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Martha by Mail Seashore Cookie Cutters

The highly collectible Seashore Cookie Cutters from the former Martha by Mail catalog are ideal for making sugar cookies this summer.  Manufactured from solid copper, the set of five cookie cutters were inspired by images of the beach. The cutters range in size from 3-1/2" to 5-1/2", and come in the shapes of a starfish, a scallop shell, a horn shell, a crab and a conch shell.


Make some seashore cookies as part of a summer project for the kids.  Let them read all about the types of shells that one can hunt for on the beach, and then decorate some baked and cooled sugar cookies with colorful royal icing and sanding sugars.  Pack some to take to the beach as a treat!

Starfish, Scallop Shell, Horn Shell, Crab and Conch Shell.

As always, the Martha by Mail sets of cookie cutters came with their very own decorating card, complete with instructions.  The text below is from the back of the decorating card.

Decorating Seashore Cookies

Use these guidelines and our "Creating Cookies" booklet to decorate cookies like the ones shown here.


  • Conch:  Brush darker "shell opening" with egg white, and sprinkle with violet sanding sugar.  When dry, tap off excess sugar.  Outline and flood rest of cookie with icing.  Flock with blue sanding sugar.  Let dry.
  • Starfish:  Outline and flood the cookie with colored icing.  While icing is still wet, use a brush to paint the areas between points with darker icing as shown.  Let dry, then paint the whole cookie with egg white;  immediately flock with white sanding sugar.
  • Crab:  Outline and flood with icing.  Let dry.  Outline the body with icing.  Flock outline with yellow sanding sugar.  Let dry; tap off excess.  Pipe dots onto body.  Add two silver drageés for eyes.
  • Scallop Shell:  Outline and flood with icing.  Let dry.  Pipe lines of icing from every second dip along shell's edge to base.  Flock lines with white sanding sugar.  Let dry.  Pipe dots between lines.
  • Horn Shell:  Outline flood the "shell opening" with icing.  Let dry.  Outline and flood the rest of the cookie with icing.  Let dry.  Pipe around the opening and along "coils" with icing, then flock lines with white sanding sugar.  Let dry.

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