Who these templates are for
Every template above opens the cookie cutter generator with the shape already loaded. Choose a size, check the 3D preview and download a print-ready STL – the model is made on your own device in a few seconds. The set covers the classics (tree, star, gingerbread man, snowman, candy cane) and less common shapes that are hard to find in shops, such as a nutcracker, a sleigh, a Christmas pudding and a polar bear.
- Home bakers who want a few favourite shapes in exactly the size they like, or a matching set for the family’s Christmas baking day.
- Gift makers filling cookie boxes, jars and stockings – the stocking, gift box and snow globe templates have flat areas made for piping names.
- School fairs, bake sales and big family batches where many cookies need to match. You can print duplicates of a cutter so several people can cut at once, and size a cutter to fit your tins or gift-box inserts to the millimetre.
- Teachers, parents and clubs planning a decorating session – see the kids’ set below for shapes with nothing thin to snap off.
How to make, print and use a Christmas cookie cutter
- Pick a template and open it. The generator loads the shape at a size that suits it.
- Set the size. The number is the cookie’s longest side. Each template page has a size guide with the real width and height of the cookie.
- Download the STL and open it in your slicer (Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, Cura or OrcaSlicer). It is already oriented rim-down, so it needs no supports.
- Print, wash and dry the cutter before its first use.
- Roll, chill and cut. Roll the dough to an even 5–6 mm, press the cutter straight down (no twisting), lift the cookie with a palette knife and chill the tray for 10–15 minutes before baking.
The shape is mirrored inside the STL on purpose: you print the cutter rim-down and turn it over to use it, so the cookie comes out the right way round.
Choosing the right dough
Christmas cookie doughs behave very differently in the oven, and that matters more than the cutter. Gingerbread made with treacle or molasses is firm and spreads very little, so it is the best choice for detailed shapes like the snowflake, reindeer and nutcracker. Rolled sugar cookies made without much baking powder keep sharp edges and give a pale surface for icing. Shortbread is rich and tender; it holds chunky shapes well but softens fine points, so pair it with the bauble, star, snowman or gift box. Whatever the dough, chilling the cut cookies before baking is the single best way to keep corners crisp.
Sizes at a glance
Most Christmas cookies look right at 80–100 mm: big enough to decorate, small enough for a gift box. Compact shapes – the bauble, snowman, gift box, snow globe and stocking – still cut cleanly at 50–60 mm, which is handy for bite-size cookies and cupcake toppers. Shapes with thin parts need more room: keep the snowflake, reindeer and polar bear at 100 mm or more, and the starred tree and nutcracker at 90 mm or more. The generator goes from 30 to 200 mm; above 120 mm, set the blade to 1.2 mm so the cutter does not flex.
Print settings for PLA cookie cutters
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Material | PLA (easiest) or PETG; food-contact grade if you can get it |
| Nozzle | 0.4 mm (use a 1.2–1.6 mm blade with a 0.6 mm nozzle) |
| Layer height | 0.2 mm |
| Walls / perimeters | 2–3 – the 1 mm blade prints solid |
| Infill | Any – the cutter is thin walls only |
| Supports | None |
| Blade | 1.0 mm thick, 15 mm tall (1.2 mm above 120 mm) |
| Print time | About 25–40 minutes per cutter |
To print a whole set at once, download each STL and arrange several on one build plate in your slicer, leaving a few millimetres between the grip rims. A red or green filament makes it easy to tell your Christmas cutters apart from the rest of the drawer.
Christmas cookie set ideas
12 days of Christmas cookie box
Twelve different shapes: one a day as a countdown from 13 to 24 December, one for each of the traditional twelve days from Christmas Day to 5 January, or all at once in a twelve-compartment gift box. Mix easy shapes with a few showpieces so the box looks varied. Uses: Christmas Tree, Christmas Star, Gingerbread Man, Snowman, Candy Cane, Christmas Bauble, Christmas Stocking, Snowflake, Santa Face, Reindeer, Gift Box, Christmas Bell.
Gingerbread set
A gingerbread man and girl, a house and a tree – everything for a gingerbread village on one board. Print the figures at 100 mm and 70 mm for a whole family. Uses: Gingerbread Man, Gingerbread Girl, Gingerbread House, Christmas Tree with Star.
Santa’s night set
Santa, his hat, the sleigh, a reindeer and a present: a story you can lay out across a cake board. Uses: Santa Face, Santa Hat, Sleigh, Reindeer, Gift Box.
Winter wonderland set
Animals and snow that work from December into January – good for winter birthdays and school events, too. Uses: Polar Bear, Penguin, Snowman, Snowflake, Snow Globe, Mitten.
Kids’ decorating party set
Big, chunky shapes with nothing thin to snap off and lots of room for icing and sprinkles. Uses: Christmas Bauble, Snowman, Christmas Sweater, Snow Globe, Christmas Stocking.
Elegant dessert-table set
Botanical and traditional shapes that look good in metallic lustre, for dinners and gift boxes for adults. Uses: Poinsettia, Holly Leaves, Christmas Wreath, Christmas Bell, Christmas Pudding, Nutcracker.
More free Christmas makes
Finish the presents with Christmas gift tags – a name and “Merry Christmas” on a tree, star or bauble tag, printed or laser-cut – and turn a family photo into a glowing Christmas ornament lithophane for the tree.
Celebrating Diwali first? The Diwali cookie cutters – diya, rangoli, lotus, kandil lantern and more – are ready to print for 8 November 2026.
Baking for Halloween too? The 6 Halloween cookie cutters include a pumpkin, a jack-o’-lantern with a cut-out face, a ghost, a bat, a witch hat and a black cat.
Tips for festive cookie cutters
- Print your cutters 2–3 weeks before the festival so you have time to test a batch.
- Chunky shapes are easiest for kids to decorate; shapes with thin parts (antlers, tassels, sparks) work best at 100 mm or larger.
- Every template prints as a single piece – separate parts are joined by thin bars on the top rim.
- Want your own design? Use the cookie cutter generator with any image or name.
Frequently asked questions
Are these Christmas cookie cutter STL files free?
Yes. All 30 templates are free to open, resize and download as STL files. There is no account and no watermark, and the model is built in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
What size should a Christmas cookie cutter be?
Most Christmas cookies are 80–100 mm on the longest side, and each template opens at a size that suits its shape (85–100 mm). Compact shapes such as the bauble, snowman, gift box and snow globe still cut well at 50–60 mm. Shapes with thin parts – the snowflake, reindeer antlers, polar bear legs and the star on the starred tree – are best kept at the default size or larger.
What are the best print settings for a PLA cookie cutter?
Use PLA or PETG with a 0.4 mm nozzle, 0.2 mm layers, 2–3 walls and no supports. The STL is already oriented with the grip rim on the bed. A 90 mm cutter usually takes 25–40 minutes.
Are 3D printed cookie cutters food safe?
They are generally fine for the brief contact of cutting chilled dough if you look after them, but they are not as easy to clean as metal cutters. Layer lines can trap dough, so use a filament sold as suitable for food contact if you can, wash by hand in warm (not hot) soapy water, dry them straight away and keep PLA out of the dishwasher, because heat softens it. Replace a cutter once it is scratched or stained, and keep cutters used for clay or play dough separate.
Which dough works best with these cutters?
Doughs that hold their shape: gingerbread, rolled sugar cookies and shortbread. Roll to 5–6 mm and chill the cut cookies for 10–15 minutes before baking. Doughs with a lot of baking powder or butter spread in the oven and blur fine details, so save them for chunky shapes like the bauble or snowman.
Can I make the cutters for a different Christmas shape?
Yes. The cookie cutter generator also turns any simple black-and-white image, or a typed name or letter, into a cutter. Bold silhouettes with no parts thinner than about 3 mm work best.
When should I print my Christmas cookie cutters?
Christmas is on 25 December 2026. Print your cutters by the end of November so you have time for a test batch before the December baking rush – each cutter takes under an hour, so a full set fits into a weekend.
More collections: Halloween cookie cutters · Diwali cookie cutters