There is a reason why I don’t talk about food. Ha! I know how to make a cake and cupcakes, but I don’t enjoy it. I’d rather pay someone to do it instead. I DO like to make cake toppers, though. I think it’s more fun to make them unique than to bake them. This summer looks like it will have a lot of parties, so I thought I’d put together this list. Here are some cheap and easy DIY cake toppers that I have made before.
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or anniversary, or simply indulging in your sweet tooth, a beautifully decorated cake can elevate any occasion. However, fancy cake toppers from bakeries can be pricey. But fear not, for we’ve got you covered with nine easy DIY cake topper ideas that won’t break the bank.
5 Easy DIY Cake Topper Ideas
Not creative? No big deal! These easy DIY cake toppers will really impress your guests.
1. DIY Fruit and Flowers Cake Topper
Creating a DIY fruit and flower cake topper is a lovely way to add a touch of natural beauty to your cake. Whether it’s for a birthday, wedding, or any special occasion, this tutorial will guide you through the steps to make your own edible cake decoration.
Materials You’ll Need:
| Assorted fresh flowers (make sure they are safe for consumption and free from pesticides) |
| Small fruits (such as berries, grapes, or cherries) |
| Floral wire |
| Floral tape |
| Toothpicks or wooden skewers |
| Edible glue or melted white chocolate (for attaching flowers and fruits) |
| A pair of scissors |
| Clean, food-safe paintbrush |
Instructions:
- Prepare Your Flowers and Fruits:
- Carefully wash and dry the flowers and fruits you’ll be using. Make sure they are completely clean and free from any dirt or debris.
- Trim the stems of the flowers to about 2-3 inches in length.
- Create Flower Picks:
- Take a small piece of floral wire (around 4 inches) and insert it through the base of a flower, leaving about 1-2 inches of wire sticking out.
- Wrap the wire tightly around the flower stem, securing it in place.
- Repeat this process for each flower you plan to use.
- Make Fruit Picks:
- If you’re using small fruits like berries, simply insert a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of each fruit.
- For larger fruits like grapes or cherries, you can use a small piece of floral wire to secure them onto the toothpick or skewer.
- Assemble Your Topper:
- Arrange the flowers and fruits in a pleasing manner. You can create a small bouquet or scatter them artfully, depending on your design preference.
- Use floral tape to wrap around the stems of the flowers and fruit picks, creating a cohesive topper.
- Attach the Topper to the Cake:
- If your cake has a frosting layer, you can simply insert the wrapped stems directly into the cake.
- If you’re concerned about the flowers and fruits coming into contact with the cake, you can place a small piece of parchment paper or a plastic cake topper between the decoration and the cake’s surface.
- Use edible glue or melted white chocolate to secure the topper in place on the cake. Be sure to let it set before moving the cake.
- Finishing Touches:
- If desired, you can add some greenery or edible leaves to your topper by tucking them in among the flowers and fruits.
- Use a clean paintbrush to lightly brush any excess crumbs or stray bits from the topper for a polished look.
- Once your cake topper is securely in place, your cake is ready to be served and enjoyed. Remember to remove any non-edible components like floral wire or toothpicks before cutting the cake.
Your DIY fruit and flowers cake topper will add a touch of elegance and natural beauty to your special occasion cake, making it a delightful centerpiece for your celebration.
2. Summer Sun Cake Topper
Creating a DIY summer sun cake topper is a fun and festive way to add a sunny touch to your cake for a summer-themed party or celebration. Here’s how you can make one:
Materials You’ll Need:
| Yellow and orange fondant or modeling chocolate |
| Rolling pin, Small, round, and flat cake board or cardboard circle |
| Round cookie cutter or a circular template |
| Yellow food coloring (gel or paste) |
| Edible glue or water |
| Edible gold or yellow luster dust (optional) |
| Food-safe paintbrush |
| Pencils, Toothpicks, or wooden skewers |
Instructions:
- Prepare Your Workspace:
- Ensure your workspace is clean and sanitized.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before working with the fondant or modeling chocolate.
- Roll out a small amount of yellow fondant or modeling chocolate to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Using a round cookie cutter or a circular template, cut out a circle for the sun’s face.
- Using food coloring, tint a small piece of yellow fondant or modeling chocolate a shade darker than the sun’s face for the sun’s mouth. Roll it into a thin, curved strip and attach it to the sun’s face using a small amount of edible glue or water.
- Add Sunbeams and attach Toothpicks:
- Roll out several long, thin strips of yellow and orange fondant or modeling chocolate for the sun’s rays.
- Attach the rays around the edge of the sun’s face, radiating outward. Use edible glue or water to secure them in place.
- If you want to add some shimmer to your sun, you can dust it lightly with edible gold or yellow luster dust using a food-safe paintbrush.
- Insert toothpicks or wooden skewers into the bottom of the sun, leaving enough length to securely insert it into the cake later. You may need to trim them to the appropriate length.
- Create a Base:
- To make a stable base for your sun cake topper, attach the other end of the toothpicks or skewers to a small, round, and flat cake board or cardboard circle. Use edible glue or a bit of fondant to secure them in place.
- If you’d like to give your sun a face, lightly sketch the facial features (eyes and a smiling mouth) using a pencil. Once you’re satisfied with the sketch, you can use black or dark brown food coloring gel or paste to paint the features onto the sun’s face using a fine-tipped food-safe paintbrush.
- Allow the sun cake topper to dry and harden for several hours or overnight, depending on the humidity in your area. This will help it maintain its shape when inserted into the cake.
- Once the sun cake topper is completely dry, gently insert the toothpicks or skewers into the top of your cake, positioning it as desired.
Your DIY summer sun cake topper will add a bright and cheerful touch to your cake, perfect for celebrating sunny days and warm weather. Enjoy your summer-themed cake!
3. Love in Bloom Cake Topper
Creating a “Love in Bloom” cake topper with beautiful, edible flowers is a wonderful way to add a touch of romance to your cake. Whether it’s for a wedding, anniversary, or any special occasion celebrating love, here’s how to make your own floral cake decoration:
Materials You’ll Need:
| Edible flowers (choose a variety of colors and types, ensuring they are safe for consumption and pesticide-free) |
| Floral wire |
| Floral tape |
| Wire cutters or scissors |
| Small vases or containers for flower arrangements |
| Food-safe glue or royal icing |
| A small, flat cake board or cardboard circle |
| Ribbon (optional, for extra decoration) |
Instructions:
- Prepare Your Flowers & Picks:
- Carefully wash and dry the edible flowers, ensuring they are completely clean.
- Trim the stems of the flowers to various lengths, ranging from 2 to 4 inches, depending on the desired height for your cake topper.
- Take a small piece of floral wire (around 4 inches) and insert it through the base of a flower, leaving about 1-2 inches of wire sticking out.
- Wrap the wire tightly around the flower stem, securing it in place.
- Repeat this process for each flower you plan to use.
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- Make Flower Arrangements:
- Arrange the flowers in small vases or containers filled with a bit of water to keep them fresh.
- Experiment with different combinations and heights to create visually appealing arrangements. You can also add greenery or leaves for extra dimension.
- Once you’re satisfied with your flower arrangements, wrap the stems of each arrangement with floral tape to create a cohesive bundle.
- Assemble the Cake Topper and place the cake:
- If you have multiple flower arrangements, you can cluster them together to create a lush, full look.
- Use food-safe glue or royal icing to attach the flower clusters to a small, flat cake board or cardboard circle. Allow it to dry and set in place.
- If desired, you can further decorate the base by wrapping it with a ribbon that complements your cake’s color scheme. Secure the ribbon with glue or double-sided tape.
- Allow the cake topper to dry and set for several hours or until the glue or royal icing has fully hardened. This ensures stability when placing it on the cake.
- Allow the cake topper to dry and set for several hours or until the glue or royal icing has fully hardened. This ensures stability when placing it on the cake.
Your “Love in Bloom” cake topper will add a romantic and elegant touch to your special occasion cake, symbolizing the beauty of love in full bloom. Enjoy your beautifully decorated cake!
4. DIY Mini Tassel Garland Cake Topper
Creating a DIY mini tassel garland cake topper is a fun and stylish way to add a decorative touch to your cake for various occasions like birthdays, weddings, or any celebration. Here’s how you can make one:
Materials You’ll Need:
| Tissue paper in your chosen colors |
| Scissors |
| Ruler |
| Baker’s twine or string |
| Wooden skewer or toothpicks |
| Clear tape or double-sided tape |
| A small, flat cake board or cardboard circle |
| Glue (optional, for attaching the topper to the cake) |
Instructions:
- Choose Your Tassel Colors & Cut Tissue Paper
- Select tissue paper colors that match your party’s theme or your cake’s color scheme. You can use one color or multiple colors for a vibrant look.
- Lay out your tissue paper sheets flat.
- Cut the tissue paper into strips, with the width of each strip being the desired length of your tassels. Typically, a width of 1-1.5 inches works well.
- Cut along the length of the tissue paper, leaving the top edge uncut by about 1 inch. This uncut section will be the top of your tassel.
- Create Tassels:
- Unfold a strip of tissue paper and lay it flat.
- Roll the tissue paper tightly, starting from the uncut top edge. Make sure to roll it as tightly as possible.
- Once rolled, fold the rolled tissue paper in half at the center point, leaving a loop at the top.
- Twist the loop to create a tassel shape, and secure the loop with clear tape or double-sided tape.
- Repeat this process to create as many tassels as you desire, using different tissue paper colors if you like.
- Attach Tassels to String:
- Cut a length of baker’s twine or string to your desired cake topper width, leaving extra for attaching to the cake.
- Thread the top loops of your tassels onto the twine or string, spacing them evenly.
- Ensure the tassels are facing the same way and arrange them as you like along the string.
- Secure Tassels:
- Once all your tassels are on the twine or string, use clear tape or double-sided tape to secure the loops and prevent them from sliding around.
- Attach the ends of the twine or string to a small, flat cake board or cardboard circle. You can secure them with tape or glue, making sure it’s centered.
- Insert a wooden skewer or toothpicks into the cake where you want to place the topper.
- Place the cake topper onto the skewer or toothpicks, ensuring it is securely positioned.
- If needed, you can use a bit of glue on the cake board to ensure it stays in place
- If your twine or string is longer than you’d like, you can trim the excess after attaching it to the cake.
Your DIY mini tassel garland cake topper is now ready to adorn your cake and add a touch of festive flair to your celebration. Enjoy your beautifully decorated cake!
5. DIY Pineapple Cake and Cupcake Topper
Creating a DIY pineapple cake and cupcake topper is a fun and tropical way to decorate your desserts for a luau-themed party, summer celebration, or any occasion where a pineapple motif fits. Here’s how to make both a cake topper and a cupcake topper:
Materials You’ll Need:
For the Cake Topper:
| Yellow fondant or modeling chocolate |
| Green fondant or modeling chocolate |
| Rolling pin |
| Knife or pizza cutter |
| Toothpicks or wooden skewers |
| Edible glue or water |
| A small, flat cake board or cardboard circle |
For the Cupcake Toppers:
| Yellow fondant or modeling chocolate |
| Green fondant or modeling chocolate |
| Pineapple-shaped cookie cutter (or a printed template to hand-cut) |
| Small round cookie cutter or a circular template |
| Rolling pin |
| Toothpicks or wooden skewers |
| Edible glue or water |
| Small, flat cake board or cardboard circle |
Instructions:
For the Cake Topper:
- Create the Pineapple Top:
- Roll out a piece of green fondant or modeling chocolate to about 1/8 inch thickness.
- Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut out a pineapple top shape, resembling the spiky crown of a pineapple.
- If desired, you can create texture on the top by gently pressing a textured object, like a piece of crumpled aluminum foil, onto the fondant. Allow it to dry for added texture.
- Form the Pineapple Body To Base Creation:
- Roll out yellow fondant or modeling chocolate into an oval shape to resemble the pineapple body.
- Attach the green pineapple top to the oval-shaped body using a small amount of edible glue or water. Press it firmly to adhere.
- Insert toothpicks or wooden skewers into the bottom of the pineapple, leaving enough length to securely insert it into the cake later. Trim the excess if needed.
- Attach the other end of the toothpicks or skewers to a small, flat cake board or cardboard circle. Use edible glue or a bit of fondant to secure them in place.
- Allow the cake topper to dry and harden for several hours or overnight. This ensures it maintains its shape when inserted into the cake.
For the Cupcake Toppers:
- Cut Out Pineapple Shapes:
- Roll out yellow fondant or modeling chocolate to about 1/8 inch thickness.
- Use a pineapple-shaped cookie cutter to cut out pineapple shapes, or hand-cut the shapes using a printed pineapple template.
- Create Pineapple Details & Assembling:
- Roll out green fondant or modeling chocolate and cut small leaf shapes.
- Attach the green leaves to the top of each pineapple shape using a small amount of edible glue or water.
- Insert toothpicks or wooden skewers into the bottom of each pineapple shape, leaving enough length to insert them into the cupcakes. Trim the excess if needed.
- Allow the cupcake toppers to dry and harden for several hours or overnight.
- Gently insert the toothpicks or skewers of the cake topper into the top of your cake and the cupcake toppers into your cupcakes, making sure they are securely positioned.
Your DIY pineapple cake and cupcake toppers are now ready to bring a tropical vibe to your desserts. Enjoy your pineapple-themed treats!
Bottom Line
Creating DIY cake toppers is a budget-friendly and creative way to enhance your homemade cakes. With these five ideas, you can add a personal touch to your celebrations without overspending. So, roll up your sleeves, gather your materials, and get ready to impress your guests with stunning, budget-friendly cake toppers!
Thankyou for Reading!
