DIY Tuesday: Cake Decorating Party!

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to go home to Washington for a visit. It was so nice to see my family & friends...I miss them like crazy!

One of my favorite parts about going home is hanging out with my younger sister Natalie. By the time I left home for college, my sister was only about 4 years old, so I have never really been able to spend as much time with her as I would have liked to.

So this trip, I decided it would be fun to put together a little party for Natalie and her friends. The theme for the party was "Let Them Eat Cake" - An all girl cake decorating party including shabby chic decor, lots of treats & snacks, and of course a personal mini cake and cake platter for each girl to decorate and take home.

This "Let Them Eat Cake" party theme would be perfect for a birthday, sleepover, back to school party, or just because!

The party in a nutshell went a little like this...
First, I let the girls eat their snacks & treats. Then I showed them a couple of simple frosting techniques (the ruffle and the rose). Then I let them decorate their cakes however they wanted...they all turned out wonderfully!

Read further to get the party details so you can have one too!



"Let Them Eat Cake" - Cake decorating party
First off I would like to admit that this party took some time, I owe my Mom and older sister Mel a BIG Thank You! I never would have been able to get everything thrown together without them!

So here is what I did...I will try to condense everything as well as I can...

The Decor
1. Table Cloth - Bought a piece of vintage fabric at an antique store for about $3
2. Flag streamers -nothing new, but I just can't get enough of them! I used vintage looking scrap fabric courtesy of my wonderful Grandmother. Find the Martha Stewart tutorial HERE.
3. Vintage inspired painting and frame - (I already made with my sister for her bedroom a few years back, I love using things I already have!) Find frame tutorial HERE.

The Food
1. Meltaway's - with dollops of baby pink frosting, get the recipe and tutorial HERE.
2. Mini "Cake" cake pops - I made these without instructions...but don't worry I will be posting the tutorial within the next couple of weeks!
3. Sandwich squares - Just simple turkey, cheese, and lettuce, cut into squares (with a toothpick inserted).
4. Cheese & crackers - I filled a chic vintage glass jar with wheat thins, cut cheese into blocks, then placed a small cup of toothpicks on the side.
5. Jars of candy - I bought the candy in bulk at Winco (much cheaper then the specialty candy stores) The small glass jars I used are actually from the Dollar Store! I let the girls eat the candy and use it to decorate their cakes.
6. Strawberry Limeade - I used glass canning jars (to keep with the vintage feel) and simply tied a strand of lace to the top. The recipe I used is from "Our Best Bites" find it HERE. I wanted to use some of those fun colorful straws, but couldn't find any on short notice. So, I took a regular striped straw and cut it so I was left with the straight end.

The Activity
The girls had a blast decorating their cakes, and they all turned out super adorable! I made the cake stands for only $2 each (get the tutorial right HERE)! It was great because the cakes provided a themed centerpiece for the table setting and the girls were able to take the platters home with them as a party favor.

Before the party, I mixed up a few batches of pink and teal green buttercream frosting. Then I pre-bagged the frosting with various tips so the guests wouldn't have to do this themselves...trust me it can get very messy!
Before the girls started decorating, I taught them a few quick frosting techniques found HERE & HERE.

Here are the steps to building these mini cakes...

Step 1. Bake a simple box cake mix in 4" round pans. Remove from oven, 

let cool slightly, then cut the tops off so the cakes are nice and level.

Step 2. Take 1 whole mini cake, then cut another mini cake in half (fat-ways) with a serrated knife. Add a little buttercream frosting to the center of your whole cake, then add the 1/2 piece to the top. Place the cakes on these 6" cardboard platters, so they are easier to move around.

Step 3. Depending on the age and skill of your guests, you may need to pre-frost the cakes with white buttercream frosting, or you can do this to save time during the party.

Well, I think that's it! If i left anything out, or if you have any questions for me please let me know in the comments or e-mail me at strawberrychicblog@gmail.com!

A BIG thanks to my party guests...