AHi all you wonderful cookie makers! Just spend my ENTIRE day in the kitchen making cookies. Never took that so serious before, as I only made them for fun and that's easy least, but hey, to make a tone of them, all same size, thickness AND decorated nicely?!? Am e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d! LOL. Respect to all of you

When my son was small, I used to make sugar cookie cutouts during Christmas. We decorated the cookies and it took a pretty much half a day which was normally on Saturdays. This was long before I got into decorating cakes as a hobby. We would just make the glaze icing and color it all different colors.  It was always a special day when him and I would spend time in kitchen making those cookies.

 I know what you mean about being exhausted. It is not as easy as it sounds!!!

We just made a small batch of sugar cookie dough this morning. I bet it will take HOURS to decorate with my 6 and 2 year old helping!

all the same thickness is easier then  you think.   You can use perfection strips such as these commercial ones:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006B4H5C/?tag=cakecentral-20

which I loved but found to be too short for my long cookie sheets. So I asked the hubby to cut me some 1/4 inch high  about 24 inch long wood strips.  They are awesome and make roll-out cookies a piece of cake.

i stack up rulers to roll my dough out between -- i use 2 stacks of two dedicated wooden rulers -- works great -- super inexpensive

I have a couple of acrylic strips taped together to make the thickness I like.  I bought them years ago for marking different heights on the sides of cakes and hated them for that.  The work a treat for rolling bickies to and even thickness, though.

AI saw a rolling pin at the supermarket the other day with adjustable hight wheels on the side for only 30$. What a bargain...not! Great idea with the taped rulers!!! Will use it next time.

AI spend a LOT of time at home Depot (I own a paint contracting co), & have found this to be the cheapest easiest way to ensure correct thickness in cookie dough. In the trim/molding Isle you can find wooden dowels, in any size that are square. I simply tape them to work surface & use them as guides. They are very cheap & you can customize their length to your work area. Hope that helps.

AIt is extremely time consuming if you do it all in one day but if you have make tons it's just like cakes - one thing on one day. Make, roll and freeze dough between wax paper one day. Cut and bake one day and freeze. Make and color royal icing night before you want to finish. Last day decorate and dry. No matter how you do it it takes a lot of time but I've found it more manageable to spread it out over time.