Dashing to send off a post today as I continue to deck the halls, craft, bake and prepare to celebrate the holidays. Happily, the shopping, wrapping and cards are finished. How about you?

When I first began collecting large Christmas cookie cutters, the plan was to decorate whimsical cookies — wrapped in cellophane bags — as table favors. Instead, for several consecutive years, I gave duplicates as Christmas gifts to family and friends. I imagined they (or one day I) would bake giant cutouts for a cookie decorating activity with kids or grandkids.

Fast forward, and I’ve finally gotten to a decorating idea that’s been in my noggin for several years — hanging the oversized holiday cookie cutters on my upper kitchen cabinets.

Not that it was a difficult project to do. But, it did mean finding extra time to get organized and put them together. Last year, I was wearing a giant boot and getting around on crutches, so there was no climbing on a stepstool to hang them!

Let me show you my Christmas cookie cutter collection, and how festive they look decorating the kitchen.

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Decking the Halls Kitchen

Over the years, I’ve collected cookie cutters from William Sonoma during post-Christmas clearance sales. All are stainless, which don’t rust and nicely compliment my kitchen appliances. Depending on your cabinet finish, copper cookie cutters could look fabulous, but might tarnish and need more upkeep.

Since I don’t really have any kitchen wall space for decorating, this trio of cabinets in the corner is a high visibility area for displaying them.

When we Remodeled the Kitchen Design & Layout, most of the walls are covered by cabinetry, appliances, doors or windows.

Here is a view of how the nine-foot island looks with the Casual Christmas Table & Bar Set for Holiday Season. In the background you can see the large pantry — in a minute I’ll show you more cookie cutters hanging on the upper cabinet doors. On the angled door hangs a snowman. It’s another spot in the kitchen I use to display seasonal and holiday wreaths and decorations, in lieu of wall space.

Only one of the three doors in the corner is opened frequently, as it holds coffee cups. Although the cookie cutters swing a bit, I haven’t found opening and closing the doors an issue. It helps hanging them high on the cabinets, requiring shorter pieces of ribbon.

It’s the same space I Decorated with Red Heart Ornaments for Valentines Day.

Decorating Tip: All the oversized cookie cutters are between 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches tall. You could go smaller, but I’d advise at least 5 inches so they don’t look lost against the cabinet door. And, I’d try to stay consistent in the size and finish of the cookie cutters displayed.

Wreath Making

Hanging on the center cabinet is a wreath cookie cutter, measuring 8″ by 7 1/2″. You know how much I enjoy making wreaths, so why not large decorated cookie versions?

Even though 13 holiday wreaths decorate the inside and out of our home, it’s been years since I crafted a new one for the house. Instead, I Refreshed & Updated Christmas Wreaths with new bows, ribbon and embellishments.

A year earlier, I made a new Holiday Peacock Wreath. It not only compliments my Peacock Ornaments on the Christmas Tree, but how I Decorate for Christmas with a Peacock Theme. And since I have peacock decor accents in the living room — like a vase full of feathers on the grand piano — I leave the wreath up on the mirror through February.

Two other whimsical Christmas wreaths I made were gifts for my sons. See both the Bringing Home the Christmas Tree and Elmer the Elf Christmas Wreath.

Nuts for Nutcracker

On the left-side corner cabinet, is a nutcracker cookie cutter. He’s the newest in my collection; a gift youngest son tucked into my stocking. D knows how much I love The Nutcracker ballet, especially it’s timeless music. When they’re home for Christmas, I’m always requesting that he or his brother play it on the piano.

This year, we are all going to see Hip Hop Nutcracker, “a holiday mash-up for the entire family, a contemporary re-imagination of Tchaikovsky’s timeless music.” It on it’s fourth national tour. Have you seen it?

There are quite a few nutcracker items in the living room; including ornaments on the living room tree, a needlepoint pillow, set of Byers’ Choice figures, and large Drosselmeyer Steinbrenner nutcracker.

Several years ago, Drosselmeyer was displayed as part of my Nutcracker Collection Christmas Centerpiece & Table.

Presently, I’m hand painting nutcracker stemware and crafting napkin rings to update that tablescape for our Christmas Day meal. Hoping to share with you soon, but I may not have time to finish both projects and create a post before the holiday.

Build a Snowman

Pairing nicely with the same size nutcracker cookie cutter, is a snowman. He joins a number of snowmen that decorate the kitchen in the months of December and January.

In addition to the snowman hanging on the kitchen door, are others decorating the adjacent open shelves.

Along with dishes and decor vignettes on the countertop, these shelves are the primary area for seasonal and holiday displays in the kitchen.

Check out more of my collection at Building a Snowman Table Setting, and 5 Snowman Centerpieces Decorate Winter Table.

Let It Snow!

Nearby, a pair of giant snowflakes hang from the cabinet doors above the stainless refrigerator.

Since I’ve already removed the vintage cookie tins, cookie cutters and other holiday items, these cabinets will remain closed until the New Year. Besides, I need a step stool to reach them anyway!

Each snowflake is different and beautifully detailed, measuring 7 1/2 by 8 inches. William Sonoma is currently showing a similar but different snowflake cookie cutter on their website.

Tied around each of the eight cookie cutters is narrow 5/8ths inch-wide grosgrain ribbon (Target this year), with no wire that would ripple. Wide painter’s masking tape attaches the ribbon to the backside of each cabinet door.

Simple, right?

Once hung, I decided the stainless silhouettes and tan striped ribbon looked too subtle. So to add some festive color, I got back on my stepstool and tied a piece of faux holly (Dollar Tree, 6 clusters/bunch) to the top of each cookie cutter.

After taking them down for the season, I’ll try to lightly press flat the curled edges of the holly using a cool iron (between a piece of fabric). Then, I’m thinking of adding a dab of glue around each knot of ribbon holding the holly in place.

What do you think would look best — with or without the holly?

Festive Upper Pantry Doors

Nearby, a trio of cookie cutters decorate the cabinets above the large kitchen pantry.

These upper doors are also opened less frequently.

Behind the reindeer cookie cutter, trays, cookie sheets and racks are stored between vertical dividers.

Platters, serving bowls, cake stands and larger seasonal dishes are stored on wide shelves behind the other pair of doors.

Isn’t the gingerbread man cute? Someday, I’d like to craft a new kitchen wreath decorated with a gingerbread theme. I’d embellish with regular-size cookie cutters and theme ornaments. Gingerbread is one of the holiday gift wrapping themes I use frequently. And, I’ve used gingerbread wrap and bags to package the cookie cutter gifts given to family and friends.

Sometimes, I’d attach a cookie cutter with ribbon as a package embellishment. Cookie cutters also make a nice hostess gift, especially when paired with other holiday baking items.

The Christmas tree cookie cutter is also beautifully detailed. One similar to it is currently listed on William Sonoma‘s site. It might be that it and other large format styles are still available in stores?

Time to Hang It Up

Wish I had a picture of the entire kitchen in a single view to share with you. I’m pretty pleased with how each cookie cutter looks. Especially with the decorated chandelier over the Bringing Home the Christmas Tree Holiday Table.

I finally finished decking the halls yesterday — hurrah! Its been several years since I decorated the small tree in the guest room with my collection of Scottie dog ornaments. I lost my Fibber McGee suddenly and unexpectantly two years ago in December, and it was a struggle just to make merry. This year the ornaments bring back happy memories of him.

And our Scottie puppy, Glenfiddich “Whiskey,” is celebrating his first birthday and Christmas. More importantly, both our sons will be home for two entire weeks through New Years — and R is bringing his girl with him. I’m trying to pull out all the stops!

They are arriving this weekend, so I’ve got to move on from decorating the house to finishing those nutcracker projects and start baking cookies!

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