DIY: Over the Rainbow Printable Cupcake Toppers

Gearing up for Oz the Great and Powerful or just prepping for some St. Patrick's Day fun with the kids? I designed these simple, cute (and did I mention free) rainbow cupcake toppers for Confetti Pop last weekend, and they're perfect for your upcoming festivities.

Swing by Confetti Pop, and print out some of these cuties for yourself.

images by Maddy Hague for Confetti Pop

Edible Fall Cupcake Toppers

We've barely said "goodbye" to Halloween, and we're already looking forward to Thanksgiving. I was cruising Etsy today and came across these edible fall-inspired cupcake toppers by Modern Luxe Events. A collection of leaves and acorns make even the plainest cupcakes autumnally smart.

You could also use leaf and acorn craft punches to create your own (non-edible) Fall toppers.

images via Modern Luxe Events

DIY Golden Animal Cupcake Toppers

This has got to be one of the least expensive DIYs ever. Plastic animals, candle holders, and gold spray paint come together to create cute, customized cupcake toppers. This adorable, easy tutorial via {this is glamorous} was just too cute to pass by.

Want to make these shimmery toppers for yourself? They're perfect for a kids party or an animal lover. You could choose different breeds of dog or little peacock figurines for a cool touch.

Directions:

1. use any type of plastic animal you can find, keeping in mind the size of the cake or cupcake you are planning to top; ones with a flat back work best

2. with the pliers, hold the animal steady, and drill a hole straight down, being careful not to come out the other side; the hole only has to be deep enough for the candle holder to fit

3. spray paint the animals in a few light coats, rotating them to cover all sides; note: gold/metallic spray paint will work fine without primer, but if you are using regular spray paint for colour variations, be certain to use a plastic spray paint or a primer for plastic, and always test one first

4. spray the candle holders to match

5. put on your dancing shoes & pop open the champagne

images via {this is glamorous}

Guest Desserts: DIY Sailboat Cupcake Toppers

Today's Guest Dessertst feature was submitted by Melissa of Faux Martha. She sent me this adorable sailboat cupcake topper tutorial. She made the toppers to coordinate with this sailboat baby shower invite that she designed and is offering for free download. Check out Melissa's step-by-step handiwork, and get the how-to for this cute project.

Thank you so much for submitting this great tutorial, Melissa! I love how the sailboat theme is carried throughout the event. It's so cute, and not a theme you see very often for baby showers. Very clever.

Want to give this simple DIY a try? You'll only need a few supplies. And, if you have a recipe, project, or giveaway to share, check out the Submissions page to see yourself featured on Sweet Tooth.


Supplies:


• Plaid Cupcake Liners from Bake it Pretty
• White Cupcake Liners (Always double up your liners so you can actually see the pretty liner. If you use one liner, when the cupcake bakes, the color of the cupcake will bleed into the liner thus losing its pretty pattern.)
• Wooden Skewers
• Wire Cutters
• FauxMartha Cupcake Sail Pattern
• Printer
• Textured, cardstock weight paper
• Scissors
• Exacto Knife
• Cutting Board
• Colored Duck Tape (or colored masking tape)


Instructions:
1. Make and bake your cupcakes, using a recipe of your choice. Remember to use 2 liners. Place the white liner inside the plaid liner. Allow cupcakes to fully cool before icing and decorating.

2. Meanwhile, cut wooden skewers about 5″ long using wire cutters or some other cutting utensil. Keep the side with the pointed end. Don’t worry if the wood begins to fray where you made the cut. We will cover that up shortly.

3. Print out the FauxMartha Cupcake Sail Pattern on textured cardstock. Cut out each sail. Using the longest side of the triangle (not the angle), cut an “x” at the top and bottom on a cutting board. Insert pointed end of wooden skewer into the top “x” on the printed side. Continue to insert the skewer through the second “x”.

4. Cut thin 1/2″ strips of duck tape. Place tape on the top of skewer where you made your original cut. Evenly fold over. Make 2 diagonal cuts to achieve a flag. Push sail up to give it that curved wind blown look.

5. Ice your cupcakes with the frosting of your choice. I use the Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro to ice my cupcakes. In order to get the thick swirls, I don’t use a tip. Place pointed end of the sail into cupcake and you’ve got yourself a cute sailboat cupcake!

Dessert Trend: Flag Toppers

Last week, I shared this DIY cake bunting tutorial that I made with my friend Maddy of Inspired Bride. It's an easy, but wonderful way to dress up a cake. Well, I'm back today with another cake and cupcake topper trend that's just as simple.

I've noticed that flags are popping up on all sorts of goodies, and I must admit that I think they're just charming. Imagine giving someone a homemade (even if it's from Betty Crocker) cake that doesn't require mastering fondant or having impeccable frosting skills. You could even buy an undecorated bakery cake and dress it up with little color coordinated flags.

Which look do you like better? The bunting toppers or these flag toppers? And, really I guess there's a third option of not really liking either. Let me know what you think, and be sure to sign up for email notification because I respond to your comments and questions.

Need a little more sweetness throughout the day? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.


images via Pinterest

Dessert Table: Modern Bohemian Bash

I just may have to eat my words. Although it seems I predicted the pooch at a party trend pretty accurately, I didn't think we'd see too many horses at dessert table shoots. Well, this romantic, bohemian bash featured on 100 Layer Cake and designed by Nancy of So Happi Together and Melissa of The Loveliest Day does indeed feature a pony at a party. Along with this shoot, today's post makes two ponies in less than a week!

I love the custom bottle labels and cupcakes toppers featured here. I'm also a big fan of cake pops, cakes, and macarons, so this spread is right up my alley. There are frosted, mini cupcakes on the dessert table, but unfrosted large ones serve as seating cards at each place setting.

Week In Review & Behind-the-Scenes

It's been a busy, but wonderful week. I've got some fun behind-the-scenes pics from my stint on the KARE 11 Today show that photog (and super friend) Emily Steffen kindly shot. The host Pat Evans, was really sweet.

On Sweet Tooth:

I made my first TV appearance on KARE 11 to share this pink, tangerine, and aqua Valentine's table.

We saw more evidence of the Pooch at a Party trend here and here.

Pink and gold won me won on this shimmery Valentine's Day dessert table.

This Cinco de Mayo dessert table was the perfect balance of cultural and classy. 

We chatted on Facebook and Twitter about this golden heart shaped chocolate cake.

I shared this incredibly easy, incredibly Valentine's Day favor idea.

On The Sweet Life:

I interviewed the owner of Sweets Bakeshop to find out what their plans are for their new shop.

I also guest blogged for my friend Maddy Hague on The Inspired Bride, because she's sitting shiva.

This cake is so breathtaking, that I had to share it here with you, too.

images by Emily Steffen