Otter Cookie Set with Free Printable Gift Tags
Otters are not only adorable to look at, they also make adorable puns for just about any occasion. Case in point, these Valentine otter cookies I made last year. With Easter now over, we are quickly approaching end-of-the-school-year, Teacher Appreciation season. I wanted to put another otter cookie pun to good use, and hopefully one that any teacher would appreciate.
Otter Cookie Cutter Set
Just added to the shop is this new 3-piece otter cookie cutter set. The set includes an otter head, a belly, and a feet cookie cutter. When place together, the cookie set forms the appearance of an adorable otter floating on its back.
Also, like my Easter stick cookies I posted a few weeks ago, this set fits perfectly in my favorite, 7″x 4.5″x 1.25″ Simplex cookie box made by BRP Box Shop (box shown in the featured image above).
Otter Cookie Set Template
To help guide you through the decorating process, I made a template of the Teacher Appreciation otter design shown below. As a bonus, I also included a neck tie design you can use for Father's Day. (I'll mention more about that design at the end of this post.) In the PDF file, you’ll find a template for each cookie cutter shape.
You can download the otter cookie set template HERE.
If you have a Kopykake or Pico projector, just print it out (or pull it up on your mobile device) and you are good to go. For those without a projector, follow the suggested steps below by cutting out the template and tracing the design onto the cookie with an edible food marker.
Decorating Process
Just a warning, because there are three cookies involved, this post is a little long. So get comfortable and let's get started!
You will need the following suggested colors:
- Brown royal icing. (I used Rainbow Dust Progel Chestnut.)
- Tan icing (I mix Americolor Ivory with a touch of Rainbow Dust Chestnut.)
- Dark Brown icing (I mix Americolor Chocolate Brown with a touch of Americolor Super Black.)
- Black icing (I used Americolor Super Black.)
- White icing
- Green stiff icing (I used Americolor Leaf Green.)
Otter Head Cookie
Step 1
Begin by first filling in the bottom mouth area of the cookie with tan icing. Wait 15 minutes for it to crust over, then add the top area with brown icing. I left off the ears to add later. (This will give them more dimension.) Let this icing set for about 20 minutes.
Step 2
Next, fill in the ears with brown icing, and add a nose with dark brown icing. (I added nostrils but a simple oval would work just as well.) Let this icing set for about 20 minutes.
Then, add the black facial details like the mouth and eyes. I threw on nerdy eyeglasses because of this school-themed gift, but feel free to leave those off if you'd like.
Step 3
To complete the nerdy look, add strips of white icing to the middle bridge of the glasses. Lastly, outline the tan mouth area for a finished look.
Otter Belly Cookie
Step 1
Begin by first filling in the middle area of the cookie with tan icing. Wait 15 minutes for it to crust over, then add the side areas with brown icing. Let this icing set for about 20 minutes.
Step 2
Next, add the arms with brown icing. First outline the areas then fill in the middles. Let this icing set for about 20 minutes.
Step 3
For this teacher appreciation set, I had the otter holding an apple. Add the apple shape between the otter's hands with red icing, as shown below. Let that crust over, then add a stem with dark brown icing and a green leaf (using a #65 tip).
To finish off this cookie, outline around the arms and add fingers with brown icing.
Otter Feet Cookie
Step 1
Begin by outlining the tail section with brown icing. Also, add a thin layer of brown icing in the middle between where the two feet would be. Then, fill in the tail area. Let this icing set for 20 minutes.
Step 2
Next, outline the feet with dark brown icing, then fill in the feet sections. Let this set to dry for one hour.
Step 3
Last, outline the feet and toe details with dark brown icing.
The finished otter cookie set should look like the one below. Cute, right?
As an added bonus, I wanted to include a free printable punny gift tag to go along with this teacher appreciation otter cookie set. On the tag it says, "There's no OTTER teacher like you! THANKS for an amazing year!"
Actually, I had such a fun time designing that tag, I went ahead and made two more for Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
You can download a full sheet of each design at the links below (they are large files so it may take a little while to load):
Teacher Appreciation Otter Gift Tag
Valentine’s Day Otter Gift Tag
For Father’s Day, I altered the design by adding a dad-like neck tie on the otter. I also kept the glasses but removed the white tape in the middle. The tag says, “Dad, you’re OTTERLY awesome! Happy FATHER’S Day!” The design for the neck tie is also included in the cookie design template.
For Valentine’s Day, I removed the glasses all together and added a heart for the otter to hold. The tag says, “For my significant OTTER, Happy VALENTINE’S Day!”
I “otterly” enjoyed making these otter cookies, creating the gift tags, and coming up with clever holiday otter puns. I hope you’ll enjoy making them too!
