Gingerbread boy Gift Tag

OK, so now that the tree is up and gift list is complete my crafty idea cycle begins. Neither Martha Stewart nor her minions need fear. Every craft project I do is a one trick pony, high on enthusiasm and low on skill.

This year I decided that China doesn’t need any more revenue from gift tags, so I got out my smallest gingerbread boy cookie cutter and began to think about how those cute guys could work as gift tags (our family calls them “To Froms”).

After I figured out how to do it the project was pretty easy, lots of fun and made the house smell wonderful for a whole day.

I used Gingerbread mix and followed the “For Cut Out Cookies” directions on the side of the box. For frosting I made Royal Icing* because it hardens, an old file folder for the tags, a green marking pen I found in the cupboard, and I bought $1.50 worth of ¼” red ribbon.

After I cut out the gingerbread boys, I pushed holes in the legs with the tip of a chopstick, then held the hole in place during the baking with sections of paper straws. They came out easily when the cookies were just out of the oven.

There is no disguising the “loving hands from home” look of these tags, and cookies left out for two weeks will not win any taste tests, but I sure had fun thinking of friends and family while I tied those boys on the presents.

Royal Icing

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 egg white, whisk to bubbly stage
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Add whisked egg white and vanilla to sugar and beat with hand beater until it is thoroughly blended and icing is without any lumps (they get stuck in the hole of the tip).
Frost immediately as this icing hardens quickly.

I used a size #2 frosting tip to pipe the icing on. If I ever do this project again, I will use a smaller #1 tip.