200+ cute old-fashioned Christmas cookie decorating ideas

Old-fashioned Christmas cookie decorating ideas

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Cookie jar with vintage 1950s Christmas cookies

Cookie jar with vintage Christmas cookies


Simple 1950s Christmas cookie decorating ideas

From Better Homes & Gardens (December 1959)

You’ll catch the Christmas spirit in our Cookyland. The Sugar Cookies, Ginger Cookies, and Spritz shown here are the merriest yet.

You’ll want some for the cooky plate (holiday hospitality), for the tree (saran-wrapped ornaments to give little callers), for friends and relatives (delicious token gifts). So out with your cooky cutters add new ones from the array at gadget counters.

Your children can pick designs from their Christmas color books, too — just trace the bold outlines, transfer to card-board for patterns.

Cute vintage Christmas cookie decorating ideas from the 1950s (2)

Cute vintage Christmas cookie decorating ideas from the 1950s (1)


Vintage Betty Crocker cookie decorating ideas (1959/1960)

Vintage Betty Crocker cookie decorating ideas - 1950s 1960s (2)

Vintage Betty Crocker cookie decorating ideas - 1950s 1960s (1)


Santa’s Cooky Shop (1961)

Santa's Cooky Shop (1961)

 

 

 


Sweet iced holiday cookie plates (1963)

Sweet iced holiday cookie plates (1963)


A Christmas tree just for decorated cookies (1964)

A Christmas tree just for decorated cookies (1964)


Toy soldier nutcrackers on Christmas cookies (1964)

Retro ideas for Christmas cookie decorating (1964)


Easy vintage 60s Christmas cookie decorating ideas (1964)

Easy vintage 60s Christmas cookie decorating ideas (1964)


Cute decorated Christmas cookies & sweet treats (1966)

Cute decorated Christmas cookies (1966)


Christmas tree & friendly beast decorated cookies (1967)

According to legend, every animal, wild or tame, is given the power to speak on Christmas Eve.

On the first Christmas, the animals gathered under the ____ to speak of what they would give the Christ child.

Read your children this story of The Friendly Beasts, inspired by a poem of the Middle Ages, then let them make their own fairytale scene with cookies they can cut out and decorate with frosting from a pressurized can.

Christmas tree decorated cookies from 1967 (2)

Christmas tree decorated cookies from 1967 (1)


Cute cookie decorating ideas (1972)

Cute cookie decorating ideas (1972)


Christmas cookie decorating ideas for a cookie forest (1976)

From Ladies Home Journal (December 1976)

Here is a forest of sweets, filled with murmuring pines and hemlocks, a beautiful cookie wonderland of 36 trees that is edible, quick and easy to do. Follow our inspiration or your own creative visions.

The flat trees are cut out of basic dough into different sizes and shapes (by knife or cutters) and decorated freehand with one frosting that’s tinted infinite colors. The round trees are ice cream cones, branched with almonds or extra dough. We propped them up with candy sticks “glued” on by melted caramel.

Christmas cookie decorating ideas for a cookie forest (2)

Christmas cookie decorating ideas for a cookie forest (1)


Star cookies for Christmas – Sugar cookies and gingerbread (1977)

From Ladies Home Journal (December 1977)

Here, upon the midnight clear, these heavenly cookies mark just the beginning of the Journal’s Christmas Cookie Book ’77.

Our Yule-time treats are all made with love and togetherness to delight family and friends. The celestial stars here are carved out of the same sugar cookie dough (by pattern or cutter). No two alike.

Follow our flights of fancy — from stained glass to Pennsylvania Dutch — or dream your own jubilant ideas.

Star cookies decorated for Christmas - Sugar cookies and gingerbread from 1977 (2)

Star cookies decorated for Christmas - Sugar cookies and gingerbread from 1977 (1)


Pretty retro 70s Christmas wreath cookie designs (1978)

From Ladies Home Journal (December 1978)

Bright little wreaths, symbols of welcome, make their cookie rounds in radiant splendor.

To create this miniature wonderland, simply stir up some sugar cookie dough, shape with cookie cutters and paint with gaily-colored frosting.

Follow our freehand dabbles or design your own. Another witty way: glue on a circle of nuts and red-hot [candy] “berries” with a sticky melting of caramel.

Pretty retro 70s wreath cookie designs from 1978 (1)

Pretty retro 70s wreath cookie designs from 1978 (2)


Enchanting Nutcracker characters on big decorated sugar cookies (1979)

How could anyone resist this cookie fantasy based on The Nutcracker ballet — the story of Clara, her brother Fritz, and one very special Christmas when a Nutcracker doll comes to life, battles the evil Mouse King, and takes Clara off to the magic land of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Enchanting storybook character - Big sugar cookie designs from 1979 (2)

Enchanting storybook character - Big sugar cookie designs from 1979 (1)


Decorate sugar cookies like Christmas stockings (1980)

From Ladies Home Journal (December 1980)

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care (insert) or on boughs of greens (below) — a beautiful stretch of cookie stockings to greet St. Nick, delight the entire family.

Crispy, buttery cookies with a hint of lemon are simply fashioned by pattern (trace one here) or freehand and decorated with royal icing.

Follow our inspiration or dream up your own designs. Hint: Poke hole in corner before baking for string loop.

Decorate sugar cookies like Christmas stockings (2)

Decorate sugar cookies like Christmas stockings (1)


Decorated Christmas cookies from the 80s

Decorated Christmas cookies from the 80s (1986)


Classic Christmas cookie decorating ideas for kids: Let them eat toy-shaped treats! (1987)

44 fabulous designs, from drums to choo-choo trains… fun to bake, even more fun to eat!

Christmas balls, candles, gingerbread boys, cookie mice, butterflies, angels, drums, snowflakes, pinwheel pops, snowman, three-tier tree, airplanes, raspberry hearts, crystal bells, piggy pops, teddy bears, ladybugs, meringue snails, wreaths, porcupines, crystal church, mittens, kitty pops, dinosaurs, stars, toy soldiers, angelfish, black-eyed Susans, bunnies, pretzels, trumpets, turtles, Christmas stockings, cookie canes…

Decorate Christmas cookies like toys - vintage ideas from the 80s (2)

Decorate Christmas cookies like toys - vintage ideas from the 80s (3)

Decorate Christmas cookies like toys - vintage ideas from the 80s (1)

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