Every sheet in this collection
7 printables
Gingerbread House Template
Six panels that actually fit: two side walls, two gable ends, two roof pieces, with the roof cut slightly...
Make itGingerbread Man Template
A plain gingerbread man outline with nothing inside it: no face, no buttons, no icing.
Make itSanta Hat Template
Two templates.
Make itChristmas Star Template
Five, six and eight point stars as plain outlines at any size from 20mm to 300mm, with tiling for anything larger...
Make itChristmas Tree Template
Three tree outlines: a tiered tree with three or five layers, a simple triangular tree, and a flat cone.
Make itChristmas Stocking Template
A plain stocking outline at 120mm for tags and cards, 220mm for a decoration and 400mm for a real stocking, which...
Make itChristmas Bauble Template
Three bauble outlines, each with a cap and a hanging loop drawn as part of the shape so there is nothing to glue on.
Make itWhat makes a template different from a colouring page
A colouring page has detail inside the outline. A template does not, because anything inside the line is a distraction when you are cutting or drawing round it. The outlines here are single continuous paths with no notches narrower than scissors can follow.
Each template also prints a size in millimetres next to it, so you can check the print came out at actual size rather than scaled, which is the most common reason a template does not fit what it was meant to fit.
Sizing and scaling
Every template has a size field in millimetres. Set the height you need and the shape scales to it. For anything larger than a sheet, the tiling option splits the shape across two or four pages with 10mm overlaps and registration marks, which is how you get a 60cm tree out of an A4 printer.
Print at 100 percent scaling with Fit to Page off. Fit to Page shrinks everything by three to five percent, which does not matter on a colouring sheet and matters a great deal on a gingerbread house panel.
What to print on
160gsm card for a template you will draw round once or twice. 200gsm to 250gsm for one you will reuse, for a gingerbread house panel that has to sit against dough, or for anything a child will handle repeatedly. Copier paper is fine only for a single trace.
For a template that will be used against food, print on card and cover it with clear tape or baking parchment rather than putting ink in contact with dough.
Questions
- How do I print a template at the right size?
- Set the size in millimetres in the panel, then print at 100 percent scaling with Fit to Page switched off. Each template prints its size next to the shape so you can check with a ruler.
- Can I print a template larger than a sheet of paper?
- Yes. The tiling option splits the shape across two or four pages with 10mm overlaps and registration marks, which lets you make a shape up to around 60cm from an A4 printer.
- What card should I use for a template?
- 160gsm for one or two traces, 200gsm to 250gsm for a template you will reuse or press against dough. Copier paper only survives a single use.
- Can I use a printed template against food?
- Cover it first. Print on card and tape over the face, or cut baking parchment to the shape using the template, so printer ink never touches the dough.