Tools

Here are some of the different tools that you can use to make bentos.  Some of which you may already have at home!  Before you go out to buy anything, look around your kitchen to see what you can utilize so that you won’t have to make a special trip to the store.

Round and Oval Shapes

For small round shapes- use straws and pastry bag tips.  You can also make small oval shapes with the straws by lightly pressing on the sides of the straw when cutting.  For larger circles use thin plastic cups or containers.  If the plastic is thin enough you can use it to make oval shapes as well by pressing in the sides like the straws.

Cutter Sets

Different cutter sets are available in stores and online.  The Wilton fondant cutters (pictured above or click on link for more shapes) are the least expensive of the lot and come in a variety of different shapes.

A larger set like this round cutter set is very useful for cutting sandwiches to perfectly fit your different sized bento boxes as well as can minimize waste by utilizing as much of the bread as possible.

Cookie Cutters

Cookie cutters are great tools to utilize in bento making.  Chances are that you already have a bunch of fun cutters and if not, they are inexpensive and widely available.  I like to use the large ones for sandwiches and the smaller ones for cutting out edible decorations from fruit, veggies, SPAM, egg, and cheese just to list a few possibilities.

Nori Punches

There are a bunch of punches available which are specifically designed to cut nori.  They take the work out of making cute facial expressions for your bento creations.  Don’t worry if you don’t have a nori punch, you can always use a good pair of clean and sharp scissors, just like the one I have pictured!