Showing posts with label tutorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tutorial. Show all posts
Tutorial: Neon Heart Post-It Notes Backdrop
With Valentine's Day less than a week away, I'm sharing my Neon Heart Post-It Notes backdrop tutorial on Bird's Party today. Of course this technique of folding over Post-It Notes could be used to make all sorts of gorgeous graphic backdrops. Check out my Post-It Notes Art board on Pinterest for more inspiration.
Tutorial: Fringed Lantern
While I'm gearing up for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this weekend, Emily of Magnolia Creative Co. is in the house to share this fun and easy DIY project exclusively with our readers.
Hi! Emily here from Magnolia Creative Co. and I want to share with you my tutorial for Fringe Lanterns. I regularly read the blog, Oh Happy Day and just fell in love with her DIY Surprise Lantern tutorial. I planned to make them and place them in our outdoor party tent for my son's first birthday party - A Bayou Bash! So I set off to my local craft store to purchase the surprise. I couldn't find the required crepe paper sheets so in desperation I bought three different colors of crepe paper streamers and the Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors and decided to change up the tutorial just a bit.
Materials:
* Crepe Paper Streamers
* Paper Lanterns - even ripped or slightly torn ones work great because your covering them up
* Scissors - I recommend the Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors, they just make it easier
* Double Stick Tape
First take your scissors and cut little slits to make the fringe. Cut only about halfway through the streamer because you'll need the space for the tape. It helps if you unroll a lot from the spool. It's ok if you run out because you can always cut more and the seam will always be covered up with all the fringe. If you use the Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors I HIGHLY recommend putting a little WD40 in the hinge because the pure weight of the scissors can make them a little hard to use after a while. So the looser they are the better for your hands.
After you've cut some streamers run strips of double stick tape along the seams of the lantern. Make sure the tape runs the whole length of the lantern. It's just easier than having to add more while you're trying to work with the streamers.
Start adding the fringe streamers at the bottom of the lantern. Be sure to press down on the streamer to make sure it's fastened to the tape. Start going around the lantern. You can use the "ribs" of the lantern as a great ruler to help you place the streamer. Work your way around the lantern in a spiral until you reach the top. Use a little bit of scotch tape at the top to secure the streamer.
Fluff up your lantern, hang and enjoy. I used a safety pin through my lantern then tied a little sting to it and tied it to my chandelier. Have fun!
Hi! Emily here from Magnolia Creative Co. and I want to share with you my tutorial for Fringe Lanterns. I regularly read the blog, Oh Happy Day and just fell in love with her DIY Surprise Lantern tutorial. I planned to make them and place them in our outdoor party tent for my son's first birthday party - A Bayou Bash! So I set off to my local craft store to purchase the surprise. I couldn't find the required crepe paper sheets so in desperation I bought three different colors of crepe paper streamers and the Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors and decided to change up the tutorial just a bit.
Materials:
* Crepe Paper Streamers
* Paper Lanterns - even ripped or slightly torn ones work great because your covering them up
* Scissors - I recommend the Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors, they just make it easier
* Double Stick Tape
First take your scissors and cut little slits to make the fringe. Cut only about halfway through the streamer because you'll need the space for the tape. It helps if you unroll a lot from the spool. It's ok if you run out because you can always cut more and the seam will always be covered up with all the fringe. If you use the Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors I HIGHLY recommend putting a little WD40 in the hinge because the pure weight of the scissors can make them a little hard to use after a while. So the looser they are the better for your hands.
After you've cut some streamers run strips of double stick tape along the seams of the lantern. Make sure the tape runs the whole length of the lantern. It's just easier than having to add more while you're trying to work with the streamers.
Start adding the fringe streamers at the bottom of the lantern. Be sure to press down on the streamer to make sure it's fastened to the tape. Start going around the lantern. You can use the "ribs" of the lantern as a great ruler to help you place the streamer. Work your way around the lantern in a spiral until you reach the top. Use a little bit of scotch tape at the top to secure the streamer.
Fluff up your lantern, hang and enjoy. I used a safety pin through my lantern then tied a little sting to it and tied it to my chandelier. Have fun!
Tutorial: Ombre Paint Stick Backdrop
I've been working a ton of overtime at my "real job", plus training for the Avon Walk in May, so the blog has taken a back seat these past few weeks. Thanks for hanging in there with me. While I was busy wrapping things up at work, my Anthropologie inspired ombre backdrop made it's debut on Bird's Party Magazine Spring/Summer 2012 issue.
For this DIY project, you'll need:
* 32 5 gallon wooden paint stirring sticks -- I scored these for free at my local Sherwin Williams paint store
* Martha Stewart Crafts multi-surface satin acrylic craft paint in Pond, Surf, Summer Haze, and Sea Lavender
* Paint brush
* Painter's tape
Paint 8 sticks (all sides except for the back) with the Pond paint color. Repeat with the Surf, Summer Haze, and Sea Lavender paints.
When the paint has completely dried, place rolled up pieces of painter's tape on the back of each stick. Starting with the Pond colored sticks, adhere them onto the wall side-by-side.
Create a wave-like pattern by varying the height of the sticks. Repeat with the Surf, Summer Haze, and Sea Lavender colored sticks.
To complete the beachy look, sprinkle cupcakes with crushed graham crackers and top with fondant surf boards and mini parasols. For the ombre cupcake wrappers, paint each color on heavy card stock, then trace and cut out the wrappers from a template. Finally, cut out the words "Hang Ten" (how perfect for a 10th birthday party) from kraft paper and string with microfilament.
It's also been way too long since I've teamed up with Heather of Chickabug and blog contributor, Xiaolu of 6 Bittersweets, don't you think? Well, you won't have to wait much longer. Look for our Mother's Day collaboration, with free printables, another Anthro inspired tutorial, and a lemony cake recipe at the end of the month.
Linking up to: Whipperberry / Kojo Designs / Tatertots and Jello
For this DIY project, you'll need:
* 32 5 gallon wooden paint stirring sticks -- I scored these for free at my local Sherwin Williams paint store
* Martha Stewart Crafts multi-surface satin acrylic craft paint in Pond, Surf, Summer Haze, and Sea Lavender
* Paint brush
* Painter's tape
Paint 8 sticks (all sides except for the back) with the Pond paint color. Repeat with the Surf, Summer Haze, and Sea Lavender paints.
When the paint has completely dried, place rolled up pieces of painter's tape on the back of each stick. Starting with the Pond colored sticks, adhere them onto the wall side-by-side.
Create a wave-like pattern by varying the height of the sticks. Repeat with the Surf, Summer Haze, and Sea Lavender colored sticks.
To complete the beachy look, sprinkle cupcakes with crushed graham crackers and top with fondant surf boards and mini parasols. For the ombre cupcake wrappers, paint each color on heavy card stock, then trace and cut out the wrappers from a template. Finally, cut out the words "Hang Ten" (how perfect for a 10th birthday party) from kraft paper and string with microfilament.
It's also been way too long since I've teamed up with Heather of Chickabug and blog contributor, Xiaolu of 6 Bittersweets, don't you think? Well, you won't have to wait much longer. Look for our Mother's Day collaboration, with free printables, another Anthro inspired tutorial, and a lemony cake recipe at the end of the month.
Linking up to: Whipperberry / Kojo Designs / Tatertots and Jello
Tutorial: Angry Birds Fondant Toppers
The stunning cakes that you see at just about all of my events are made by my friend, Loan of PhoebeCakes. She's a pharmacist who picked up cake decorating just a few years ago. For someone who never played with Play Doh growing up, her fondant creations always get lots of "oohs and aahs" from our guests. I'm sure you remember the cakes that she made for the Lullaby Baby Shower, Vintage Sewing Birthday Party, and Transformers Birthday Party.
Well it turns out that Loan lives just down the road from Xiaolu, our newest blog contributor from 6 Bittersweets, so we all got together a few weeks ago to shoot this tutorial for Angry Birds fondant toppers.
Here are the supplies you'll need:
* red, white, yellow, black and green fondant
* tylose or water for the "glue"
* rice krispies treats
* fondant roller
* black edible marker
* round piping tips
* round cutters
* small brush
* exacto knife
* dresden tool (optional)
First, roll the rice krispies treats into a ball the size of a gumball. Then knead the red fondant until it becomes soft and pliable. Roll out the fondant and cut out with a 2" round cutter.
Wrap the rice krispies treats ball completely with the fondant, then roll between your hands to remove the seams.
Roll out the white fondant. Cut out with a 1" round cutter and roll into an oval. Brush with a small amount of tylose or water and adhere to the red ball.
Shape the yellow fondant into a small cone, glue on the beak and score with an exacto knife.
For the eyes, cut out 2 white circles with a small piping tip and glue above the beak. Draw in the pupils with the black edible marker. For the eye brows, make elongated tear drops from the black fondant and glue above the eyes.
Now for the finishing touches. Form a red tear drop, score to create the head feathers, then glue to the top. For the tail feathers, form a black tear drop, score twice, then glue to the back.
On to the green pig! Follow the steps above to make the head. Form an oval for the snout, glue onto the head, then use the dresden tool to create the nostrils. For the eyes, cut out 2 white circles with a small piping tip and glue above the sides of the snout. Draw in the pupils and eye brows with the black edible marker.
Lastly, form 2 tear drops for the ears, press down the center with the dresden tool, and glue to the top of the head.
Thanks, Loan for sharing the tutorial. Visit PhoebeCakes to see more of her incredible fondant creations, including a whole Angry Birds cake.
Photography: 6 Bittersweets
Well it turns out that Loan lives just down the road from Xiaolu, our newest blog contributor from 6 Bittersweets, so we all got together a few weeks ago to shoot this tutorial for Angry Birds fondant toppers.
Here are the supplies you'll need:
* red, white, yellow, black and green fondant
* tylose or water for the "glue"
* rice krispies treats
* fondant roller
* black edible marker
* round piping tips
* round cutters
* small brush
* exacto knife
* dresden tool (optional)
First, roll the rice krispies treats into a ball the size of a gumball. Then knead the red fondant until it becomes soft and pliable. Roll out the fondant and cut out with a 2" round cutter.
Wrap the rice krispies treats ball completely with the fondant, then roll between your hands to remove the seams.
Roll out the white fondant. Cut out with a 1" round cutter and roll into an oval. Brush with a small amount of tylose or water and adhere to the red ball.
Shape the yellow fondant into a small cone, glue on the beak and score with an exacto knife.
For the eyes, cut out 2 white circles with a small piping tip and glue above the beak. Draw in the pupils with the black edible marker. For the eye brows, make elongated tear drops from the black fondant and glue above the eyes.
Now for the finishing touches. Form a red tear drop, score to create the head feathers, then glue to the top. For the tail feathers, form a black tear drop, score twice, then glue to the back.
On to the green pig! Follow the steps above to make the head. Form an oval for the snout, glue onto the head, then use the dresden tool to create the nostrils. For the eyes, cut out 2 white circles with a small piping tip and glue above the sides of the snout. Draw in the pupils and eye brows with the black edible marker.
Lastly, form 2 tear drops for the ears, press down the center with the dresden tool, and glue to the top of the head.
Thanks, Loan for sharing the tutorial. Visit PhoebeCakes to see more of her incredible fondant creations, including a whole Angry Birds cake.
Photography: 6 Bittersweets
Tutorial: Spooky Graveyard Cupcakes
I'm beyond thrilled to officially announce that my talented friend, Xiaolu of 6 Bittersweets will be a regular contributor on the blog. She's an avid photographer, foodie, blogger, and the perfect addition to the PJE team. Who can forget the spool of thread cake pops that she created for the Vintage Sewing Party? Since then, we've collaborated on several projects, including the breast cancer awareness photo shoot featuring printables from Heather of Chickabug. I can hardly wait to share more of what we've been working on. For now, please welcome Xiaolu and enjoy reading her first post as contributing writer.
I love tutorials, don’t you? They have that great ability to take you from the initial reaction of being in awe of the final product to thinking, “You know what…I can do that!” As I was remarking to Christine just yesterday, it’s unbelievable how much photo and video tutorials have helped me with my website, my photography, and my baking business. From this wealth of information on the internet, I’ve learned methods of baking and decorating that people used to have to take classes to learn! So when Christine asked me to become a regular contributor on Pure Joy Events -- when she offered me a chance to teach and empower other food and craft-lovers as I’d been taught and empowered -- I immediately sent back an emphatic “Yes!”
Especially exciting to me at that moment was the fact that Halloween (my favorite holiday) was coming up! And what is Halloween if not a DIY-lover’s dream? I mean, sure, you could easily find pre-made mass-produced costumes, decorations, and treats in stores. But what is the FUN in that? This is a day made for remembering just how amazing and fruitful our own 2 hands are, for rediscovering creativity. For looking at a trash bag and imagining spiderwebs, looking at cheesecloth and envisioning a ghost, and so much more! But now I’ve gotten carried away. The real reason I’m here today is to share a tutorial for a creepy, fun, and ultra-nommable Halloween project for you to make for and with family and friends. After going through my step-by-step photos and downloading the FREE printable toppers that Heather of Chickabug is generously sharing, I certainly hope you’ll be saying to yourself, “I can do this!” Have a safe and spooky Halloween, my friends!
Spooky Graveyard Vanilla Cookies N' Cream Cupcakes
Cake adapted from Beantown Baker; fondant toppers adapted from The Red Deer
Makes 12 cupcakes
XIAOLU'S NOTES: As I've mentioned before, I prefer marshmallow fondant because the taste is much much better than storebought. That being said, storebought fondant will work just fine here as well. You should make the fondant toppers at least 1 day before you plan to use them so that they have a chance to dry. I chose ganache mostly to provide a level surface for the toppers. If you'd prefer a different frosting, you can crumble the 12 leftover cookie halves (the ones without frosting) and sprinkle the crumbs on top of OR mix them into whatever frosting you decide to use.
Make the skull and bones fondant toppers:
About 5 oz. Marshmallow Fondant (Recipe here)
Yellow and brown gel or paste food coloring
Wooden skewer
Vodka
Narrow food-safe paintbrush
Cover a clean flat surface with powdered sugar. Color the fondant a light yellowish brown by squeezing 1 drop of yellow coloring onto the surface and kneading it in until the color is evenly distributed (no streaks). Keep some trans fat-free shortening on hand as you work; if the fondant gets too dry, you can knead some shortening in to make it more pliable.
Then squeeze a small drop of brown food coloring onto the fondant and knead it in as well. (I actually made my marshmallow fondant a little too dry as you can see in the photo above. It would be too dry and crack if we tried to cover a cake with it, but fortunately these toppers are fairly small so a little dryness is okay.)
To make a bone topper, first roll a small ball of fondant about 1/2-inch wide between your palms. Make sure to keep the remaining fondant in an airtight container while you work on small pieces; otherwise, it'll quickly dry up and become useless! Roll fondant ball into a log (about 1 1/2 inches long) that's thicker at the ends by putting pressure on the middle as you roll using your index finger.
Use the end of a wooden skewer or toothpick to push into each end of the "bone" to divide them into 2 sections (like real bones have). Then use your fingertips to further separate the sections and smooth them out. Continue using your thumb and index fingertips to lengthen the middle part of the bone and make it more uniform in width.
Use the pointed end of your wooden skewer or toothpick to draw some cracks, and you're now done shaping your first bone! Repeat the same process to make 11 more (one for each cupcake).
Once you've finished shaping all 12 bones, go back to paint the first one (which should have hardened a little by now and be easier to handle). I painted them with a narrow, food-safe brush using brown gel food coloring diluted with a little vodka (don't use water!). As you can see from the dirty paper towel in the photo, I blotted frequently (after every dip into the food coloring!). Don't forget to do this or your bones will get way too dark! Just a few strokes here and there (mostly on the sides) to make them look more aged and dirty. Paint all the bones, then leave to dry for at least 8 hours and up to 1 week (do NOT cover; just leave them open to the air in a safe and dry place).
To make a skull topper, first roll a small ball of fondant about 3/4-inch wide between your palms.
Use your index finger to widen the ball and roll one end so that it's a little less thick than the other (the shape should be vaguely similar to a lightbulb). Use the wider end of a wooden skewer or something else with a round end to make "eye sockets." After first inserting the tip, you'll probably have to move it around slightly in a circle motion to widen the depression until it looks to be about the right size.
Now switch back to the pointy end of the wooden skewer or toothpick to draw holes for "nostrils" as well as a "mouth" (I stuck with the sewn/shrunken-looking mouth by drawing a horizontal line plus 3 to 4 short vertical lines crossing it). Use your thumb and index fingers to slightly press in the lower sides of the "skull" thus making the cheekbones more prominent.
Use the pointed end of your wooden skewer or toothpick to draw some cracks, and you're now done shaping your first skull! Repeat the same process to make 11 more (one for each cupcake). Once you've finished shaping all 12 skulls, go back to paint the first one (which should have hardened a little by now and be easier to handle). I painted with the same brown gel food coloring as before (diluted with just a little vodka (don't use water!)). Again I blotted frequently (after every dip into the food coloring!). Don't forget to do this or your bones will get way too dark! I used this more concentrated color to paint the eye sockets, nostrils, and mouth. I also added a few strokes here and there to make the skulls look more aged.
Finally I dipped the brush in pure vodka and painted it as a "wash" over the previous color. The effect should be to make the skull look old and dirty overall, with the darker brown falling into the depressions in the eye sockets, nostrils, mouth, and crackers! Paint all the skulls, then leave to dry for at least 8 hours and up to 1 week (do NOT cover; just leave them open to the air in a safe and dry place) together with the bone toppers.
Assemble paper tombstone toppers:
Tombstone Toppers Printed on Card Stock (FREE printable available from Chickabug)
Scissors
Tape
12 4-inch lollipop sticks
Cut tombstone toppers out of card stock. Use a small piece of scotch tape (about 1 inch long) to tape a lollipop stick to the back of each tombstone. Cut the end of each lollipop stick so that there's only about 1 1/2 inches of the stick extending beyond the paper tombstones.
Make cupcakes:
18 (about 1/2 package) Oreo, Newman-O, or other chocolate cream-filled cookies
1 Tbsp all purpose flour (for Oreo chunks)
1 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Slightly rounded 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cream OR half and half
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the top of a standard 12-cup muffin pan (in case you get some “muffin top” action). Line pan with 12 baking liners. Twist apart 12 Oreos. Place a half with filling on it (filling side up) in the bottom of each paper liner. Reserve the remaining 12 halves without filling AND 19 whole Oreos for topping the cupcakes later.
Cut 6 whole Oreo cookies into large chunks with a sharp knife. Toss with 1 tablespoon of flour and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons of flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Using a stand or handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light, about 2 to 4 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup cream and continue beating just until incorporated. Add 1/2 the flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla, then mix just until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined. Add egg whites to the batter, and mix on medium speed for about 1 1/2 minutes. Finally, stir in the quartered Oreo cookies.
Distribute batter evenly among baking cups, filling each about 3/4 full. When finished, slam the pan evenly and firmly downward from 2 inches above the counter to force out any large bubbles. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out mostly clean. Remove from oven right away, let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make ganache and decorate cupcakes:
15 whole Oreo, Newman-O, or other chocolate cream-filled cookies
12 Oreo halves without frosting [leftover from making cupcake batter]
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chips or finely chopped bar)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp unsalted butter
Crush up the Oreos (whole and halves) using either a food processor or rolling pin. Be sure to stop breaking the Oreos down when there are still some small chunks left. Since we'll be using these crumbs to great a "dirt" effect, chunks are actually preferable! Be especially careful if you're using a food processor, since processing too finely could turn the mixture into a paste instead of crumbs (due to the moisture of the cream filling!). Transfer crumbs to a wide, shallow bowl, plate, or pan; set aside.
Place chocolate in a small to medium bowl. Bring heavy cream and butter just to a boil. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and let sit for about 5 minutes. Begin stirring mixture and continue stirring until the mixture is uniform and smooth (may take about 2 minutes of stirring).
Immediately dip each (COOLED) cupcake upside-down into the ganache up to the liner, lift cake out of chocolate, and let excess ganache drip off. Next, turn cupcake right-side up and move so that you're holding it over the bowl of Oreo crumbs. Scoop up some crumbs with your free hand and press crumbs to the top of the cupcake until all of the ganache is covered. Place cupcake on wire rack to allow topping to set. Repeat dipping and coating process with remaining cupcakes. If ganache begins to harden before all of the cupcakes are dipped you may heat for 5-second intervals in a microwave until chocolate can be stirred smooth again.
Now stick a tombstone paper topper into each cupcake, near the edge and with the text facing the center of the cupcake. Finally, set a fondant skull and bone on top of each cupcake near the center. Enjoy your spooky yummy treat!
I love tutorials, don’t you? They have that great ability to take you from the initial reaction of being in awe of the final product to thinking, “You know what…I can do that!” As I was remarking to Christine just yesterday, it’s unbelievable how much photo and video tutorials have helped me with my website, my photography, and my baking business. From this wealth of information on the internet, I’ve learned methods of baking and decorating that people used to have to take classes to learn! So when Christine asked me to become a regular contributor on Pure Joy Events -- when she offered me a chance to teach and empower other food and craft-lovers as I’d been taught and empowered -- I immediately sent back an emphatic “Yes!”
Especially exciting to me at that moment was the fact that Halloween (my favorite holiday) was coming up! And what is Halloween if not a DIY-lover’s dream? I mean, sure, you could easily find pre-made mass-produced costumes, decorations, and treats in stores. But what is the FUN in that? This is a day made for remembering just how amazing and fruitful our own 2 hands are, for rediscovering creativity. For looking at a trash bag and imagining spiderwebs, looking at cheesecloth and envisioning a ghost, and so much more! But now I’ve gotten carried away. The real reason I’m here today is to share a tutorial for a creepy, fun, and ultra-nommable Halloween project for you to make for and with family and friends. After going through my step-by-step photos and downloading the FREE printable toppers that Heather of Chickabug is generously sharing, I certainly hope you’ll be saying to yourself, “I can do this!” Have a safe and spooky Halloween, my friends!
Spooky Graveyard Vanilla Cookies N' Cream Cupcakes
Cake adapted from Beantown Baker; fondant toppers adapted from The Red Deer
Makes 12 cupcakes
XIAOLU'S NOTES: As I've mentioned before, I prefer marshmallow fondant because the taste is much much better than storebought. That being said, storebought fondant will work just fine here as well. You should make the fondant toppers at least 1 day before you plan to use them so that they have a chance to dry. I chose ganache mostly to provide a level surface for the toppers. If you'd prefer a different frosting, you can crumble the 12 leftover cookie halves (the ones without frosting) and sprinkle the crumbs on top of OR mix them into whatever frosting you decide to use.
Make the skull and bones fondant toppers:
About 5 oz. Marshmallow Fondant (Recipe here)
Yellow and brown gel or paste food coloring
Wooden skewer
Vodka
Narrow food-safe paintbrush
Cover a clean flat surface with powdered sugar. Color the fondant a light yellowish brown by squeezing 1 drop of yellow coloring onto the surface and kneading it in until the color is evenly distributed (no streaks). Keep some trans fat-free shortening on hand as you work; if the fondant gets too dry, you can knead some shortening in to make it more pliable.
Then squeeze a small drop of brown food coloring onto the fondant and knead it in as well. (I actually made my marshmallow fondant a little too dry as you can see in the photo above. It would be too dry and crack if we tried to cover a cake with it, but fortunately these toppers are fairly small so a little dryness is okay.)
To make a bone topper, first roll a small ball of fondant about 1/2-inch wide between your palms. Make sure to keep the remaining fondant in an airtight container while you work on small pieces; otherwise, it'll quickly dry up and become useless! Roll fondant ball into a log (about 1 1/2 inches long) that's thicker at the ends by putting pressure on the middle as you roll using your index finger.
Use the end of a wooden skewer or toothpick to push into each end of the "bone" to divide them into 2 sections (like real bones have). Then use your fingertips to further separate the sections and smooth them out. Continue using your thumb and index fingertips to lengthen the middle part of the bone and make it more uniform in width.
Use the pointed end of your wooden skewer or toothpick to draw some cracks, and you're now done shaping your first bone! Repeat the same process to make 11 more (one for each cupcake).
Once you've finished shaping all 12 bones, go back to paint the first one (which should have hardened a little by now and be easier to handle). I painted them with a narrow, food-safe brush using brown gel food coloring diluted with a little vodka (don't use water!). As you can see from the dirty paper towel in the photo, I blotted frequently (after every dip into the food coloring!). Don't forget to do this or your bones will get way too dark! Just a few strokes here and there (mostly on the sides) to make them look more aged and dirty. Paint all the bones, then leave to dry for at least 8 hours and up to 1 week (do NOT cover; just leave them open to the air in a safe and dry place).
To make a skull topper, first roll a small ball of fondant about 3/4-inch wide between your palms.
Use your index finger to widen the ball and roll one end so that it's a little less thick than the other (the shape should be vaguely similar to a lightbulb). Use the wider end of a wooden skewer or something else with a round end to make "eye sockets." After first inserting the tip, you'll probably have to move it around slightly in a circle motion to widen the depression until it looks to be about the right size.
Now switch back to the pointy end of the wooden skewer or toothpick to draw holes for "nostrils" as well as a "mouth" (I stuck with the sewn/shrunken-looking mouth by drawing a horizontal line plus 3 to 4 short vertical lines crossing it). Use your thumb and index fingers to slightly press in the lower sides of the "skull" thus making the cheekbones more prominent.
Use the pointed end of your wooden skewer or toothpick to draw some cracks, and you're now done shaping your first skull! Repeat the same process to make 11 more (one for each cupcake). Once you've finished shaping all 12 skulls, go back to paint the first one (which should have hardened a little by now and be easier to handle). I painted with the same brown gel food coloring as before (diluted with just a little vodka (don't use water!)). Again I blotted frequently (after every dip into the food coloring!). Don't forget to do this or your bones will get way too dark! I used this more concentrated color to paint the eye sockets, nostrils, and mouth. I also added a few strokes here and there to make the skulls look more aged.
Finally I dipped the brush in pure vodka and painted it as a "wash" over the previous color. The effect should be to make the skull look old and dirty overall, with the darker brown falling into the depressions in the eye sockets, nostrils, mouth, and crackers! Paint all the skulls, then leave to dry for at least 8 hours and up to 1 week (do NOT cover; just leave them open to the air in a safe and dry place) together with the bone toppers.
Assemble paper tombstone toppers:
Tombstone Toppers Printed on Card Stock (FREE printable available from Chickabug)
Scissors
Tape
12 4-inch lollipop sticks
Cut tombstone toppers out of card stock. Use a small piece of scotch tape (about 1 inch long) to tape a lollipop stick to the back of each tombstone. Cut the end of each lollipop stick so that there's only about 1 1/2 inches of the stick extending beyond the paper tombstones.
Make cupcakes:
18 (about 1/2 package) Oreo, Newman-O, or other chocolate cream-filled cookies
1 Tbsp all purpose flour (for Oreo chunks)
1 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Slightly rounded 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cream OR half and half
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the top of a standard 12-cup muffin pan (in case you get some “muffin top” action). Line pan with 12 baking liners. Twist apart 12 Oreos. Place a half with filling on it (filling side up) in the bottom of each paper liner. Reserve the remaining 12 halves without filling AND 19 whole Oreos for topping the cupcakes later.
Cut 6 whole Oreo cookies into large chunks with a sharp knife. Toss with 1 tablespoon of flour and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons of flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Using a stand or handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light, about 2 to 4 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup cream and continue beating just until incorporated. Add 1/2 the flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla, then mix just until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined. Add egg whites to the batter, and mix on medium speed for about 1 1/2 minutes. Finally, stir in the quartered Oreo cookies.
Distribute batter evenly among baking cups, filling each about 3/4 full. When finished, slam the pan evenly and firmly downward from 2 inches above the counter to force out any large bubbles. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out mostly clean. Remove from oven right away, let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make ganache and decorate cupcakes:
15 whole Oreo, Newman-O, or other chocolate cream-filled cookies
12 Oreo halves without frosting [leftover from making cupcake batter]
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chips or finely chopped bar)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp unsalted butter
Crush up the Oreos (whole and halves) using either a food processor or rolling pin. Be sure to stop breaking the Oreos down when there are still some small chunks left. Since we'll be using these crumbs to great a "dirt" effect, chunks are actually preferable! Be especially careful if you're using a food processor, since processing too finely could turn the mixture into a paste instead of crumbs (due to the moisture of the cream filling!). Transfer crumbs to a wide, shallow bowl, plate, or pan; set aside.
Place chocolate in a small to medium bowl. Bring heavy cream and butter just to a boil. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and let sit for about 5 minutes. Begin stirring mixture and continue stirring until the mixture is uniform and smooth (may take about 2 minutes of stirring).
Immediately dip each (COOLED) cupcake upside-down into the ganache up to the liner, lift cake out of chocolate, and let excess ganache drip off. Next, turn cupcake right-side up and move so that you're holding it over the bowl of Oreo crumbs. Scoop up some crumbs with your free hand and press crumbs to the top of the cupcake until all of the ganache is covered. Place cupcake on wire rack to allow topping to set. Repeat dipping and coating process with remaining cupcakes. If ganache begins to harden before all of the cupcakes are dipped you may heat for 5-second intervals in a microwave until chocolate can be stirred smooth again.
Now stick a tombstone paper topper into each cupcake, near the edge and with the text facing the center of the cupcake. Finally, set a fondant skull and bone on top of each cupcake near the center. Enjoy your spooky yummy treat!
Xiaolu - Contributing Writer from 6 Bittersweets
Xiaolu loves baking, cooking, and pretty much any food-related DIY project. Since starting her blog, 6 Bittersweets, in late 2009, she has discovered a strong passion for food and still life photography.
Tutorial Tuesday: Spools of Thread Cake Pops
Wow, what an incredible honor to be featured twice in one week on Amy Atlas! Hope you caught my exclusive DIY hoop tutorial that was posted on her blog yesterday. It's such a pleasure to have Xiaolu of 6 Bittersweets here to share another how-to from the Vintage Sewing Party -- spools of thread cakes pops.
When I began blogging, I would never have guessed the impact it would have on my life. Just through my little food site, I’ve been introduced to hundreds of people around the world who consistently blow me away with their talent, whether in the area of cooking, baking, crafting, writing, photographing, or styling. When I’m really lucky, one of these incredible people, like Christine, turns out to be right in my neck of the woods!
Even though we discovered each others’ sites fairly recently, I wasted no time pouring over all the fun party photos and creative ideas on Christine’s site. Her passion and skill for styling and crafting was so immediately evident that I couldn’t wait to collaborate with her. Opportunity eventually came calling in the form of a sweet vintage sewing party she was planning for her daughter’s birthday and for which she asked me to prepare some treats.
To be honest, when Christine first asked me to make sewing-themed cake pops I was a bit nervous. Though cake pops are one of my most popular treats – second only to cupcakes – I’d actually never attempted non-spherical pops before. But with an adventurous attitude and some creative thinking, I turned out these spool cake pops that I hear were quite convincing to the young partiers =). Now I’m delighted to be sharing a detailed tutorial sew you can recreate these for your own themed party. Thanks, Christine, for inspiring me with your lovely party ideas and working with me to create such a unique treat!
Spools of Thread Cake Pops
Makes about 20 to 23 lollipops
XIAOLU'S NOTES: I strongly recommend making your own cake and frosting from scratch as it allows you to control the sweetness of the pops much more. You may even want to reduce the amount of sugar from your usual cake since the candy coating will be quite sweet. Please don't be intimidated by my recipe. Its long length is mostly due to the inclusion of detailed notes/tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible. Store-bought fondant can be substituted for the marshmallow fondant, but marshmallow fondant tastes much much better (pretty much like what you'd imagine from its ingredients).
Marshmallow Fondant (Recipe below)
Powdered sugar, for rolling fondant
Round cookie cutter (1 1/2-inches wide)
8 or 9-inch cake layer [in a flavor of your choosing]
1/4 to 3/4 cups frosting [in a flavor of your choosing]
1 lb. 2 oz. candy melts OR white chocolate chips/bark
1 1/2 Tbsp trans fat-free shortening [such as Spectrum or Earth Balance]
Canola or vegetable oil, as needed to thin candy coating
About 21 to 24 paper lollipop sticks (I use 4-inch/10-cm sticks)
Oil-based candy coloring or powder food coloring, optional
Generously dust a large flat surface with powdered sugar. Roll out marshmallow fondant to a thickness of about 1/10-inch. Dust top of fondant and rolling pin lightly with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Dip cookie cutter in powdered sugar and cut out as many 1 1/2-inch wide fondant circles as possible. Rub circles lightly with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Repeat with additional fondant until you have twice as many fondant circles as cake pops. Make holes in the middle of half the fondant circles using a lollipop stick. First press the stick firmly into the middle of a fondant circle, then slide the circle up the stick while rotating the stick to slightly enlarge the circle. Leave all fondant circles out to air dry while preparing the cake pops.
Line 2 large baking pans with non-stick silicone mats or parchment paper. Crumble cooled cake into a large bowl, removing any overcooked/crusty pieces. Add in 1/4 cup of frosting and mix into the cake crumbs thoroughly using clean fingers. Test the mixture by attempting to press and roll into a 1 1/2-inch diameter ball. If the mixture crumbles instead of holding together as a ball, add more frosting 2 tablespoons at a time -- mixing thoroughly and testing for consistency after each addition -- just until mixture is moist enough to hold its shape.
Now roll/press the cake cookie mixture into balls 1 1/2-inches wide. Repeat until the cake mixture has been used up (you should have between 20 and 23 balls), and set the balls at least 1-inch apart from each other on a lined pan. Place cake balls in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove cake balls from freezer and use both hands to press and shape into cylinders roughly 1 1/2-inches tall and 1-inch wide. I do this by first rolling the ball between both palms of my hands to elongate it slightly. Then I place the cake ball in the middle of my left palm and bring my fingers together around it as if making a fist WHILE at the same time flattening the ends of the cake cylinder by pressing the open ends using the fingers of my right hand. Finally, I pinch the edges of both ends to create a more defined cylinder shape. Return pan of cake cylinders to freezer for 10 minutes.
Place candy melts and 1 1/2 tablespoons of shortening into a heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute on medium heat. Stir well, then continue microwaving at 30-second intervals on medium heat, stirring between each, until the mixture is mostly melted and smooth. Continue stirring (but without beating -- to avoid air bubbles in your coating) until the mixture becomes completely smooth. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into a little melted coating and insert halfway (not more!) into the middle of each cake cylinder. Place in the fridge [NOT the freezer] for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up so the cake won't fall off the stick when coated.
Meanwhile, color your coating with oil-based or powdered food coloring (NOT liquid or gel) in whatever shade you want your "thread" to be. (You can see from the photos that I didn't color the coating until after the base coat, which was okay but resulted in me piping on extra "thread" to cover up the white base. If you color your base coat, you won't have to worry about that!) Now pour your melted coating into a clean and dry cup that’s about 2 1/2 inches wide until the cup very close to full.
Remove cake pops from the fridge and let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature (dipping the pops while cold will result in cracking of the coating because the cake will expand as it warms up). Dip an entire pop straight down into the melted candy coating until it is completely covered, and immediately remove it in one straight upward motion. (If you stir it around, the cake will fall off and it'll be very hard to salvage!) Once you lift the cake pop out of the coating, immediately turn the pop so that its stick is almost vertical with the cake pop pointing upwards. Make sure the coating meets at the base of the lollipop stick. This helps secure the cake ball to the stick when the coating sets.
There will be extra coating still on the cake pop that you can remove. Hold the pop in one hand and use the other hand to gently tap the first wrist. Rotate the pop to allow the excess coating to drip evenly back into the cup of coating, but never let the stick tilt too far down or the cake may fall off. If too much coating collects at the base of the lollipop stick, you can wipe the excess off with a finger while rotating the stick. And if the coating seems too thick, stir in vegetable oil 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
When most of the extra coating has fallen off and no longer drips, turn the cake pop over again so that the cake is down and the stick is up and place onto the second lined pan, making sure to set it down so that the stick points as straight up as possible. Repeat with the remaining cake pops. If the coating in the cup gets so low that you cannot easily submerge the whole cake pop, add more coating to the cup. Let all cake pops set (harden) completely at room temperature or in the freezer (about 8 minutes).
Spoon about 2/3 cup of the leftover melted candy coating into a small zipper sandwich bag. Push as much air out of the bag as possible and seal the top. Cut a very small opening (about 1/10-inch wide) in one corner of the bag. Hold one cake pop near the base of its stick and over top of the empty baking pan (the one used to hold the uncoated cake balls earlier). Make sure to hold the cake pop sideways so that all parts are the same distance from the pan under it. Pick up the bag with candy coating using your other hand. Squeeze the bag steadily while moving the opening back and forth quickly across the cake pop to create lines of "thread." Pipe the coating very wide so that it goes beyond the sides of the cake pop. This will result in a lot of the coating falling onto the pan underneath but will create more realistic looking "thread." Set the pop back down where it came from with the stick pointing up. Repeat with remaining cake pops. If the coating in the bag hardens, place bag on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 20 seconds on medium power. If the coating in the bag runs out, spoon more leftover coating into the bag or reheat/reuse coating that's dripped onto the pan if necessary. Let all cake pops set (harden) completely at room temperature or in the freezer (about 8 minutes).
Again using the sandwich bag with melted coating, pipe a small dollop of coating on the bottom of a fondant circle (without hole). Spread the coating slightly with a small spoon, then immediately center a cake pop above the circle and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining cake pops.
Spread the coating slightly with a small spoon, then immediately center a cake pop above the circle and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining cake pops.
Now pipe a ring of candy coating around the outer edge at the top of each cake pop and let set (harden) completely at room temperature or in the freezer (about 5 minutes). The purpose of this is to create a more level top surface for the remaining fondant circles to stick to.
Next, pipe a small amount of coating on the bottom of a fondant circle (with hole).
Carefully turn the circle upside-down while holding it by the edges, then slide the circle down the cake pop stick. Gently press down on the fondant with your fingers to make sure it sticks to the cake pop. Finally, lift the edges of the upper fondant circle slightly so that the it is as flat as possible to resemble a spool. Repeat with remaining cake pops. Let cake pops set completely then enjoy!
Marshmallow Fondant
Adapted from Allrecipes
Makes about 1 lb. 2 oz.
XIAOLU'S NOTES: You will only need about 1/3 to 1/2 of this recipe for the spools of thread cake pops, but this fondant keeps well in an airtight container and can be used just as other fondant is used.
2 Tbsp trans fat-free shortening
8 oz. miniature marshmallows
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 lb. powdered sugar, divided
Place the shortening in a shallow bowl that’s easy to reach your hand into; set aside.
Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows until the mixture is smooth. If not yet smooth, continue microwaving at 20-second intervals and stirring thoroughly in between until smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 2 cups of powdered sugar for kneading.
Rub your hands thoroughly with shortening, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface well-dusted with powdered sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
Form the fondant into a ball, rub a light film of shortening over the outside, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out on a flat surface dusted with powdered sugar. To make fondant more pliable, rub your fingers with more shortening and knead into the fondant.
When I began blogging, I would never have guessed the impact it would have on my life. Just through my little food site, I’ve been introduced to hundreds of people around the world who consistently blow me away with their talent, whether in the area of cooking, baking, crafting, writing, photographing, or styling. When I’m really lucky, one of these incredible people, like Christine, turns out to be right in my neck of the woods!
Even though we discovered each others’ sites fairly recently, I wasted no time pouring over all the fun party photos and creative ideas on Christine’s site. Her passion and skill for styling and crafting was so immediately evident that I couldn’t wait to collaborate with her. Opportunity eventually came calling in the form of a sweet vintage sewing party she was planning for her daughter’s birthday and for which she asked me to prepare some treats.
To be honest, when Christine first asked me to make sewing-themed cake pops I was a bit nervous. Though cake pops are one of my most popular treats – second only to cupcakes – I’d actually never attempted non-spherical pops before. But with an adventurous attitude and some creative thinking, I turned out these spool cake pops that I hear were quite convincing to the young partiers =). Now I’m delighted to be sharing a detailed tutorial sew you can recreate these for your own themed party. Thanks, Christine, for inspiring me with your lovely party ideas and working with me to create such a unique treat!
Spools of Thread Cake Pops
Makes about 20 to 23 lollipops
XIAOLU'S NOTES: I strongly recommend making your own cake and frosting from scratch as it allows you to control the sweetness of the pops much more. You may even want to reduce the amount of sugar from your usual cake since the candy coating will be quite sweet. Please don't be intimidated by my recipe. Its long length is mostly due to the inclusion of detailed notes/tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible. Store-bought fondant can be substituted for the marshmallow fondant, but marshmallow fondant tastes much much better (pretty much like what you'd imagine from its ingredients).
Marshmallow Fondant (Recipe below)
Powdered sugar, for rolling fondant
Round cookie cutter (1 1/2-inches wide)
8 or 9-inch cake layer [in a flavor of your choosing]
1/4 to 3/4 cups frosting [in a flavor of your choosing]
1 lb. 2 oz. candy melts OR white chocolate chips/bark
1 1/2 Tbsp trans fat-free shortening [such as Spectrum or Earth Balance]
Canola or vegetable oil, as needed to thin candy coating
About 21 to 24 paper lollipop sticks (I use 4-inch/10-cm sticks)
Oil-based candy coloring or powder food coloring, optional
Generously dust a large flat surface with powdered sugar. Roll out marshmallow fondant to a thickness of about 1/10-inch. Dust top of fondant and rolling pin lightly with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Dip cookie cutter in powdered sugar and cut out as many 1 1/2-inch wide fondant circles as possible. Rub circles lightly with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Repeat with additional fondant until you have twice as many fondant circles as cake pops. Make holes in the middle of half the fondant circles using a lollipop stick. First press the stick firmly into the middle of a fondant circle, then slide the circle up the stick while rotating the stick to slightly enlarge the circle. Leave all fondant circles out to air dry while preparing the cake pops.
Line 2 large baking pans with non-stick silicone mats or parchment paper. Crumble cooled cake into a large bowl, removing any overcooked/crusty pieces. Add in 1/4 cup of frosting and mix into the cake crumbs thoroughly using clean fingers. Test the mixture by attempting to press and roll into a 1 1/2-inch diameter ball. If the mixture crumbles instead of holding together as a ball, add more frosting 2 tablespoons at a time -- mixing thoroughly and testing for consistency after each addition -- just until mixture is moist enough to hold its shape.
Now roll/press the cake cookie mixture into balls 1 1/2-inches wide. Repeat until the cake mixture has been used up (you should have between 20 and 23 balls), and set the balls at least 1-inch apart from each other on a lined pan. Place cake balls in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove cake balls from freezer and use both hands to press and shape into cylinders roughly 1 1/2-inches tall and 1-inch wide. I do this by first rolling the ball between both palms of my hands to elongate it slightly. Then I place the cake ball in the middle of my left palm and bring my fingers together around it as if making a fist WHILE at the same time flattening the ends of the cake cylinder by pressing the open ends using the fingers of my right hand. Finally, I pinch the edges of both ends to create a more defined cylinder shape. Return pan of cake cylinders to freezer for 10 minutes.
Place candy melts and 1 1/2 tablespoons of shortening into a heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute on medium heat. Stir well, then continue microwaving at 30-second intervals on medium heat, stirring between each, until the mixture is mostly melted and smooth. Continue stirring (but without beating -- to avoid air bubbles in your coating) until the mixture becomes completely smooth. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into a little melted coating and insert halfway (not more!) into the middle of each cake cylinder. Place in the fridge [NOT the freezer] for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up so the cake won't fall off the stick when coated.
Meanwhile, color your coating with oil-based or powdered food coloring (NOT liquid or gel) in whatever shade you want your "thread" to be. (You can see from the photos that I didn't color the coating until after the base coat, which was okay but resulted in me piping on extra "thread" to cover up the white base. If you color your base coat, you won't have to worry about that!) Now pour your melted coating into a clean and dry cup that’s about 2 1/2 inches wide until the cup very close to full.
Remove cake pops from the fridge and let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature (dipping the pops while cold will result in cracking of the coating because the cake will expand as it warms up). Dip an entire pop straight down into the melted candy coating until it is completely covered, and immediately remove it in one straight upward motion. (If you stir it around, the cake will fall off and it'll be very hard to salvage!) Once you lift the cake pop out of the coating, immediately turn the pop so that its stick is almost vertical with the cake pop pointing upwards. Make sure the coating meets at the base of the lollipop stick. This helps secure the cake ball to the stick when the coating sets.
There will be extra coating still on the cake pop that you can remove. Hold the pop in one hand and use the other hand to gently tap the first wrist. Rotate the pop to allow the excess coating to drip evenly back into the cup of coating, but never let the stick tilt too far down or the cake may fall off. If too much coating collects at the base of the lollipop stick, you can wipe the excess off with a finger while rotating the stick. And if the coating seems too thick, stir in vegetable oil 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
When most of the extra coating has fallen off and no longer drips, turn the cake pop over again so that the cake is down and the stick is up and place onto the second lined pan, making sure to set it down so that the stick points as straight up as possible. Repeat with the remaining cake pops. If the coating in the cup gets so low that you cannot easily submerge the whole cake pop, add more coating to the cup. Let all cake pops set (harden) completely at room temperature or in the freezer (about 8 minutes).
Spoon about 2/3 cup of the leftover melted candy coating into a small zipper sandwich bag. Push as much air out of the bag as possible and seal the top. Cut a very small opening (about 1/10-inch wide) in one corner of the bag. Hold one cake pop near the base of its stick and over top of the empty baking pan (the one used to hold the uncoated cake balls earlier). Make sure to hold the cake pop sideways so that all parts are the same distance from the pan under it. Pick up the bag with candy coating using your other hand. Squeeze the bag steadily while moving the opening back and forth quickly across the cake pop to create lines of "thread." Pipe the coating very wide so that it goes beyond the sides of the cake pop. This will result in a lot of the coating falling onto the pan underneath but will create more realistic looking "thread." Set the pop back down where it came from with the stick pointing up. Repeat with remaining cake pops. If the coating in the bag hardens, place bag on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 20 seconds on medium power. If the coating in the bag runs out, spoon more leftover coating into the bag or reheat/reuse coating that's dripped onto the pan if necessary. Let all cake pops set (harden) completely at room temperature or in the freezer (about 8 minutes).
Again using the sandwich bag with melted coating, pipe a small dollop of coating on the bottom of a fondant circle (without hole). Spread the coating slightly with a small spoon, then immediately center a cake pop above the circle and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining cake pops.
Spread the coating slightly with a small spoon, then immediately center a cake pop above the circle and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining cake pops.
Now pipe a ring of candy coating around the outer edge at the top of each cake pop and let set (harden) completely at room temperature or in the freezer (about 5 minutes). The purpose of this is to create a more level top surface for the remaining fondant circles to stick to.
Next, pipe a small amount of coating on the bottom of a fondant circle (with hole).
Marshmallow Fondant
Adapted from Allrecipes
Makes about 1 lb. 2 oz.
XIAOLU'S NOTES: You will only need about 1/3 to 1/2 of this recipe for the spools of thread cake pops, but this fondant keeps well in an airtight container and can be used just as other fondant is used.
2 Tbsp trans fat-free shortening
8 oz. miniature marshmallows
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 lb. powdered sugar, divided
Place the shortening in a shallow bowl that’s easy to reach your hand into; set aside.
Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows until the mixture is smooth. If not yet smooth, continue microwaving at 20-second intervals and stirring thoroughly in between until smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 2 cups of powdered sugar for kneading.
Rub your hands thoroughly with shortening, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface well-dusted with powdered sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
Form the fondant into a ball, rub a light film of shortening over the outside, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out on a flat surface dusted with powdered sugar. To make fondant more pliable, rub your fingers with more shortening and knead into the fondant.
Tutorial Tuesday: No-Sew Table Runner
I'm so excited to have Adriana from And Baby Makes Three as our guest blogger today. If you're like me and hate breaking out the sewing machine, be sure to check out her easy no-sew project.
Thank you Christine for sharing my No-Sew Table Runner tutorial. For my son’s recent Robots & Rockets 2nd birthday party I wanted to make a table runner to add to the party décor, unfortunately sewing is not a skill I posses, so I cheated a little. I made a no-sew table runner, it was super easy to make and actually turned out a lot nicer than thought it would; even my friends who sew were impressed! Here are the steps to make your very own no-sew table runner.
Materials Needed:
2. Starting on one side, place you fusible bonding web along the edge of your fabric leaving a small edge of fabric free.
3. Place your ribbon over the fusible bonding web and the fabric and iron them together. I suggest doing this in 12 inch sections to avoid an uneven attachment.
4. Repeat this step on all three sides of the fabric overlapping the ribbon on each corner.
In less than an hour you will have your very own DIY table runner, no sewing machine required!
Thanks, Adriana. Visit And Baby Makes Three to see all of the incredible details from her party. Do you have a DIY project that you'd like to submit? Be our guest (blogger, that is)! And stop back tomorrow for the full scoop on the next Party Tutorial Contest.
Thank you Christine for sharing my No-Sew Table Runner tutorial. For my son’s recent Robots & Rockets 2nd birthday party I wanted to make a table runner to add to the party décor, unfortunately sewing is not a skill I posses, so I cheated a little. I made a no-sew table runner, it was super easy to make and actually turned out a lot nicer than thought it would; even my friends who sew were impressed! Here are the steps to make your very own no-sew table runner.
Materials Needed:
- Fabric
- Stitch Witchery (fusible bonding web)
- Grosgrain Ribbon
- Scissors
- Iron
- Ironing Board
2. Starting on one side, place you fusible bonding web along the edge of your fabric leaving a small edge of fabric free.
3. Place your ribbon over the fusible bonding web and the fabric and iron them together. I suggest doing this in 12 inch sections to avoid an uneven attachment.
4. Repeat this step on all three sides of the fabric overlapping the ribbon on each corner.
Thanks, Adriana. Visit And Baby Makes Three to see all of the incredible details from her party. Do you have a DIY project that you'd like to submit? Be our guest (blogger, that is)! And stop back tomorrow for the full scoop on the next Party Tutorial Contest.
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