“Can you come home with me and show my mom how to sew?”

The question came from a Brownie at a Girl Scout troop meeting in Duncannon this past February, our final stop on the inaugural Cookie Buddy program schedule. She stood beside my makeshift sewing station, clutching her freshly made Cookie Buddy pillow as she asked the question.

I couldn’t go home with her, of course, but her spark of curiosity and newfound love for sewing made my heart melt.

In that moment, after months of cutting fabric, designing patterns and creating more than 50 Cookie Buddy pillows and seven oversized cookie costumes, I realized this months-long project was never only about crafts or cookie outfit contests. It was about curiosity, pride and creativity. It was about teamwork and taking a fun idea and bringing it to life.

Here is some background on the Cookie Buddy program’s inception.

The sewing program started with a fun suggestion at the Girl Scout in the Heart of Pennsylvania headquarters. During a brainstorming session for a Penn State women’s basketball halftime event where Girl Scouts would get to play a quick game on the court, my supervisor tossed out an idea.

“Cathy loves sewing. Maybe she could make some cookie costumes for the girls playing the halftime game?”

Sewing? A creative challenge? I was so in. When I’m not at work and if I have a free day, you will likely find me in my sewing room. I love to sew.  

I quickly roped in friends Jan Ruman and Rebecca Eastman, two talented seamstresses and longtime friends. I met Rebecca when she supervised the costume shop at DreamWrights Community Theatre in York, and Jan as a fellow volunteer there. Sewing brought us together, and over the years, our friendship blossomed.

Starting in November 2024, our Saturdays were filled with fabric swatches, pattern-making, and endless cups of coffee. Within weeks, we had our first cookie costume prototype, a silly, oversized Thin Mint, perfect for halftime entertainment. By late December, we had seven full costumes in hand.

It wasn’t easy, mostly because of the time it consumed. There were plenty of “What did I get myself into?” moments. But in between costume-production lines, another idea began to take shape.

“Wouldn’t it be fun if Girl Scouts could sew something like this for a badge?” Rebecca suggested during one of our sewing sessions.

As exciting as it sounded, we quickly realized that the complexity of the costumes might overwhelm the girls, and even the most determined troop leaders.

We needed something smaller. Simpler. Something fun, huggable, and totally customizable.

Enter the Cookie Buddy concept.

Instead of costumes, we decided that small, pillow-like versions of Girl Scout cookies that girls could decorate and, most importantly, make their own, would became the badge project idea. My husband coined the “Cookie Buddy” name, and soon, we were in full production mode, again.

With help from Jessica Mislinski, our council’s Director of Product Program and Retail, we launched a Cookie Buddy contest. Winning troops would receive a special troop meeting takeover: A hands-on sewing experience where the Girl Scouts could decorate their own Cookie Buddies, learn basic sewing techniques, and even take home one of the original cookie costumes as an award.

Five troops won, and we scheduled the meetings for February.

From Fabric to Discovery

By the time we hit the road, I had made over 50 Cookie Buddy pillows and gathered supplies for decorating them. Jan, Rebecca, and Jessica joined me as we visited troop after troop, sharing our love of sewing and crafting and watching the girls’ imaginations come alive.

One by one, the girls transformed simple pillows into tiny works of art. What started as a basic sewing craft quickly became a showcase of personality: Faces with three-dimensional noses, tiny bows, earrings and hats. Each Cookie Buddy also came with a certificate of ownership.

The sewing workshops became more than just an activity; they turned into moments of discovery. The girls asked thoughtful questions about patterns and fabrics. They picked up techniques quickly, their confidence growing as they decorated their own Cookie Buddies. And something unexpected happened: a spark of curiosity for sewing itself.

I watched firsthand as the simple act of making something by hand gave these girls a sense of pride. It connected them to a skill many had never tried before and maybe wouldn’t have if not for a project that started as a fun idea.

I’ll admit, it was exhausting at times. Leaving a full-time job and heading to meetings gave me a newfound respect for our volunteers. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.

And in the end, it wasn’t just about stitches, fabric and costumes. It was about connection, creativity and a little inquisitive Brownie who reminded me why we do what we do.

Cathy Hirko is the Marketing and Communications Director for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. The 2025 Cookie Program officially ended on April 6. Let’s give a huge shoutout to all the Girl Scouts who participated this year.