. I think I'm gonna build one right now--a gingerbread one as I'm not good with wood. BUT! Yours, as it is wood, totally kicks ass; mine will be eaten. Merry Christmas! I love your blog and still show people your backyard makeover just to see them whistle in disbelief and awe. Yeah. Once again, kick ass.