February 2026 Magnet Club: Circus Animal Cookies
February is a Circus.
When you think of February, I bet one of the very first things that comes to mind is Valentine’s Day. As a floral designer of many years, I can tell you that what may seem like a minor holiday to many people often feels like a circus to the rest of us. Whether you’re arranging stems all day in a flower shop, trying to secure that last minute dinner reservation at your favorite restaurant, or “they love me, they love me not”-ing with a pile a daisies, February calls for a little sugary treat.
Thinking about the magnet club magnet for February, I found I had a surprising array of February holidays to draw inspiration from. Valentine’s day, of course. I could always do a conversation heart or a Hershey’s kiss (I’ll be honest, the kiss might be appearing at some point). But there’s also President’s day, the Superbowl, and Groundhog day. I like the Superbowl idea, but does anyone really need a magnet shaped like a chicken wing? I certainly don’t.
When I really thought about it, though, I did want to have a little nod to Valentine’s day. Since becoming a floral designer in 2017, cupid’s favorite day has been a major event in my year. That being said, I knew I didn’t want to go TOO literal with the inspiration. Been there, done that.
It hit me like a old joke: what’s pink and white and sweet all over? Circus animal cookies! The circus theme felt appropriate; if you’ve ever been in flower shop during the second week of February, you might know what I mean. Phones ringing, leaves and stems flying everywhere, frazzled florists designing as fast as they can, and a line of confused husbands and partners waiting to place their orders. (Pro tip: if you want to really impress your person, send your flowers the week before Valentine’s day with a card message that reads, “I couldn’t wait another week to tell you how much I love you.” All the brownie points, no long wait, and better flower selection to choose from. You’re welcome.)
And let’s not forget the sugary treat aspect. Getting through V-day D-day at the shop always required a lot of sugar and caffeine. And I mean a lot.
The process of making these little guys required some trial and error. My first attempt had me tracing out my best interpretation of the blobby animal shapes right out of the bag. It turns out, the real animal cookies are a little rough when it comes to the shape. The next challenge was making the sprinkles, and figuring out how to make those little dots appear nice and crisp. Glaze likes to melt together, and boy did it melt. In the gallery below you can see how that first round turned out: on the right track, but not quite there.
Round two involved a set of cookie cutters (thank you, internet), and my first foray into slip trailing with underglaze, thanks to some advice from my pottery friends. I’m happy to say I think I have it figured out! When I loaded them into the kiln, I was definitely stressing about if I had the sprinkle placement right, the colors, etc, but once I again I opened a bag of the real thing and was reminded of how blobby and imperfect animal cookies really are. Cute, but blobby, and we forgive them. And then we eat them.
Or, if you’re really feeling froggy, join me over at magnet club for your surprise monthly magnet shipping!
