How to Build and Sell PYO Cookie Kits
PYO cookie kits sell as an activity, not just a biscuit — which is why they command a premium. Here is exactly what goes in a kit, where to source each part, how to price it, and how to package it to sell.
A paint-your-own cookie kit is the rare bake that sells as an activity, not just a treat — which is why a box of three PYO cookies fetches far more than three plain ones. Customers pay for the experience. Here is exactly what goes in a kit, where to source each part, how to price it, and how to package it so it is ready to sell.
What goes in a PYO cookie kit?
A complete, sellable paint-your-own kit has four parts:
- Cookies — sugar cookies flooded with smooth white royal icing and stencilled with a simple colouring-book outline.
- An edible paint palette — swatches of concentrated edible colour, printed on an icing sheet, that activate with a wet brush.
- A brush — a small food-safe painting brush, ideally disposable so each kit is hygienic.
- An instruction card — a one-line how-to: dip the brush in water, swirl a colour, and paint.
Where to source each part of the kit
| Component | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White royal icing cookies | Bake yourself | Flood smooth, dry overnight |
| Outline stencil | PYO stencil suppliers | Bold, simple designs paint best |
| Edible paint palette | Make free with our palette maker | Print on an icing sheet |
| Painting brush | Bulk disposable brushes | One per cookie, no cleaning |
| Packaging | Cello bags + heat sealer | Keep everything dry |
The palette is the part most people overpay for. You can design and print your own for free in the PYO Paint Palette Maker — choose a shape, pick colours deep enough to actually paint, add your bakery name, and download a 300 DPI sheet for your edible printer. The full method, including the icing base and stencilling, is in our paint-your-own cookies guide, and the palette methods are compared in edible paint palettes for PYO cookies.
Supplies for building PYO kits
Disposable brushes keep each kit hygienic, and an edible printer with icing sheets lets you make your own palettes and outlines in-house instead of buying them in.
Disposable Cookie Painting Brushes (80 Pack)
An 80-pack of disposable mini applicator brushes of the kind used to paint PYO cookies and to drop into ready-to-paint kits.
The cheapest way to put a brush in every paint-your-own kit. Being disposable, there is no washing up and no cross-contamination between customers — one brush per cookie. Confirm food-contact suitability on the listing before use, and treat them as short-contact painting brushes.
A handy bulk pack for kit-builders: one brush per cookie, no cleaning between orders. Check the listing notes for food-safe use before adding them to kits you sell.
- Adding a brush to every PYO cookie kit
- One-use painting at parties and classes
- Buying PYO brushes in bulk rather than singly
Katie's Edible Ink Canon TS705A Printer Kit
A ready-to-print edible printer bundle — a Canon TS705A WiFi printer supplied with edible ink cartridges plus 25 icing sheets and wafer paper.
This is the kit we point bakers to who want their own edible-print setup without sourcing the printer, edible ink, and sheets separately. It arrives with the edible ink cartridges and 25 icing and wafer sheets, so you can start printing toppers, PYO paint palettes, and photo prints straight away.
Handy because it bundles the WiFi printer, edible ink, and a stack of icing and wafer sheets together, so you can print toppers and paint-your-own palettes at home without piecing the setup together yourself.
- Home bakers starting edible printing from scratch
- Printing cake toppers, cupcake discs, and PYO paint palettes
- A WiFi printer that arrives with edible ink and sheets included
Edible Icing Sheets for Frosting Printing
The edible icing sheets we use for printed cake toppers, photo toppers, and repeated cupcake sheets.
These sheets give a clean finish, work well for photo toppers and cupcake sheets, and are the first option we point bakers to for edible prints.
Used in our own topper setup because the sheets feed cleanly and hold detail well for edible prints.
- Photo toppers and edible cupcake sheets
- A4 edible print workflows
- Home bakers who want a dependable icing sheet option
How to assemble a kit
- 1
Bake and decorate the cookies
Flood sturdy sugar cookies with smooth white royal icing, dry fully (ideally overnight), then stencil a simple bold outline on top.
- 2
Print and cut the palettes
Design palettes in the palette maker, print on an icing sheet, dry for 10–15 minutes, and cut along the outlines.
- 3
Pack each kit dry and sealed
Place the cookies, one palette, a disposable brush, and an instruction card into a heat-sealed cello bag. Add the palette last and keep everything away from moisture — icing sheets wilt in humid air.
- 4
Label it
Add ingredients and allergen information per your local food business rules, plus your bakery name and a use-by date.
How much should you charge for a PYO kit?
Because a kit is an activity, it commands more than the cookies alone. Many bakers sell a three-cookie kit for £9–£14. Price it properly rather than guessing: cost the cookies, palette, brush, and packaging, then add labour and your margin. The cake pricing calculator and our guide on how to price custom cakes walk through the full formula.
Where to sell PYO cookie kits
- Etsy and local marketplaces — strong for seasonal and party kits.
- Party and class bookings — kits double as a children's party activity.
- School holidays and seasonal pushes — Easter, Halloween, and Christmas themed kits sell in waves.
- Local pickup and markets — avoids the fragility risk of posting iced cookies.
Make the edible paint palettes for your kits for free — branded with your bakery name, ready for your edible printer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you need to make a PYO cookie kit?
A PYO kit needs white royal-icing cookies with a stencilled outline, an edible paint palette, a food-safe brush, and an instruction card, packaged in a sealed bag. You can make the edible paint palettes yourself for free with the CakeyTops PYO Paint Palette Maker.
How much do PYO cookie kits sell for?
A typical three-cookie kit sells for around £12–£18 because buyers are paying for an activity, not just biscuits. Price yours by costing the cookies, palette, brush, and packaging, then adding labour and margin.
Can I make the edible paint palettes myself?
Yes. The free PYO Paint Palette Maker lets you design palettes, check that colours are deep enough to paint, add your bakery name, and download a 300 DPI sheet to print on an icing sheet — far cheaper than buying pre-made palettes.
What brushes are used for PYO cookies?
Small food-safe painting brushes, ideally disposable so each kit stays hygienic and there is no washing up between customers. Buy them in bulk and add one per cookie. Confirm food-contact suitability on the pack before selling.
How do you package PYO kits so they last?
Pack the cookies, palette, brush, and instruction card in a heat-sealed cello bag, adding the palette last. Keep everything dry and away from sunlight — printed icing-sheet palettes wilt in humid air but keep for several weeks when sealed.