Conversations with Chelsea McTigue

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea McTigue.

Hi Chelsea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Handmade by Chelsea officially began in 2016, while I was working in higher education events and fundraising after spending time in the wedding and corporate event world. I had always loved baking and being in the kitchen, and I decided to teach myself how to decorate cookies with royal icing after admiring the work of other cookie artists. What began as a fun creative side project quickly became much more than I ever imagined.

I became a little obsessed, in the best way, with perfecting icing consistency, hand-piped details, lettering, packaging, and every tiny finishing touch. I started by making cookies for fun and giving them as gifts for holidays like Valentine’s Day and Easter. Before long, coworkers began asking me to create sets for birthdays, baby showers, and other special occasions. Those early requests gradually grew beyond friends and family and with a combination of attention to detail, perseverance, a touch of perfectionism, and a love for things that are both beautiful and delicious, my business began to take shape.

In 2017, Cleveland’s small-business community was really beginning to blossom, and the Cleveland Flea was at the heart of it. Participating in those markets during the Flea’s heyday truly helped launch Handmade by Chelsea. I was able to meet customers face-to-face, develop the personality behind my brand, and begin sharing my work more intentionally on social media.

After several seasons with the Cleveland Flea and other local markets between 2017 and 2020, the business naturally evolved to focus primarily on custom cookie orders and decorating classes. When in-person celebrations paused in 2020, custom cookies became a sweet way for people to celebrate from a distance, whether as favors for drive-through baby showers, corporate gifts, or a thoughtful detail for events that couldn’t happen in the traditional way. I stepped back from markets and focused more fully on custom work.

That same year, I became pregnant with our first daughter while the business was growing in a way I never could have imagined. Balancing that growth with a full-time nine-to-five job became increasingly tricky, and I knew I wanted to give Handmade by Chelsea the opportunity to become my primary focus and source of income.

As I became more intentional about building the business and its brand, I also wanted Handmade by Chelsea to genuinely reflect my personal values. One of those values is leaving the world a little better than I found it and treating every human with the kindness, dignity, and respect they deserve. Like many other small-business owners during the pandemic, I looked for ways to use my business to help. Through cookie sales and collaborations, I was able to support and donate to a variety of organizations that needed some extra love during an especially difficult time.

That combination of creativity, community, hard work, and giving back has continued to shape Handmade by Chelsea into the business it is today.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t believe building a business is ever meant to be a perfectly smooth road. It’s filled with bumps, cracks, stretches of smooth pavement, gravel, and unexpected changes in direction. As a business owner, you’re constantly facing new challenges, discovering opportunities for growth, and learning when to pivot as the market changes.

One of the most significant turning points for Handmade by Chelsea was the pandemic. As challenging as that time was, it gave me an opportunity to pause, refocus, and really hone in on what I wanted the business and brand to represent.

I’ve also been fortunate to build strong relationships with corporations, universities, and organizations throughout the Cleveland area. Those relationships have led to some incredibly large and complex projects, including individual orders of up to 1,000 cookies. Taking on work at that scale challenged me to thoughtfully expand my capacity, strengthen my systems, and grow in a way that remained manageable without sacrificing the Handmade by Chelsea quality.

While each of these experiences presented obstacles, I’ve come to see them more as opportunities. Every challenge has taught me something valuable about myself as a business owner and helped Handmade by Chelsea grow into a stronger, more intentional business.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Sugar cookies certainly aren’t uncommon, and beautifully decorated sugar cookies are everywhere these days. What can be surprisingly hard to find, though, is one that looks beautiful and is genuinely delicious.

Decorated cookies sometimes earn a reputation for being more decoration than dessert, gorgeous to look at, but not necessarily something you’re excited to eat. I’ve always believed a cookie should do both. Handmade by Chelsea cookies are soft, flavorful, and thoughtfully decorated, without sacrificing taste or texture for appearance.

Customers have jokingly called them “unicorn cookies” because they look beautiful and taste good, too. I’m never quite sure how to humbly say that people regularly tell me they’re among the best sugar cookies they’ve ever tasted, but it’s a compliment I’m incredibly proud of and never take for granted. After all, no matter how pretty a cookie may be, it should still be delicious.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up as an only child in Toledo, Ohio, with two incredibly hardworking parents. Some of my favorite childhood memories are the many sleepovers I spent with my aunt, who loved to bake. Alongside my cousins, I would spend hours in her kitchen making cakes, cupcakes, and all kinds of sweet creations, some more successful than others, but every one of them was fun.

Those experiences sparked my love of baking and showed me how special it can be to make something both beautiful and delicious. Over time, that curiosity grew into a genuine love of experimenting, learning new techniques, and trying to perfect recipes, perfecting the smallest details until it felt just right.

Looking back, those years were incredibly formative. They taught me that baking is about so much more than the finished product. It’s creative, joyful, and a way of making people feel loved and celebrated. That same spirit still shapes the way I approach Handmade by Chelsea today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://handmadebychelsea.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handmadebychelsea