Cookie Cutter Christmas Tree
By Kris Richards

Materials:

• 1 package (your choice of green) Premo polymer clay (I used Sea Green # 5305) or Sculpey III Polymer clay conditioned and flattened to ¼ inch thickness
• 1/8 package Cadmium Red Premo polymer clay or Red Hot Sculpey III polymer clay conditioned and flattened to 1/8 inch thickness
• 1/16 package Gold Premo polymer clay or gold Sculpey III polymer clay, conditioned and flattened to ¼ inch thickness
• Wilton Star-shaped cookie cutter set
• Largest Kemper star cutter
• Smallest Kemper heart cutter
• Clay blade
• Clay roller
• Pasta machine
• Baking dish
• Oven set to bake reliably at 275 degrees

Directions:

Step 1. Roll all of the green clay out on thickest pasta machine setting, and fold to double thickness (about ¼ inch). Use the clay roller to press the folded clay together well.

Step 2. Use the third smallest Wilton star cutter to cut two stars. This will be the bottom of the Christmas tree.

Step 3. Press the second star on top of the first one, being sure to stagger the points as shown.

Step 4. Cut two smaller stars (the second smallest in the Wilton set).

Step 5. Stack the two smaller stars (staggering the points as in step 3) on top of the two larger stars.

Step 6. Cut two more stars the same size as the last two, using the smallest star in the Wilton set. Stack and stagger as in step 5.

Step 7. Repeat the last step, again, but cut the two remaining stars smaller than the last using your clay blade. Stack and stagger again. You should now have eight stacked and staggered stars.

Step 8. Use the largest Kemper star cutter to cut one green star. Stack it on top of the last star. Cut a gold star from flattened gold clay, and stand it up on top of the last green star. Cut several red hearts using the Kemper hear cutter, and press them all around the bottom ten points of the tree. Roll several small balls of red clay, press on the remaining branches (points). Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes, allow to cool before touching.