I'm already creating flyers now so that I can launch thos aspect of my biz. I just need to figure our what I will charge for one of these and whether I will give keepsakes, i.e. decorator bag, star tip, etc.

My biggest concern is pricing it just right. I don't want to over price, but at the same time it has to b worth me making all those mini cakes and leaving my house.

BTW, do you think a 5 inch or 4 inch would be too small?

I did this for my daughter's Girl Scout troop. They, at the time, were 11 years old. They earned a badge doing it.

There is a person that offers just such an opportunity to the Girl Scout Council and I think she charges about $20 per girl. I thought that was too much, and hosted our own instead.

Okay, here's how I price mine out if anyone is interested:

A party for 8 = $115.00 This includes a custom decorated cake ($25 value -- which for me is a 9x13 single layer sheet cake basically-- to be served at the party. If the customer wants a cake that is worth more than $25 then the additional cost is added on to the package). 8 individual 6" round cakes which are placed on a cake board and ready to decorate -- I do not pre-frost these -- they're just bare cakes, white frosting to frost the cakes with plus 4 colors to decorate with (I do two bags of each color for up to 8 kids), all basic decorating tools -- which are returned to me at the end of the party, 8 disposable aprons, 8" boxes for the kids to take their cakes home in, and 30 minutes of decorating instruction. To some extent I do help clean up (as I gather my things to leave) but I do not state that I will clean up because you never know what kind of trouble that could get me into! Then... I have package add-ons such as sprinkles and colored sugars (3 different ones) for $10.00, 3 colors of fondant and use of fondant tools for $15.00, and additional guests are $5.00 each.

If someone wants to book a party for 6 -- they pay for a party of 8 and get two extra cakes.... that's just how I do it.


I also have the option of doing cookies or cupcakes (3 per guest) for $100.00.


I'm not getting rich by any means doing this! LOL -- but it's affordable and competitive in our area (competitive to the Chuck-E-Cheese type parties, bowling parties,skating parties).

Oh, and I do this in the party persons home or a place they choose.


I also started out offering extras such as a small decorating kit for the birthday child to keep for an additonal $10 and some other stuff like that.... but it didn't go over so I dropped it.

Anyway... for those of you curious about how to price.... that's how I do it...

Oh, and also... I have a minimum age of 8 for a cake decorating party and require that if younger kids are there an extra adult must be there to help.

Thanks..that's helpful. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of $150-$200. I was thinking about doing a tiered package where package A, B, and C gradually increased in price w/ me offereing more stuff, i.e. decorator bags and tips. etc. as keepsakes.

You've definitely given me a starting point.

Okay, here's how I price mine out if anyone is interested:

A party for 8 = $115.00 This includes a custom decorated cake ($25 value -- which for me is a 9x13 single layer sheet cake basically-- to be served at the party. If the customer wants a cake that is worth more than $25 then the additional cost is added on to the package). 8 individual 6" round cakes which are placed on a cake board and ready to decorate -- I do not pre-frost these -- they're just bare cakes, white frosting to frost the cakes with plus 4 colors to decorate with (I do two bags of each color for up to 8 kids), all basic decorating tools -- which are returned to me at the end of the party, 8 disposable aprons, 8" boxes for the kids to take their cakes home in, and 30 minutes of decorating instruction. To some extent I do help clean up (as I gather my things to leave) but I do not state that I will clean up because you never know what kind of trouble that could get me into! Then... I have package add-ons such as sprinkles and colored sugars (3 different ones) for $10.00, 3 colors of fondant and use of fondant tools for $15.00, and additional guests are $5.00 each.

If someone wants to book a party for 6 -- they pay for a party of 8 and get two extra cakes.... that's just how I do it.


I also have the option of doing cookies or cupcakes (3 per guest) for $100.00.


I'm not getting rich by any means doing this! LOL -- but it's affordable and competitive in our area (competitive to the Chuck-E-Cheese type parties, bowling parties,skating parties).

Oh, and I do this in the party persons home or a place they choose.


I also started out offering extras such as a small decorating kit for the birthday child to keep for an additonal $10 and some other stuff like that.... but it didn't go over so I dropped it.

Anyway... for those of you curious about how to price.... that's how I do it...

Oh, and also... I have a minimum age of 8 for a cake decorating party and require that if younger kids are there an extra adult must be there to help.

Love the idea of using coffee filters for decorating cookies to contain the sprinkles, I will have to remember that!!!

I offer Cake Decorating Parties and have done a couple, all different. I have them all to come to my kitchen which is separate from my house.

Once it was for a girl's 16th birthday and it was for her, her mom and 4 siblings. I taught them how to bake a chocolate cake and they each had one 8" cake to decorate. I provided buttercream, fondant and sprinkles.

The second one was for 11 mother daughter pairs. I showed them how to make cookies. they also formed 4 groups and they made one different type of cookie each. After that, I taught them how to decorate cupcakes (baked ahead) I showed them how to frost and mold a fondant rose. They each had a box of 6 cupcakes too decorate as they wished. I also provided aprons and chef's hats. They also had a small picnic after wherein I also catered.

Another was for a mom who wanted to decorate her son's 1st birthday cake. I taught her how to do a large sheet cake with an elmo cake on top. It took long but I charged my labor per hour.

If you are equiped for this type of activity it is a potential money-maker , especially if you do it in groups. Just make sure you outline your schedule and be strict with the time.

Good luck with your plans!

This is such a great idea and i'm sure it is soo much fun! I wish I had a party like this when I was younger. The pizza idea is also great, you could have pizza making for the boys and cake decorating for the girls. I wonder if there is anything like this in my area, thanks for the inspiration!

Hi rhopar33,

you were asking whether a 5" or 4" cake is enough. Probably a 5" or maybe even a 6" since small cakes are hard to frost even for me IMHO.

Cupcakes are less messy though and you wont need cake boards just boxes.

HTH!

I did a sugar cookie decorating party for a youth group at the church across the street from my house. I filled disposible decorator bags with different icing colors and different tips and used a twisty tie on the ends of the bags so when they squeezed it didn't smoosh out the back of the bag. It was for a holiday so I made the colors match the holiday and each child had a cookie to eat and one to give to their parents as a gift. We all had a blast and it wasn't very messy. I also had some sprinkles in shakers so they didn't spill all over the place.

Debbie

WOW!! I'm so happy that this thread has gotten so many responses. I definitely am going to go for it. Thanks for all of the great tips. I definitely think charging $150-200 is the way to go. Parties around here are expensive - $250 for 10 kids to play at an indoor family fun center??

Any tips on how to advertise this aspect of the biz? Maybe flyers at grocery stores, churches, etc.

yea, I'd definitely like to know how to advertise!

You could make flyers and pass them around to all the moms and teachers in the area.

If you have kids you could invite some of their friends and do a practice run and take pictures of them having a blast. You can use the pics for the flyers.

Also include the fast facts of why its better to have a Cake Decorating party over a regular party.

1. New experience for kids
2. A good way to reestabilish relationships (you can hold it for a family)
3. Teaches kids kitchen know how

You can also advertise some extras. When I did my parties, the kids took home a cd filled with pictures I took while they were baking (quickly copied from my digital cam) as well as their boxed creations and a personalized apron to remember the day.

Word of mouth is also a very good way but you'd have to hold a few extra practice sessions at lower cost. Just an idea. HTH

WOW this is such a great idea! It's been really interesting reading this post and gathering tips. I'm no way near ready to do something like this. but i'm sure it'll be fun for my daughter's parties as she gets older (she's only 2 yrs old). I have 18 nieces & nephews, so that would be fun and interesting.

Do you have to be licensed for this? Or can you just do it as a hobby to make extra cash?

Thanks for this idea, everyone!! My DD is looking forward to a cake decorating slumber party for her birthday!

Your type of license will probably depend on what you are supplying. If you use purchased cupcakes/cookies and pre-packages frostings you won't have as much trouble as you will if you are making your own edibles. If you are making your own you'll probably still have to follow the rules/laws for selling cakes, etc.

Debbie

I just found this site and I am so glad I did! I think the idea of the kids decorating a cake for them self is great! I want to get into cake dcorating and this is just one more thing that makes me want to do it. Great Idea.

I'm in Harford County just outside of Baltimore County zoraya. I know what you mean about the crabs! We eat them a lot around here. Steamed crabs and shrimp. My house is the gathering house for this. We have friends and relatives in Florida that we ship crab cakes to because they miss them so much! I've never hear of Gunnings - i'll have to check them out! Did you see my bushel of crabs cakes in my gallery?

Debbie

darandon, What badge did theyy earn? I have a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout leader on my street. I just spoke to the GS leader but felt silly not knowing what badge they could earn. Also, anybody know the BS badge earned for this sort of thing?

The GS leader told me if I put a flyer together she would pass it out to other leaders (YEAH!!).

Shoot, now I need to create a flyer. rhopar33, would you mind if I saw your flyer you're working on? We could brainstorm and help each other prefect one.

thanks for all the great posts

So, do the scouts actually pay to earn badges? I can't remember but I don't remember doing anything that required me to pay to earn a badge. I would love to know your all's thoughts. Just trying to figure out if the scouts will really pay this kind of money for this to earn a badge. I hope so because I'm interested but wanted some more input first! Thanks!

Well let me know when the next gathering is!!
We love steamed crabs and have a very hard time finding them here. My FIL just moved to Tenessee a year ago so now we don't have a place to stay when we want to go up to Baltimore so the trips have become fewer and farther in between! Oh to have a bushel of steamed crabs! Loved your cake too - added to my favorites. I may have to do that one for my FIL's bday.

rhopar33
I will do the same! thanks