I have been asked to teach a one time cookie decorating class. Off the top of your head, what would any of you pay for an individual class? I live in CA, and I know costs vary by region, but I would appreciate any feedback anyone has!
Thanks so much 
Thank you for responding cindy58! And luv2bake6, the class is for adults.
Is it for adults or children?
cindy58, would you mind telling me what they taught in each class? I'd like to teach that same kind of class but don't know how to break it up. Thanks
Cookies were prebaked, she had icing made and colored, appropriate sprinkles, etc. set up. She gave us the recipe, discussed inserting the sticks. For the Valentine class, she had demo cookies done, but you could choose those or do your own design. For the Wedding theme one, we made the heart dress and tux cookies, an engagement ring, and a wedding cake. She had us flood the cookies with royal, do some of the wet on wet techniques. We went step by step thru each cookie design. I liked the Wedding themed class the best because we made specific designs rather than do-your-own-thing. We also assembled them into the basket and made the little cello puffs to fill in.
I thought $25 was very reasonable when you consider that all supplies were included. She probably could have charged a bit more.
I have seen classes range between the $25 mentioned up to around $65. Depending on who is teaching, whether it is hands on and if supplies are included.
They offered a cookie class at the cake store I go to last spring, for adults, I didnt check the price. She baked the cookies ahead, dont know the set up for the icing etc, but there were several nice bouquets on display afterwards. She said she had a full house for it.
I taught a one night cookie class for the last two years right before Thanksgiving. Let me just say up front that it is A LOT OF WORK!!!
Two hour class. 6 hours of prep work. We did holiday cookie bouquets. I had all the cookies ready to decorate, RI ready to go, along with holiday mugs and hershey kisses to fill with. Demo how to roll, cut out, insert stick, decorate. Then the participants created their own cookie bouquets.
I did this class thru a local hospital "health education center". They charged the students (adults) $35 with $18 going towards supply costs. I got paid $20 per hour.
I am not doing it this year. Too much work for not enough money.
a class by you?!?! i would easily pay $40! and that's even if i had to bring my own cookies and icing!
I charged $45 for my classes last year. They were 3 hours long and each student recevied at least 6 cookies each to decorate, recipies, all decorating supplies (fondant, RI, RBC,) and they learned how to use stencils, luster dust, make flowers, etc....
Thank you for such helpful input everyone. I don't know why its so hard to set my price - I just have to decide what I think my time would be worth and do it! Its just back to the familiar dilemma - people don't realize how much work is involved - they're just cookies.... right? So I totally get why cakesbycathy isn't teaching her class again this year. And southaustingirl - that sounds like an incredible class - so much information in 3 hours!
And kneadacookie, you are too sweet - thanks!
Another thing to consider is your cost if you are renting a space. I rent one of the large rooms at my church for $50.00. It has a small kitchen, tables and chairs.
As for the flooding technique, I only give a demo and let the students decide if they want to use it.....with the knowledge that the cookie will most likely NOT dry by the end of class.
I am doing a two day class in October on how to decorate my 3D cookies. Each class will be four hours, for a total of 8 hours. I plan to bring enough cookies for each student to decorate and assemble (6) 3D cookies, as well as the supplies for the icing. The students will bring at least 5 couplers, numerous tips, a tapered off-set spatula, and highball glasses to store the icing bags in when not using. I also hope to have enough time to make some flat cookies to decorate in different techniques (I'm leaning towards mittens that can be decorated with sprinkles on the cuffs, and a tie-dye effect for the hand portion). I'm being paid $50 per student. They're covering all costs for me to stay at the venue for all nights. I'm also going to be allowed to sell my 3D cookie cutter kits, which is a huge bonus for me. I'm really looking forward to this class! I'm being paid to teach my obsessions to other decorators...woo hoo!
Congrats Susan!
Where's the class and is there any room left?
That sounds great Susan! And such a bonus to be able to sell your cookie cutters too 
What is the event? Are there other classes going on too?
It's for an ICES weekend of sharing. It's being held at Camp Carol Joy Holling, just outside Omaha, NE. The two days of decorating (Thursday, October 15 & Friday, the 16th) are split between me and another decorator. She is teaching gelatin flowers and fondant ribbon flowers. She'll take half of each day for her class, and I'll take the other half. I'm being allowed to take her class for free, and she can take mine for free. It sounds like she's not going to take my class, however, because she just got done doing a very large cookie order and really doesn't care to look at another cookie for quite some time! I'll be doing a demo for the weekend as well....haven't decided exactly what that will be. A simple cookie decorating demo, or go more ambitious and show how to put together a cookie tree centerpiece. Or maybe how to use decorated cookies to adorn cakes? The latest email I received said that there are 12 people signed up for my class so far, with October 12 being the deadline for signing up. I'm so-o-o looking forward to this!
Over the weekend I went to a craft fair at the Waterford Foundation in VA. I met Betsy Cukla of Hammer Song Cookie Cutters there. (Of course I had to buy a bunch of cookie cutters too.)
I thought you might be interested to see the info on a cookie decorating class she will be doing Oct 11:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135809467670
Wow - sounds like a great class! And probably worth every penny, if you ask me I decided not to do the class after giving it a lot of thought - for the same reason I'm not selling cookies any more. SOOOO much time when there's already so much to do for my family. Some day though!
Thank you all for your input.
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