To make No Fail Sugar Cookies:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients a small amount at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.

Chill for at least 1 hour.

Roll dough to about 3/8 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Insert a wooden skewer into each shape, making sure dough completely covers stick. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges. Cool cookies completely before decorating. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen 3 inch cookies.

To make Royal Icing

Pour warm water and meringue powder in mixing bowl. Mix together on medium to high speed until frothy and thickened, about 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar and mix for an additional 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar all at once. Mix on lowest speed for 10 minutes. Icing will be thick and shiny. Keep icing covered to prevent drying. Divide icing into separate containers and tint with desired food colors.

To decorate cookies: Place about 1/2 of each desired icing color in resealable bags. The other half, add about 1/2 tsp water at a time until slightly thinned; place in squeeze bottle(to be used later). Carefully snip a small piece from the tip of the corner of the bag. Outline all of the cookie shapes with desired icing colors. Once all cookies are outlined, "flood" the center of the cookies with icing from the squeeze bottle. Add details to each cookie as desired. Let dry overnight. Wrap cookies in cellophane.

Place Styrofoam in decorative container, making sure it is tight fitting or is secured in place. Arrange cookies as desired by sticking the cookie skewers into the Styrofoam, clipping skewers as needed to achieve desired height. Add shredded paper, decorative tissue, and ribbon as desired.