Most cookiers would probably agree that decorating faces is their biggest nemesis! Well, lucky for you, Cookie Connection‘s October 2025 Watch-Learn-Create Challenge #61 guest Noelle Le-Lê Phan Viên Hy will make portrait cookies seem easy! In this video, her kickoff demo for this challenge, Noelle shows how to pipe and paint a charming chibi character, paying particular attention to the hair and eyes, which are often the most difficult features to master. Noelle’s thoughtful choice to render a chibi makes this video lesson all the more approachable, particularly for beginners. Piping and painting a chibi-style portrait is arguably easier than piping and painting a regular portrait, because chibis have relatively few facial details, and drawing them cutely doesn’t require precise feature placement and proportions. Plus, Noelle provides three chibi templates in her resource list that can be used as cookie-cutting and piping guides, and plenty of tips for transferring images, especially without use of a projector. After a brief intro, the bulk of Noelle’s demo focuses on her layered piping methods using two different icing consistencies, and how she paints hair and eye highlights/lowlights to add lifelike depth and dimension.
At the conclusion of the demo, Noelle and challenge host Manu Pezzopane encourage viewers to create chibi cookies of their own for Challenge #61 by using Noelle’s methods and her chibi templates as guides. While Noelle generously shares all of her tips and tricks for decorating chibis, please note that her layered piping and painting techniques are broadly applicable to faces of any kind!
Once you’ve purchased, you’ll automatically receive a receipt with a link to a downloadable resource list with links to Noelle’s key supplies. Then, simply return to this page to view the tutorial as often and for as long as you like. If you are logged into the site, the sneak peek video above will disappear and be replaced with the full-length video. To log in, simply go to the upper right account area of the site (in laptop viewing mode), and enter the username and password you created at the time of purchase.
About this Guest: Noelle Le-Lê Phan Viên Hy (aka Cookies by Hy) is a Vietnamese cookie artist and international cookie decorating instructor specializing in royal icing and realistic dimensional cookie art. With a passion for edible storytelling, Noelle brings cookies to life through intricate designs that blend creativity, precision, and emotion. Her work has been recognized for its innovation and craftsmanship with multiple international awards, including, most recently, Cookie Artist of the Year Finalist in the 2024 D’licious Magazine Awards. As an instructor, Noelle has had the honor of teaching in the United Kingdom and the United States, and sharing her techniques and vision with artists and enthusiasts around the world. Noelle’s classes are not just about decorating cookies, but also about inspiring others to find joy and meaning in their creative journeys. To explore Noelle’s portfolio and to follow her life as a cookie artist, please visit her Instagram and Facebook pages.
Notes: While Challenge #61 is ongoing (through January 11, 2026, 5 pm CT), this tutorial is available for only $5 ($25 off) by applying a special Cookie Connection members-only discount code at checkout. To get this code, click on the discount code button (photo) below. You will be taken to Cookie Connection where you can retrieve the code; you will then be directed back to this page to complete your purchase. If you’re not a Cookie Connection member but want to take advantage of this discount, you certainly can, but you will need to become a member first. Just click the same button, and you will be prompted to sign up for Cookie Connection before you are given access to the code. (The signup process is free and fast!) Of course, you are not obligated to participate in the challenge if you buy this video, but Noelle, Manu, and Julia would certainly love it if you do! Again, for more information about Challenge #61, please visit the challenge kickoff post on Cookie Connection.
For other guest tutorials originally filmed for Cookie Connection challenges, check out the “MORE LIKE THIS” section below.
Skill Level: All, but especially beginner and intermediate decorators
Video Format: Recording of live demo by Noelle Le-Lê Phan Viên Hy; lightly edited
Video Length: 1:30:16
What You’ll Learn (~5 Techniques)
What You’ll Receive:
Video Outline (Time Stamp):
Purchase Agreement: Julia M. Usher, LLC is the sole copyright owner of this video tutorial. Noelle Le-Lê Phan Viên Hy, aka Cookies by Hy, is the sole copyright owner of the companion handout, and has granted permission to Julia M. Usher, LLC to distribute it in perpetuity along with this tutorial. Reproduction, distribution, resale, and/or any other use for financial gain of this video or handout, in whole or in part, are strictly prohibited. However, as the purpose of the tutorials in Julia’s Watch-Learn-Create challenge series is to teach, any knowledge gleaned from this video and handout can be used to make cookies or other products for either personal use or sale. In purchasing this tutorial, you acknowledge that you agree to these terms of use.
Julia’s Return Policy: Due to the online nature of this tutorial, all sales are final.
Video Production: Noelle Le-Lê Phan Viên Hy and host Manu Pezzopane, via ECamm Live. Again, this class is a recording of a live online demo, so production value will vary throughout the video depending on internet conditions at the time. (In fact, in this video, the camera “jumps” from time to time, perhaps due to a tripod or internet connection stability issue, but this jumping in no way interferes with understanding of the video content.) The video is also only lightly edited, so there may be brief pauses as the guest gathers tools or cleans between demo steps.
| Tutorial Type | Guest Series |
|---|---|
| Skill Level | Beginner, Intermediate |
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
$30.00
Join Julia’s mailing list for event announcements, news, and special offers.
Copyright © Julia M. Usher, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Be the first to hear about my latest events, tutorials, and product announcements by subscribing to my newsletter!
Schedule willing, I release one each month, roughly mid-month. And, guess what else?! Once you subscribe, you’ll receive a special one-time coupon code for 20% off my online tutorials. The code will be delivered in your subscription confirmation email, so keep your eyes peeled (as it cannot be resent). Thanks in advance for subscribing!
Live sweetly, Julia
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.