TOMBSTONE CUTTER
From a tombstone cutter comes a rather disparate group of items, each one appealing to me in its own way. I love the quiet simplicity of the Building and the nostalgia that surfaces when looking at the sardine can that is opened with a key (note that it is entirely outlined in black, which makes it look like an illustration). The Tombstone benefits greatly from the cracks around the edges. Making them smooth wouldn’t be nearly as haunting.
TOMBSTONE
beginner 
intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch tombstone cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
2½ cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: leaf green, chocolate brown, whitener, super black, bright red
4 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
4 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make green flooding icing for the grass and paint on. Mix ½ cup royal icing in a bowl with leaf green, chocolate brown, and whitener gels to make green for the grass. Thin to flooding consistency. Using a paintbrush, paint the grass along the bottom of the cookie close to the edge, thinning out the icing where the tombstone overlaps it. Let set until hard, 2 to 4 hours.
- 3. Make gray lining and flooding icing for the tombstone. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix 1¼ cups icing in a bowl with a toothpick each of super black and whitener gels to make gray for the tombstone. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 4. Outline the tombstone and paint in. Using the gray lining icing, outline the tombstone, making indentations here and there to make it look chipped. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the tombstone. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 5. Make lining icings: dark gray to re-outline the tombstone and make details, red for the flowers, and dark green for the leaves. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Spoon ¼ cup icing into each of three bowls. Cover two with plastic wrap. In the remaining bowl, add super black and whitener gels to make dark gray to re-outline the tombstone. Spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the second bowl, add bright red gel to make red for the flowers. Thin to lining icing and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the third bowl, add leaf green and a toothpick of super black gel to make dark green for the leaves of the flowers. Spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.
- 6. Re-outline the tombstone and make details; make the leaves; make the flowers. Using the dark gray lining icing, re-outline the tombstone. Write in the letters “RIP” and draw in the cracks, touching the tip to the cookie and squeezing gently to make the lines thinner than the outline. Using the dark green lining icing, draw leaves on the grass by holding the piping tip at a 45-degree angle, touching the cookie, and squeezing the piping bag. Let set for 5 minutes. Using the red lining icing, draw the flowers, swirling the tip around on the surface to give the impression of a flower. Let set for 1 hour or until dry.
ONESIE
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch tombstone cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
2¼ cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: neon green, bright blue, whitener, lemon yellow, super black
3 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
3 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make green lining and flooding icing for the onesie; outline and paint in. Mix 1½ cups royal icing in a bowl with neon green, bright blue, and whitener gels to make pastel green. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Position the tombstone cookie upside down so that the grass area is the top. Using the lining icing, outline the silhouette of the onesie. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the onesie. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 3. Make yellow lining and flooding icing for the stripes, collar, and placket; outline, paint in, and make stripes. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ½ cup icing in a bowl with a toothpick of lemon yellow gel to make light yellow for the stripes, collar, and placket. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the collar and placket. Draw the seams where the arms meet the body. Let set for 5 minutes. Make evenly spaced horizontal stripes across the body of the onesie, stopping on the left side of the placket and starting again on the right side of the placket. Make vertical stripes on the sleeves. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the collar and placket. Let set until hard, 2 to 3 hours.
- 4. Make gray lining icing for the snaps. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a bowl with a toothpick each of super black and whitener gels to make light gray for the snaps. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Hold the piping bag at a 45-degree angle to make small dots down the placket, spacing them evenly. Let set for 1 hour.
SARDINES
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch tombstone cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
3 cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: super black, whitener, dark navy, electric pink, lemon yellow, super black, egg yellow, gold
5 plastic or parchment piping bags (here)
5 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
Plate or ceramic mixing palette
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make gray lining and flooding icing for the can; outline and paint in. Mix 1½ cups royal icing in a bowl with a toothpick each of super black and whitener gels to make light gray. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the silhouette of the sardine tin, including the ends of the rolled-back top but excluding the key. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the sardine tin. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 3. Make watercolors for the sardines and paint in. Squeeze dots of dark navy and electric pink gels onto a plate or ceramic mixing palette. Using a watercolor brush, mix a little water into the navy to make a watercolor (see here). Outline the sardines so that they overlap. Paint in the negative space between the sardines. Using a clean paintbrush, mix a little water into the electric pink to make a watercolor. Paint on the bellies and around the gills. Using a clean paintbrush, mix a little water into the navy and shade the upper part of the sardines. Let set to dry 15 minutes.
- 4. Make yellow lining icing for the eyes; make dark gray lining and flooding icing for the tin. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Spoon 2 tablespoons icing into a bowl. Add lemon yellow and whitener gels to make light yellow for the sardines’ eyes. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag with a #1 tip. Into another bowl, spoon ½ cup icing. Add super black gel to make dark gray for outlining the sardine tin. Thin to tight lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 5. Make the eyes. Re-outline the tin; outline the inside rim and key; paint in the rim. Using the light yellow lining icing, make dots for the sardines’ eyes. Using the dark gray lining icing, re-outline the tin, following the edge of the cookie and including the bottom of the rolled-up top. Make a second outline just inside this one, making an angle at the corners and squaring off the corners where the rolled top meets the sardines. Outline the key. Using a paintbrush and the dark gray flooding icing, paint in the rim of the tin. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 6. Make black lining icing for details; make yellow flooding icing for lid. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Spoon ¼ cup icing into a small bowl. Add super black gel to make black for the details on the sardines. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Into the second bowl, spoon ½ cup royal icing. Add egg yellow and gold gels to make yellow-orange for the underside of the rolled top. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency, add a little whitener, and cover with plastic wrap.
- 7. Outline and paint in the lid. Re-outline the tin and key and make coil details. Re-outline sardines; make eyes and details. Using the yellow-orange lining icing, outline the silhouette of the rolled top. Let set 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the yellow-orange flooding icing, paint in the top. Let set for 2 to 3 hours. Using the black lining icing, re-outline the sardine tin, its inner lip, the key handle, and the rolled top, and make the coil details. Re-outline the sardines by drawing a black outline around each sardine with the tip touching the cookie, then outline each eye and draw in curved lines for the gills. Make dots down the length of each sardine as well as a dot in the eye of each sardine for the pupil. Let set for 1 hour.
BUILDING
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch tombstone cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
2¾ cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: leaf green, whitener, bright red, sunset orange, chocolate brown, super black, lemon yellow
6 plastic or parchment piping bags (here)
6 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make lining and flooding icing for the grass; outline and paint in. Mix ½ cup royal icing in a bowl with leaf green and whitener gels to make green for the grass. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the grass on the bottom of the cookie, including where the curb covers it. Using the green flooding icing, paint in the grass, thining it out where the building overlaps the grass. Let set for 4 to 6 hours.
- 3. Make lining and flooding icings: red for the building and gray for the sidewalk. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix 1 cup icing with bright red, sunset orange, and chocolate brown gels to make brick red. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency, add whitener, and cover with plastic wrap. Mix ½ cup royal icing in a bowl with a toothpick each of super black and whitener gels to make light gray. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 4. Outline and paint in the building, sidewalk, and entrance path. Using the brick lining icing, outline the silhouette of the building, going over the grass. Let set for 5 minutes. Reserve the brick lining icing. Using the light gray lining icing, outline the sidewalk including the path to the entrance. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the brick flooding icing, paint in the building. Using a paintbrush and the gray flooding icing, paint in the sidewalk and path. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 5. Outline the windows and doors and paint in. Using the reserved brick lining icing, outline the windows and doors on the building. Make them smaller than they appear—it is very easy to make them too big. Let set for 5 minutes. Refresh the remaining icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Spoon 2 tablespoons of royal icing into each of two bowls. Cover one with plastic wrap. To the other, add lemon yellow and whitener gels to make yellow for the windows. Thin to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. To the second bowl, add chocolate brown to make brown for the door. Thin to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using a paintbrush and the yellow flooding icing, paint in the windows. Using another paintbrush and the brown flooding icing, paint in the door. Let set for 30 minutes.
- 6. Make lining icings: brick to re-outline the building, black for the door, and gray for the sidewalk. Spoon ¼ cup royal icing into a bowl. Add chocolate brown, sunset orange, and bright red gels to make dark brick for re-outlining the building. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Spoon 2 tablespoons of royal icing into each of two bowls. Cover one with plastic wrap. To the first bowl, add super black gel to make black for re-outlining the front door. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the other bowl, add super black and whitener gels to make darker gray to re-outline the sidewalk. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.
- 7. Re-outline the building, door, and sidewalk. Using the brick lining icing, re-outline the building, then make the interior line to put it in ¾ perspective. Draw a short line under each window. Using the black lining icing, re-outline the door. Using the dark gray lining icing, re-outline the sidewalk. Let set for 15 minutes or until dry.