So you’ve finally decided—you’re going to teach a cookie class. 🎉
You’re excited… but if you’re anything like me when I started, you’re also a little terrified. I’ll never forget my very first class. I was nervous, shaky, and running around with sweaty armpits, wondering if I had forgotten something important.
Spoiler: I had.
I stressed over every detail, worried students would ask questions I couldn’t answer, and obsessed about whether everything would be “perfect.” But here’s the truth: perfection doesn’t matter. What matters is creating a fun, welcoming experience that your students will remember.
If you’re ready to teach your first cookie decorating class, here are the lessons I learned the hard way—so you don’t have to.
Lesson 1: Perfection Isn’t the Goal
Your students aren’t coming for a flawless, Pinterest-worthy setup. They’re coming for a fun experience. They want to laugh, decorate cookies, and feel proud of what they made—even if their lines aren’t straight or their polka dots look more like blobs.
Once I let go of my need to make everything perfect, my classes became so much more enjoyable—both for me and my students.
Lesson 2: You Don’t Need All the Answers
In my very first class, a student asked me about buttercream icing… while we were decorating with royal icing. I panicked inside because I didn’t have a polished answer ready. But here’s what I learned: your students don’t expect you to know everything.
They want guidance and encouragement. And being honest—“That’s a great question, let me look into it for you”—builds trust far more than pretending you’re an encyclopedia.
Lesson 3: Preparation Builds Confidence
There’s nothing that will calm your nerves more than being prepared. When you know exactly which cookies you’re decorating first, how the class will flow, and your setup is ready, you can focus on connecting with your students instead of scrambling behind the scenes.
Prep and confidence go hand in hand. The smoother your setup, the more mental space you have to enjoy teaching.
Lesson 4: Stop Reinventing the Wheel
My first class took me hours to plan. I hunted down cutters, built a color palette, sketched designs, made practice sets, took photos, wrote posts, and tried to market everything from scratch. It was exhausting.
Then I realized: templates are your best friend. They save time, reduce stress, and let you put your energy into the one thing no template can replace—your encouragement and love of cookies.
Teaching Your First Cookie Class Will Change Your Business
Here’s the truth: your first class won’t be perfect. And that’s okay. Each time you teach, you’ll get better. Your flow will improve, your confidence will grow, and your students will continue to come back.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign that it’s time to teach your first class, this is it.
