How To Make An Easter Cookie Decorating Kit

How can you let everyone in on the fun of decorating cookies? Create a cookie decorating kit! Enjoying the taste of a delicious sugar cookie is only part of the experience, when the cookies are decorated cookies.  If you make royal icing covered sugar cookies, you know all too well how much work goes into each cookie. This is not something most people have time to do. So how can you let others in on the fun?  Gifting or selling cookie decorating kits is a great way to offer an edible activity to your kids, your friends, or your clients.

The very basics of what you need for cookie decorating kits are baked cookies and some bagged icing. But why stop there! You can also add in some extras like sprinkles or edible glitter. I have never met anyone who didn't enjoy a splash of sprinkles ;) And these decorating kits definitely don’t have to be just for Easter. You can make cookie decorating kits for any holiday, any occasion - or just for fun! So let's talk about what you can put in your decorating kits, and how you might package them. 

Provide baked “naked” cookies, as well as enough icing to completely ice the cookies. You can provide as many icing colors are you want, pre-bagged in disposable tipless bags, with instructions on how to cut the tips. It’s good to remember that your customers are most likely not going to flood their cookies and then add details on top of the flood icing. They will decorate the whole cookie at once in one sitting, so it’s best to give them a stiffer consistency icing that will not drip off the side of the cookie and will hold its shape as they decorate. I have done this for multiple birthday parties for my son, and the kids always decorate this way. No one wants to listen to me explain flood icing versus piping icing. They just want to use their icing in the same way they would use markers. But they're always creative, and they are always proud of their edible creations. 

Need more information on different kinds of icing consistencies? You can check out our blog post here.

For these kits, you'll want to provide your little pastry artists with “blank” cookies, meaning baked cookies that have been iced with just white icing (or colors - totally up to you). Some cookie themes lend themselves well to this - like Easter eggs. The base of white icing gives them the perfect blank canvas on which to add details. In this video, I have iced a number of egg cookies in white, so the recipient can just do the final details.  Then you can make smaller bags of icing in different colors  - just enough to add that extra pizazz. Sprinkles can still be a great option to add to your decorating kit, too.

This idea is the same as option 2 with white iced cookies, but provide them with paint palettes and brushes instead of icing. This is an easy option on you, the cookie maker, as the cookies can be made in advance, and you do not need to worry about the icing you give to the customer separating if they don’t use it right away. This technique is also perfect if you like the idea of being able to put together last minute decorating kits for hostess gifts and surprise visitors. You can keep blank cookies in your freezer, pull them out as needed, and package with paint palettes. You will be everyone's favorite Aunt or friend if you show up to every party with a little bag of blank canvas cookies to put out at the kids table. ;) 

We have some great information about freezing cookies on our blog here. 

Similar to option 3, but providing your customer with stenciled PYO (stands for Paint Your Own) cookies and, again, some paint palettes. Or a combination of 3 & 4 would make a great decorating kit too! Stenciled PYO cookies are fabulous for kids of all ages who find starting a blank canvas intimidating. Do you enjoy coloring books? These are the best edible coloring books ever! 

Here's a blog post about making PYO cookies featuring my son at age 9. Oh how time flies! 

So now that you have all these great ideas for providing cookie decorating kits, you need something to deliver them in! Our specialty printed bags (like the Easter ones in this post) are the perfect size and style for packaging kits. They even have a handle! You could also choose one of our colorful egg cartons - perfect for Easter themed cookies. If you prefer a bakery-style box, we also have a number of options that could be just your style - and perfect to have on hand when you are making "just for fun" decorating kits and don't want the packaging to be holiday specific.

No matter how you choose to make or package your kits, they are a great Easter activity that people of all ages will enjoy. If you sell your cookies, decorating kits are a great addition to your decorated cookie offerings and a very time-effective way to make and sell cookies.

Have you made cookie decorating kits before? What else do you like to include? Let us know in the comments!