For this month's freebie file, I am sharing something a bit different, a Canva template! This template gives you access to a PDF file for 2" Pride Tags, celebrating Pride month. Now, If you know how to use Canva, you have an account, or want to skip to the template link, click here. For everyone else, I will teach you how to use the free Canva templates and how you can utilize it to create other cookie printables within the platform You could be wondering, why would she teach me how to make cookie printables for free when it’s something she sells... and to that I say, I only hope to give back more than I take from this community and I have been so fortunate to have the cookie community's support when I started selling my printable desings. Canva Account Signing up for a Canva account is easy and there are three plans to choose from, free, Pro, or teams. The free version of the platform gives you access to many free elements, fonts, templates, effects, and features. With a free account, you also have the option of buying elements individually, usually for a small fee of $1-$2. This is nice of those times you want the cute clipart without paying a monthly subscription. Canva Pro on the other hand is subscription based, monthly or yearly, and gives you access to all features and elements for $12.99/mo. or $119.99/yr. I personally pay for the monthly $12.99 subscription. The third option, teams, is best suited for small businesses that have a team they want to share work with, and I have even seen some cookiers team up together to share a team account to save on overall monthly costs, but for this template tutorial a free account works just perfectly! One you decide which account you would like and sign up; you will be able to use the template at the end of this post. To learn more about Canva and a beginners guide to using Canva visit this free guide provided my Canva themselves. Opening and downloading the freebie All the following images will show you how to download and make changes using the desktop version of this platform only, but template can also be accessed via the Canva mobile app as well. When clicking on the template link at the end of this post, you will be directed to a Canva template created and shared by me, Sweetlikeg. This template is 100% ready to download and print as is but there are a few settings we need to change when we download to get the best printing file. To download you will click the Share button on the top right-hand corner and click Download, which will open this submenu. We need to make the following changes to download this file properly: File Type: Make sure that PDF PRINT is selected. Color Profile: Change from RGB to CMYK for printing. Click download, and you will have the perfect PDF to print! uSING THIS TEMPLATE FOR OTHER TAG PRINTABLES This cookie printable is formatted for cutting twenty 2" tags, and if you delete each individual tag, you can reuse the cut-line file to create your own personal downloads! To make creating the individual tag easier, I started with a square element sized to 2". This square helps with element alignment and I then group the 'tag' together when I have finalized the tag design. Once grouped, manually drag the tag to the top left spot 'empty tag spot' of the template. To fill the whole template, click and hold alt while you drag your tag to the next spot over. Without clicking anything else, hit cntrl+D to repeatedly fill the rest of the row. When the row is filled, select the whole row of tags, and follow the same method of alt/drag & cntrl + D to fill the remaining rows. Now if that sounds confusing, take a bit of extra time, and feel free to copy and paste individually to make things simpler. FREE TEMPLATE LINK To access this free June Pride month cookie tag/Canva template click here. If you find this post helpful, kindly consider liking, commenting, & sharing as I hope to make an impact by providing value to the sugar cookie community. Happy packaging! ❤ G

This post contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you! First and foremost, this post will be walking you through the process of creating a stencil using the Silhouette Studio Software. While there are other machines you can use to cut your stencils, I personally own a Silhouette Cameo 2 and will be guiding you through the steps of making a silkscreen stencil using the Silhouette software. Before we start Let's go over the differences between making a silk screen stencil vs normal stencil with your die-cut machine. Here is the list of supplies needed to complete a stencil from start to finish: Silkscreen Fabric Clear Vinyl Transfer tape Die-cutting machine Cutting mat Weeding tool (optional) Scissors step one: tracing your image/logo Tracing your image is only necessary if your logo/image is a JPEG file. If your design is a PNG or SVG feel free to skip to Step Two. For those that have only a JPEG, let's get the design you want as your stencil open. There are several ways to do this: import your image/design (I'll be teaching you this way). create your own within the software use a silhouette design you purchase from the silhouette store For this tutorial I will be uploading my own logo. With Silhouette Studio open, click File>Open and select your file. When you import it, feel free to resize it as needed so that you can see it fully within your screen. For now, don't worry about the correct and final size you need, we will fix that later. To trace, select the 'butterfly' trace icon on your right-side menu, and select your trace area. When your area is selected it should show the traced image in yellow (see image below). If your image has several colors in it, you might need to toggle the threshold until the whole image is yellow. When you have it all yellow select Trace at the bottom of your trace menu. Once its done, go ahead and delete your imported image and left behind should be the red outline of your image. step two: assembling your stencil 'digitally' In this step you will 'assemble your stencil'. Start by creating a 5.5" square. To do this select the rectangle drawing tool> holding down shift, click and drag to expand a square shape> adjust size if needed in the top bar to the correct size. This square will be the outside edge of our stencil. This is the most common size for cookie stencils, and I have found it best to keep my silk screen stencils the same size as my others so I can store them identically. Now is the time you can resize your stencil design to the size you want by using the 'W' & 'H' boxes along your top menu bar. I have resized my logo to 3 inches so it fits nicely within a 3.5" circle cookie (See image below). Next, mirror your design by right-clicking and selecting flip horizontally. (Mirroring is essential when making silk screen stencils unless it's a bilateral anagram). Once it's mirrored, select both your square and traced image and hover over the alignment tool in your top menu to align both center and middle. STEP Three: cutting your stencil with the silhouette Now it's time to get ready to cut. I first like to make sure my image is located on the top right of the mat. Check out images below to see where I like to place my stencils. I only cut one stencil at a time usually, so I like to cut my clear vinyl into 6" squares for placing on my mat. If you'd like to cut 4 stencils at a time, you can simply place a 12"x12" sheet of clear vinyl on your mat. When your vinyl is placed correctly on your mat, load your cut mat into your machine and connect to your computer to get ready for cutting. I am currently not hooked up to my machine, which is why it says unavailable at the bottom of my image. There, you can look at the cut settings I use to cut the vinyl. This is what works for me, but feel free to try your own default settings, or settings that have worked for you in the past. Click SEND to cut. Step Four: assembling your stencil 'physically' Once your cut is made, cut mat is unloaded, and you've removed your stencil off the mat, it's time to weed. Before we do this though, let's cut 6" square piece of silk screen fabric. I guesstimate and do not actually measure, as long as it's a piece bigger than my 5.5"square vinyl. Once you have your fabric cut, set it aside as we continue by weeding our vinyl. You will remove everything that would be negative space, i.e. the parts you want gone to allow airbrush or icing to flow through. If you have never weeded vinyl before, here is a great video you can watch. Once you've weeded your design, place a piece of transfer tape over your design. I like to only cover the actual design in transfer tape (see images below), but feel free to cover the whole 5.5" square as well if you wish. Transfer tape is used to pick up all your unbridged pieces of vinyl and to carefully transfer your vinyl over to its final location, in this case the silkscreen. It should look something like this. The left image is weeded, and the right has transfer tape over the design. (Did I just create digital images of the process? Yes, I did lol). Although you can use any color vinyl to create a silkscreen stencil, clear works best in my opinion because it will allow you to see through to the cookie and makes it easier to place it down in the correct spot when it's time to use your stencil. For this tutorial I have made the vinyl a sage green in the digital images so you can see it better. Next, place your vinyl upside down on the table and carefully removing the vinyl backing at a 45-degree angle, starting from a corner. Be careful and go slowly if your design is intricate, you want to make sure your transfer tape lifts all your tiny little pieces and they don't get left behind. In my logo, I would make sure to rub extra good overtop the O's and whisk to ensure the tiny little pieces of vinyl inside those areas transfer. Here is a good video that shows you this process, except they don't turn face down (which I recommend). Once the sticky side of your vinyl is exposed, press your vinyl stencil over your silk screen stencil (imagine your silkscreen is a piece of paper, and you are placing a 'sticker' on this paper). Rub that vinyl gently on to the silkscreen and then begin removing your transfer tape. Make sure those tiny pieces also transfer to your silk screen. Permanent vinyl is pretty sticky and should stick to your silkscreen pretty easily, even those tiny, tiny pieces. Not pictured below, you can trim the excess silkscreen, leaving you with a perfect 5.5" stencil. caring for your stencil To clean, make sure to use only cold to lukewarm water, as anything warmer/hotter will warp or shrink your stencil. Do not scrub your stencil with anything, but if needed lightly rub using your fingers to get rid of those tedious dirty spots. Air drying is optimal but sometimes you might find yourself needing to wash between cookies when decorating. When this happens, I like to use a microfiber towel to dry my stencils. I 'sandwich' my stencil between two towels and press the stencil between the towels to ensure that it not only dries but stays flat. If needed, I wave the stencil back and forth to quickly air dry the remaining wet spots. It is important that your stencil is completely dry before placing on a cookie or any remaining water can damage your dried royal icing. For storing, store similarly to your other stencils, making sure the stencil lays flat. fINAL tHOUGHTS Having the ability to make your own silkscreen stencils is perfect for those custom orders requesting company logos, for last minute ideas, and provides you the convenience of not having to wait for shipping. Now it's time to get out there and make your own silkscreen stencil! If any of these steps have left you with questions let me know, I will be happy to help. If you found this post helpful, kindly consider liking, commenting, & sharing as I hope to make an impact by providing value to the sugar cookie community. Happy decorating! ❤ G

This post is most specifically about the Texas cottage food laws where Sweet Like G is based from. Sweet Like G didn't see daylight until a little over a year ago and largely due to the fact that I was sort of clueless on where to start. Coupled with fear of not understanding the rules, I put it off for many years and now want to share with you information to help you start your own cottage bakery! Let's get started on the requirements needed under the cottage food laws in Texas. no LICENSE IS REQUIRED IN TEXAS That's right. While some states require paying fees for permits, licenses, and even inspections of your home, Texas is a state that allows you to start selling any of the approved list of items without any permits/licenses. However, you will need a food handlers certification. I got mine from here. With no license required, once you finish your food handler's certificate, you can start baking out of your home kitchen! Required labels under cottage food law So what's required on the label? Business Name A business name is required on your labels. If you are doing business under a name that is not your given name (think Sweet Like G vs Griselda's Cookies) I recommended you register your DBA(Doing Business As) name with your local county clerks office. Pricing varies per county so please visit their website first to gather your information. For example. Tarrant county allows you to fill out forms online, and the cost is $23 for filing a DBA form. Physical Address of Cottage Operation This requirement is often disfavored by bakers as it does require you to disclose your home address in Texas. This label is the only place you do have to disclose that information however, and you do not have to disclose it online publicly if you choose not to do so. Required Statement This statement is word for word, "This food is made in a home kitchen and is not inspected by the Department of State Health Services or a local health department", and is required on every label. I also disclose this statement in similar terms, not word for word, on my website as it advises potential clients of my products being a cottage food bakery item. List of Allergens Most, but not all, sugar cookie recipes contain the allergens of eggs, milk(butter), and wheat (flour). Some bakers use pure almond extract so keep in mind of all your ingredients and list the allergens accordingly. Product Name/Common Name Each label is required to have the common name of your product. In some instances I have seen bakers leave a blank space available in order to mark the changing flavor in with pen. I have also seen others list their product name on a separate label so they simply just slap on the correct labels without having to change or write on their main label of never changing information. As long as all required information is legibly printed (avoid hard to read fonts such as cursive) on your label, how you present and style your label is completely up to you! Other Possible Requirements If you are selling any items with frozen raw and uncut fruits/veggies you will also have to disclose that information on your label or your invoice the following statement. "SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria, keep this food frozen until preparing for consumption". My sugar cookies do not call for these items so I do not have this on my labels. Canned/Pickled items also have their own requirements. Learn more about those here. Optional Additions Depending on the size of your label, this is a great time to decide if you can fit any other optional information such as your social media handle, website, or a QR code. Next, let's dive into requirements and recommendations about taxes. SALES AND TAX PERMIT, IS IT necessary? If you are only planning on selling tax-exempt baked goods, like sugar cookies, then no permit is required. This makes it easy as you do not have to collect and pay state sales taxes on your baked goods. Keep in mind though, you will still have to pay federal taxes on the income you make from your business, which in Texas is capped at $50,000 for cottage food operators. If you are selling candies, any baked goods sold with a utensil, or anything heated (learn more on the other taxable items here), all are taxable items and will require a sales-tax permit from the state. It is free to apply for a permit in Texas, but keep in kind that other fees may arise depending on your business needs. As for myself, I obtained a sales-tax permit only when I expanded to selling my digital products and pay my state sales taxes quarterly. time TO Start selling! Aside from the above requirements, it is necessary know the do's and don'ts of selling cottage food bakery in Texas. Some of the topics that come to mind are: no shipping of cookies, no custards or any refrigerated items allowed, charging tax on items such as candies, and no wholesale allowed. All of these, and other common questions can be found on the Department of State Health Services website. Another amazing source of information is Kelley Masters website, texascottagefoodlaw.com . Joining the Cookie Business Owners Facebook Group is also a good start to learning how to run a sugar cookie business, along with more specific groups to Texas such as Texas Cookiers Facebook Group. Recommendations As you start your sugar cookie business, I recommend the following: Open a Business Bank Account Keeping your business and personal finances separate makes it so much easier to run your business, makes accounting easier for tax season, and allows you to keep better track of your expenses and revenue without confusion. Don't want to start a business account at a major bank? Square is a great option that can offer similar services. Square "helps millions of sellers run their business-from secure credit card processing to point of sale solutions". Their services give you access to baking, savings, and allows you to obtain a debit card to have immediate access to your funds without having to transfer. This is a great option for anyone who is not quite ready to open an account with a national bank. Keep in kind that square's processing does have fees per sale transaction. Learn more on their website, and use my referral code to receive free processing on your first $1000 in the first 180 days. Website Another great service Square offers is the ability to create a free website (with a sponsored domain: square.site) that is very easy to use. If you want to remove the sponsored handle, you can purchase your own domain for as little as $10-20 per year. Other good website builders include, but are not limited to, WIX, Shopify, and Squarespace (not to be confused with Square). For my personal website I transitioned from Square's Weebly website, as I felt limited in my ability to sell instant downloads and wanted more options to customize. Nevertheless, Square sites are a great option for anyone looking for an easy to use website builder. I currently use WIX for my main site and still utilize Square's free website for my holiday cookie presales. A website is not necessary, but highly recommended. Social Media Starting business pages on social media is a great way to get connected to potential clients and the baking community. I recommend starting with a Facebook business page. This allows you to connect it to a business Instagram and is often needed to utilize features on other websites such as WIX. I also recommend joining Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group as they have many great resources available in learning how to market your business using social media. It is important to understand that social media accounts are not in your FULL control and losing access to your accounts could mean losing access to all of your clients. This is a great reason why I recommend having a website, there you can build a subscriber list and have full control of your client list. Final thoughts The information in this post is meant to be helpful only and is not in any way legal advice and I am not a lawyer. Please consult a lawyer/attorney for any legal advice regarding your business needs. All links and recommendations are not sponsored and are of my own opinion. If you found this post helpful, kindly consider liking, commenting, & sharing as I hope to make an impact by providing value to the sugar cookie community. ❤

Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world. Brene Brown WHAT I DO Custom Cookies Customized to your specific theme, cookies are the perfect addition to any event. Read More Holiday Presales Pre-order holiday cookies with Sweet Like G. A great chance to buy cookies in smaller quantities. Read More Digital products I use my creativity and knowledge of graphic design to offer digital downloads to use for cookie packaging Read More My Mission Sweet Like G is built around the idea of contributing creativity, experience, and heart to a community that I only wish to inspire, educate, and empower by providing unique, fun, and lovable products/resources. ​ Find me on INSTAGRAM

Filter By Collection All Summer Christmas Drinks & Food Sort by STL DESIGN Cardigan Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Apple Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Class of 2023 Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Bunny Face Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN SweetHEART Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Sucker Circle Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Target Pencil Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Skinny Surfboard Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Tamales Price $2.50 Add to Cart STL DESIGN Cart Tree Price $2.50 Add to Cart 1

A PARTY WITHOUT COOKIES IS JUST A MEETING Custm Cookies Ordering Cookies I love creating fun and unique cookies and do my best work when given creative freedom. I understand there may be specific requests you ask for but keep in mind that I do not copy another cookie artists' work. ​ Please note that requests are not selected on a first come-first served bases but rather selected based on various criteria including, but not limited to: date of request, quantity of cookies, and event theme. Get a Quote > Pricing From $72 per dozen, each quote is custom to your requests. ​ Payment Once a quote is accepted, an invoice will be sent to collect payment in full. BOOKING An order is not considered booked until payment is received. ALLERGENS All cookies consist of the following allergens: eggs, milk, & wheat. G is efficient with her response, creative, and a breeze to do business with. I would recommend her any day to 'jazz' up even your smallest of events! Get a quote today! First Name Email Pick-up Date: Friday & Saturday Only **TEMP UNAVAILABLE** How many cookies? One Dozen Minimum Event Type Event Theme Order Details How did you find me? Sweetlikeg cannot ship. Do you agree to pick up your order in Arlington, Texas? Yes, I can pick up in Arlington, TX By filling out this form you understand that Sweet Like G is a cottage food bakery operating in Texas & cookies cannot be shipped. SUBMIT Thanks for considering Sweet Like G! Requests for custom cookies are subject to various criteria, most specifically on availability, and does not guarantee an order. Please allow 3 business days for a quote response. Quote Form