Cake Topper Tutorial


Tools and Materials

• Scrapbooking card or paper in coordinating colours
• Lollipop sticks/toothpicks
• Punches (I’ve used 2” scalloped punch and 1.5” circle punch)
• Double sided tape
• Sticky tape or hot glue gun
• A4 paper (for printer)
• Computer and Colour Printer
• Cupcakes (ours were supplied by NyrakGreen Cakes. You can find them on facebook http://www.facebook.com/NyrakGreenCakes)

You can pick up most of the craft supplies from your local craft stores.

Some of my favourite party decorations at the moment are cupcake toppers. They are so cute and you can be personalised for any occasion. You don’t need to be a scrapbooker or a crafty type to make these. With a few simple tools you will have your gorgeous cupcake toppers done in no time.

Step 1:

Visit your local craft store and pick up a couple of craft punches, they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and you can use any shape you like. While you are there check out their range of scrapbooking paper and card and get colours to match your theme along with some double sided tape. I have only used circle and scallops punches, but you can use any punch you like for this project.

Step 2:

Take your scrapbooking paper and cut out your scalloped circles with the large punch, I used 4 different papers in coordinating colours. Punch out as many as you would like to make.

Step 3:

For your smaller punch you want to create 1.5” circles (or what ever size your smaller punch is) in a document of your choice, place the wording or pictures you would like to use inside the circle and print with the circle outlined so you can easily see to cut them out with your punch. I like the upside down punches so you can see what you are cutting out. To make it easier for you, you can download the template I have used at http://www.scribd.com/doc/59727418. I have left some of the circles blank so you can personalise them yourself.

Step 4

Grab your double sided tape and stick the scalloped circle and round circles together making sure they are centered.

Step 5

Now glue or sticky tape the lollipop sticks to the back of the circles.

Step 6

Your cupcake toppers are now ready to be embellished or pop straight in to your cupcakes and enjoy.

Here are some other examples, of how else you can use your punches

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Note: Remember that the cupcake toppers are NOT toys and should be monitored around small children.

It's our 1000+ Facebook Fan Celebration!

To show our appreciation to all our lovely likers on facebook, and to celebrate reaching 1000+ fans, we want to do a very special giveaway to all our lovely likers and give you a chance to WIN a $100 Gift Voucher.  

To be in the running to WIN a $100 Gift Voucher, simply post your name and email address below (so we can contact the winner) and make sure you like our page on facebook. Competition is open from now until 8pm Wednesday 31st August, 2011 AEST. Winner will be selected by random.org and notified on Thursday 1st September. Good luck and thank you for your continued support.

Handmade Craft Market - Sunday 21st August

Well its a busy month ahead as I prepare for the Handmade Craft Market at Erina High School on Sunday 21st August.

And its going to be a huge one as they are celebrating their 1st Birthday with over 60 designer and artist stalls, FREE face painting, 100 FREE goodie bags, NEW sculpture walk, LIVE Reptile Shows at 10am, 11am & 2pm ($2 entry pp), LIVE music and so much more.

Plus pick up the August issue of Kidz on the Coast Magazine so kids can enter the Colouring in Competition. There are some amazing prizes up for grabs. Visit www.handmadecraftmarket.com.au for more details. Prize packs include a family pass to the Australian Reptile Park and a selection of gorgeous handmade goodies.

Entry to the market is a gold coin donation to Musicians Making A Difference, helping disadvantaged and marginalised youth through the power of music. Kids up to 16 years are FREE.

So come and see me and lots of other amazing handmade designers and artists at the Handmade Craft Market, Sunday 21st August, 10am - 2pm at Erina High School. I can't wait and I hope to see you there.

Tissue Paper Pom Pom Tutorial

I have been busy again putting a tutorial together for the latest issue of Kidz on the Coast magazine. And I am hoping you will love this one as much as the last one.

Tools and Materials

•       Tissue paper in desired colours (8-10 sheets per pom pom. You can pick up a pack for around $1 from most discount stores)

•       24 gauge florist’s wire or jewellery making wire (any thin gauge wire will do the trick)

•       Sharp scissors

•       Cotton or fishing line

You can pick up all of the above at most discount stores for a few dollars.

These gorgeous flower like pom poms hang from the ceiling and appear to float in the air. They are really elegant, cost effective decorations to add that special touch to your next event or party. They are a favourite of mine, and a cinch to make so you will want to make them for every occasion.

STEP 1

Open your pack of tissue paper. I am working with 10 sheets of 660x500mm tissue paper. Lay it flat on the table or flat surface and make accordion folds about 4 or 5cm wide, creasing each fold as you go until the entire sheets are folded. Finished size should be 50cm x 5cm roughly.

Step 1 - Fold the tissue paper

STEP 2

Cut a piece of florist’s wire roughly 45cm long. This measurement doesn’t have to be exact as long as it is long enough to wrap around the tissue paper. Fold the florist’s wire in half and slip over the centre of the folded tissue paper and twist so it holds in place. I make another twist at the end of the florist’s wire to make a loop to hang the pom poms from.

Step 2 - Wrap wire around the tissue paper

STEP 3

Trim both ends of the tissue paper either rounded or pointy. These will be the shapes of the petals. I’m quite partial to the pointy ends as shown in the picture.

Step 3 - Trim the ends

STEP 4

Separate the layers, pulling away from the centre one layer at a time. The paper is delicate so you need to ease it up gently otherwise the paper will tear. I do 5 sheets on either side pulling up then turn over and repeat in the other direction until you have the pom pom shape.

Step 4 - Separate the layers

STEP 5

Attach the fishing line or cotton and hang from the ceiling and voila. Tissue paper pom poms are best hung in odd numbers i.e. 3, 5 etc. I generally use 3 over a buffet or desert table in varying shades of one colour or similar colour ways. Sit back and enjoy. You will definitely get lots of comments from these decorations at your next party and they won’t believe you made them yourself.

Step 5 - Attach cotton and hang from ceiling

I hope you enjoy making them for your next get together.

Hoppy Easter

What do you do when you leave buying your Easter baskets to the last minute? You get crafty of course.

As I was standing in Coles at 6.30pm last night waiting at the bakery for some hot cross buns to cook, madly calling around to all the stores in the centre to see if they had any Easter baskets left, it occurred to me that I really should have organised this sooner. But life gets hectic and never goes according to plan.

So instead of hunting around the shopping centre trying to find something that nobody else wanted. I raced over to Lincraft (got to love late night shopping) and grabbed a few supplies to make what will become my Easter Bunny Boxes/Baskets. I only had a rough idea of what I was going to do and after a bit of playing around with the kids this morning we created something unique and of course handmade.


Equipped with:
1 x packet of white noodles boxes
1 x packet of pipe cleaners
1 x packet of stick on eyes
1 x sheet of adhesive felt (pink)
1 x sheet of foam
1 x packet of large pom poms (white)
1 x packet of small pom poms (pink)
1 x packet of assorted ribbons
1 x hot glue gun
(all of the above was from Lincraft last night minus the hot glue gun)

I started off playing around with the ears (made from foam and adhesive pink felt), but wanted something to cover them so searched the cupboard for a circular shape to make a face (also made out of foam). A tin of tuna from the pantry did the trick nicely. 

Then just a couple of whiskers (pipe cleaners) I thought, but what to cover them with, a couple of white cheeks made out of foam of course. A reel of cotton worked as the perfect size template for the cheeks. So then on went the pink pom pom nose, stick on eyes and bow ties and the bunny box was complete.

But no bunny box is complete without something soft to place the eggs on inside so with some green 80gsm paper we had in the studio and the shredder, I shredded some paper and curled it with scissors to make the perfect little nest for the eggs. I had a pair of very helpful hands passing me each shred of paper to curl and placed each strand in the box. I have two very excited toddlers that can't wait for the Easter Bunny to come so they can collect some eggs and play with their bunny baskets of course.

The finishing touch was the little cotton tails (large pom pom) on the back of each box. No bunny is complete without a little cotton tail.

And a few treats inside. The noodle box is the perfect size for an easter basket for toddlers as they can't fit too many eggs inside but just enough to have lots of fun collecting eggs on Sunday (or Saturday for some people like at our house this year) LOL.

So now we are all set for the Easter Bunny to come and crisis is averted. We hope you have a great Easter and stay safe with family and friends these holidays. Bring on the Easter Bunny. Yummm.

Cake Pops

Well it's been a very irregular thing for me this whole blogging thing as life just gets a little hectic from time to time. I wanted to share with you a tutorial I put together for Kidz on the Coast magazine. You will find it in their latest issue on page 16. It's a great resource for families on the Central Coast, full of lots of useful stories and information. But if you are not on the sunny Central Coast then never fear, you can read it online. 


So here it is, a little project you might like to do with the kids over the school holidays and a yummy treat to make for Easter. Plus as an extra special treat I have created an easter themed cake topper that you can use to display with your cake pops or use on the top of cupcakes. Click here for the free download.

Cake Pop Tutorial

Ingredients for Cake Pops

To make these cake pops, you will need:

•       1 cake baked in a 13”x9” pan or ready made cake from supermarket or bakery

•       1 tub of frosting, or about 2 cups

•       1 packet of chocolate melts or cooking chocolate

•       Lollipop sticks or skewers. (You can get the lollipop sticks from Spotlight or ebay).

Crumble the Cake Begin by breaking up the cake into fine crumbs. This recipe is really flexible, and you can use any flavour cake, or even substitute muffins or cupcakes etc. Whatever you use, work the cake until it's entirely crumbled.

Mix in Frosting

Take your frosting, and again you can use any flavour you like, and mix it in. you can use a spoon, but it's easier, although messier, just to use your hands. The exact amount needed will depend on the moistness of your cake.

You want the final mixture to be fairly moist to easily hold itself together when you shape it into a ball, but not so moist that it's soggy or gooey.

Roll the Cake into Balls

Roll the cake into small balls, using a teaspoon. You should get between 3-4 dozen balls depending on how large you make them. Place them on a tray with baking paper or grease proof paper.

Freeze the Cake Balls

Once they are all formed, put them in the freezer to harden for about an hour to make them easier to dip. You can also leave them overnight or keep them in an airtight container if you want to make in advance.

Melt the Chocolate

While you're waiting for the cake balls to harden, melt the chocolate in the microwave or as per the packet directions and stir until it's entirely melted and smooth.

Put Lollipop Sticks into Cake Balls

After an hour, remove the cake balls from the freezer. Use a skewer or a toothpick to poke holes in the balls, then dip the end of a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate, and stick it into the hole you just created. The melted chocolate will help hold the stick in the cake pop.

Dip Cake Balls into Chocolate

Once all of the cake balls are on sticks, it's time to dip them. Hold one end of the lollipop stick and submerge the cake pop completely in the melted chocolate. Take it out and gently tap it and swirl it upside down to remove excess chocolate.

Set the Cake Pops

Now you can just stick them upside down on baking paper to set, but this does give them flat tops.

So if you want rounded shapes, you'll need to find some Styrofoam or florist foam to stick your cake pops in while they dry. Continue dipping them until all of your cake pops are covered with chocolate. If the chocolate starts to get too stiff from the cold cake pops, re-heat it briefly.

Decorate the Cake Pops

If you want to decorate your cake pops, you can drizzle them with melted white chocolate, or add sprinkles or chopped nuts while the chocolate is still wet. I find it easiest to do directly after dipping the balls in the chocolate.

These cake pops are all the craze at the moment. They are really unique, really fun, and really tasty. Make some for your next birthday celebration or shape some into eggs and decorate for Easter. They will be the talking point at the party.

Click here to download your FREE Easter Cake Toppers 

PDF. Use a 2" circular or scalloped punch to cut out the cake toppers.

SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE IS NOW ON!

Looking to grab a bargain now ready for next summer or wanting the latest layered looks for autumn and winter. 

It's time to start clearing out the clothes racks ready to make room for our autumn/winter collection.

Head over to our facebook Summer Clearance Sale and grab yourself a bargain. Buy through facebook or items can be purchased through our madeit store www.madeit.com.au/rachellerachelle

We are madly working on our autumn and winter range so stay tuned. I'm very excited about some of the pieces we having coming soon. Our secret squirrel scarves are back and available now so make sure you get yours before it gets too chilly.

See you at the Handmade Craft Market

After a nice little break over Christmas we are gearing up for our first market for the year, The Handmade Craft Market on Sunday 20th February.

If you love handmade then you will love this market. It is dedicated to showcasing talented designers and artists and is strictly handmade, handcrafted and homegrown.

Bring the family and enjoy live music, activities for the kids and lots of fabulous prizes and giveaways.

We hope to see you there. We will be at stand 26.