Homemade Valentine Ideas…

Make the homemade Valentine cupcake topper, but you can let someone else bake those scrumptious cupcakes if you want.

Love can be spelled out in so many ways for Valentine’s Day, but our favorite is on Valentine cupcakes. This adorable Valentine cupcakes idea is as sweet as can be. Simply drop your cupcakes into Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers. The cupcake in the photo above is a sinful sweet-but-tart lemon cupcake from Gigi’s Cupcakes. We dressed the cupcakes in these colorful Kaleidoscope cupcake wrappers.

To send your message of love (as if words are needed after a cupcake display like that), just slide a heart shaped note into a coiled wire and slip it into the cupcake. Lollipop glued to Hello Kitty? We think not. Go for the gusto!

Valentines are sweet. Cupcakes… even sweeter. Having the coolest Valentine in the class…priceless.

Have the cutest Valentines in the class.

Cupcakes are the perfect blank canvas for your party’s dessert table. The cupcake toppers can so easily be customized to coordinate with any theme or colors you choose. We do have a slight aversion to the cupcake toppers available on the market right now. Not enough bling and wow. Printed tags are sweet… for some occasions, but are certainly not a one-size-fits-all option. Not enough elegance. So as usual, the Party Divas, here in The Dressing Room, have some over-the-top DIY cupcake toppers for you to try.

DIY Cupcake Toppers: Ideas and Inspiration

Silk-esk flowers add a profusion a drama and elegance to the humble cupcake. We paired this DIY floral cupcake topper with the hand painted paisley designs from Confetti Couture’s Autumn Nights Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers. The plum petals are secured into the chocolate cupcakes with beaded party picks. A tower of flower topped cupcakes is a gorgeous display for weddings, showers, anniversaries, or 50th birthday party.

For this spectacular touch of sparkle, we used several beaded party picks. Cupcake toppers are jewelry for your cupcakes. We skirted this cupcake with cupcake wrappers from the Jeweled Amethyst collection of Dessert Skirtz. This look is brilliant for weddings, anniversaries or even a girly princess party.

Sometimes you have to go big or go home. These mini cowboy cupcakes are dressed in Rustic Americana Mini Skirtz, mini cupcake wrappers. They are topped with Texas sized die cut paper letters with a handwritten name. These rustic minis make adorable place cards on the party table. Think Fourth of July, Western theme, or a kid’s train theme party.

These precious pinwheel cupcake toppers are so easy to make. Check out our pinwheel tutorial to make your own. The DIY pinwheel cupcake toppers are tucked into chocolate cupcakes skirted with cupcake wrappers from Confetti Couture’s Traditional Elegance collection. This collection has coordinated cupcake wrappers in the standard size, as well as the mini cupcake size. Both are adjustable to fit your “standard” or “mini”. Lovely.

The options are endless! Make amazing cupcakes.

Hot cocoa Christmas cupcakes:

Christmas cupcakes make the sweetest dessert on Christmas day, but they also make a perfect small gift for the teacher, Christmas party treat, or Christmas party favor. Use these creative cupcake packaging ideas to transform any ordinary cupcake into a divine display of sweet goodness. This hot cocoa cupcake, dusted in cocoa and topped with a marshmallow, will melt even Mr. Scrooge’s heart. The clear mug lets the sweet Elf Laundry Christmas cupcake wrappers show through. For a topper, we used a plastic candy cane ornament. These creative Christmas cupcakes make great office gifts or Christmas party favors.

Cupcake creations, in a jar:

Creative containers turn otherwise ordinary cupcakes into festive cupcake creations. For these Christmas cupcakes, we used short, round jars. The cupcakes are skirted with the polka dot Christmas cupcake wrappers from the Elf Laundry Dessert Skirtz collection. We used a festive red and white striped ribbon to attach a spoon… gift-worthy.

Christmas Cupcakes in lanterns:

We placed these festive Christmas cupcakes in mini lanterns. Topped with a candied orange slice and cranberry, this one is a handful of Christmas cheer. The best part… the lantern is a candle holder. It’s a gift in a gift. Candles and cupcakes, what’s not to love?

Jingle bell cupcakes!

These chocolate cupcakes are covered in creamy cherry frosting. The cupcakes are skirted with fun, pink and green Christmas cupcake wrappers. The toppers are oversized pink jingle bells…easy as can be. How sweet will these Christmas cupcakes look on your table? Make a statement!

Think outside the box for creative Christmas cupcakes packaging. Have some fun Christmas cupcake ideas? Do share your own cupcake creations…

This show-stopping Halloween cupcake tower is so easy to create.

It takes minutes to set up and will make a huge impact on your Halloween dessert table. Add height and drama, here’s how…

You will need:

• Cardboard cake circles in various sizes
• Buckets… we used black glittered buckets, about 5-6 inches tall
• Pins
• Black marabou feather strand
• Little Goblins cupcake wrappers
• Cupcakes
• Clementine jack-o-lanterns

How to create the Halloween Cupcake Tower

1. Spray paint the cake circles black, and let dry.
2. Pin the black marabou to the edge of each cake circle.
3. Stack the cake circles, largest to smallest, with a bucket separating each. Use hot glue to secure them in place for more stability. We filled our buckets with dry beans to give it some weight and even more stability.
4. Dress it up! Use cupcake wrappers to hold special Halloween treats of your choice.

Grouping the Halloween cupcake wrappers together by design makes for a striking display. We filled the standard size cupcake wrappers with cupcakes, and the mini cupcake wrappers with clementine jack-o-lanterns.

On the top, we added a decorative lantern filled with hard candies. Add your own style, and share your ideas with us! We love knowing how you dressed your own table for the party.

These easy Halloween craft ideas and Halloween party game ideas will keep the kids busy and giggling through your entire party. It’s always better to have too much to do, because you can always stash the extras away for a rainy day. Running out of activities for the classroom party can mean chaos, so bring more than you think you’ll need.

Mad Scientist Lab- Halloween cupcake and cake pop decorating

You will need:
Donut holes
Lollipop sticks
Slow cooker set to warm- to keep chocolate or candy melts melted
Unfrosted cupcakes
Frosting
Sprinkles, decorations, Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers

How to set up the cupcake and cake pop decorating center:

Melt the chocolate and put into warm slow cooker
Push a stick into each donut hole
Set out unfrosted cupcakes
Set out decorations

Have each child dip the donut hole to make a cake pop. While it is still wet, have them sprinkle the cake pop with decorations. They can frost a cupcake and decorate that as well. A clear plastic cup is an easy and inexpensive packaging idea for cupcakes. Just drop the cupcakes in into a clear plastic cup to send the treats home if you choose to not serve them as the snack during the party. The cupcake wrappers will show through the cup for a sweetly spooky party treat to go!

Have the kids make their own (cheap!) Halloween Party Favors

You will need:

Brown lunch sacks, one per child
Raffia
Glue
Markers
Popcorn, caramel corn, candy corn… any flavors of popcorn you choose.
Cups or scoops

First, have the class create their scarecrow treat bags. We found these adorable Halloween treat sacks on the Family Fun website. Set the bags aside to let the glue dry while you do other activities.

At the end of the party, allow the children to fill their own bags with their favorite mix of popcorn from the Popcorn Buffet. Staple the tops closed, and they have made a darling Halloween party favor to take with them… for pennies!

Lollipop Ghost Craft

You will need:
Lollipops- one per child
White napkins- one per child
Markers
Twist ties- one per child
Ribbon- optional- 5 inch lengths, one per child
Zip-top bags

How to prepare for the activity:

Cut the ribbon into 5 inch lengths
Into each zip-top bag, put one lollipop, one napkin, on twist tie, and a ribbon if you choose
Bring extras! Use one kit to make an example of the lollipop ghost while you are showing the children what to do.

How to make Lollipop Ghosts:
Give each child a prepared bag of lollipop ghost “ingredients”
With the napkin still folded, place the ball of the lollipop in the center of the napkin. Pull the corners up to the stick and fasten the napkin to the lollipop with the twist tie.
Tie a ribbon around the twist tie. This step is too difficult for small children, so have helpers, or omit it. Children older than eight can usually do this independently.

Halloween pumpkin bowling

You will need:
Medium sized pumpkin
Bottles of water
Food coloring
Strong glue
Masking tape

How to prepare for the activity:
Open the water bottles and drop food coloring into the water. Green, orange, purple… make it festive.
Put a line of glue inside the cap of the bottle (on the threads) and screw it back onto the water bottle.
Shake to mix the coloring into the water, and let sit to allow the glue to dry

Embellish the outside with a label or scrapbook paper that coordinates with the party theme,
if you wish.

Put a line of tape on the floor, and take about 3 – 5 paces and set up the water bottle “pins”. Use your judgment on the distance, depending on the children’s ages.

How to play Halloween Pumpkin Bowling:
Have each child stand behind the line and roll the pumpkin at the “pins”.

Place cards help every hostess to settle the guests with ease and grace. Make these creative place card holders with a piece of fruit or cupcake tucked into Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers that coordinate with your table décor. Then, push a twisted wire or card into the fruit or cupcake to build these gorgeously creative place cards.

No musical chairs at your next dinner party!

These pinwheel cupcake toppers are the perfect addition to your cupcakes to create darling and unique displays that are sure to get some oohs and aahs. They can be made to perfectly complement any Dessert Skirtz collection you choose by just using the cupcake wrappers as color inspiration when choosing your paper for the pinwheels. Pinwheel cupcake toppers are easy enough for kids at a party to make as a craft, and adorable enough to be a party favor.

Supplies needed:
Squares of decorative paper
Pins
Straws
Scissors
Decorative Paper Punch to compliment your party theme (optional)

Begin with a square piece of paper, 3- 4 inches on each side. You can either cut a piece of scrapbooking paper into a square, or use origami paper. Either way you go, paper that is printed on both sides will look the best. Scrapbooking paper tends to be heavier weight, and so more durable. Origami paper comes in perfect squares. You decide.

Measure diagonally, and make a light line with a pencil across the square from one corner to the opposite corner. Do the same with the other two corners. This will mark the center.

Now, simply cut along each drawn line starting at each corner and going toward the center. Stop cutting about a half inch before you reach the center point. (If you cut all the way through, you will make pretty triangles, but it’s not conducive to creating pinwheel cupcake toppers!)

If you want to bump up the cute-o-meter, use your decorative punch on contrasting paper. Finally, bend four alternating corners toward the center, without creasing the paper. Push a pin through your punched paper and the four corners and into a straw or skewer. To get the pin to stay, you can bend the pointed end into an “L” shape after pushing it through the layers of paper and straw.

It’s a party favor. It’s a sweet treat. It’s perfection.

Cupcakes are the perfect dessert. Size, flavor choices, looks… cupcakes have it all! But, why stop there? Push your little cupcakes to the next level in seconds with cupcake wrappers and top them with an incredibly adorable pinwheel. We think these are so darling that you could center an entire party theme around these cupcakes! Baby shower or baby’s first birthday?

Cupcake with handmade Pinwheel Topper

Check back tomorrow for a recipe for these scrumdilicious cupcakes that taste as good as they look! We’ll even give you the top secret instructions for how to make your own pinwheel cupcake toppers for your cupcakes. We have mountains of cupcake topper ideas for you, so be on the lookout!

This chic tray of gourmet cupcakes in lively yellow and black cupcake wrappers will be a hit for your next girls’ night! Serve your gorgeous cupcakes with a sparkling adult drink. The yellow and black color combo on these cupcake wrappers is fun and trendy. Show the girls just how much you love your girly breakaway from the usual “must-dos”.

Girls' Night cupcakes in Yellow Tiger Lily Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers

Take your cupcakes to the next level by adding some reusable beaded picks as a cupcake topper. It’s not necessary to put them in every cupcake on the tray. Just a touch of bling here and there is better than wearing sequins head-to-toe!

Yellow and Black cupcake Bling!

Your cupcakes can speak volumes with a tiny tag or note tucked sweetly into the butter cream. In trouble with your sweetie? Say I’m sorry with a cupcake. By twisting a simple coated wire into a coil, you can add any message to your cupcake. Just cut a shape from some pretty paper and slip it into the coil. Tuck the pick into your cupcake, and you have a perfectly creative, sweetly thoughtful message in a cupcake!

“You’re Invited” cupcake wearing Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers…

Strawberry Milkshake cupcake by Gigi's Cupcakes Denver in Jeweled Amethyst Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrapper

Peace offering cupcake wearing Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers …

Lemon Dream Supreme cupcake by Gigi's Cupcakes Denver in Kaleidoscope Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrapper

Congratulations cupcake wearing Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers …

Lemon Dream Supreme cupcake with Cherries Jubilee Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrapper

Thank you cupcake wearing Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers …

Lemon Dream Supreme cupcake featuring red side of all Cherries Jubilee Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers

Thank you to Carrie at  Gigi's Cupcakes Denver (on Grant Street) for the beautiful cupcakes to showcase our messages! They're happy to skirt all your event cupcakes! Follow Gigi's Cupcakes Denver on Facebook, too.

We created this cupcake tower from cardboard cake circles, small metal buckets and ribbon. Here is the complete how to so you can make your own…

First, wrap the ribbon around the edge of cake circles of different sizes, and pin it into the cardboard as you go around. We used a few different designs of ribbon in varying widths. Gingham and ric rac work beautifully for this theme. Buy as many different sizes of cake circles as you want tiers on your cupcake tower.

Next, place the largest circle on the table and top it with a bucket placed upside down. Be sure to center the bucket in the circle to keep your tower stable. You may use hot glue to secure the buckets for even more stability if needed. Place the next cardboard cake circle and the next bucket centered in the circle. This time place the bucket right side up. Follow this pattern of stacking the circles and buckets until you reach the desired height for your cupcake tower.

We added a little extra patriotic pizazz to top the Rustic Americana Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers with skewers of mini marshmallows, blueberries and raspberries. Just like that…you’ll have a cupcake tower that coordinates beautifully with your party. It’s easy to do, inexpensive and makes a huge impact on your table.

Buggy Daze Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers are charming for a summer birthday party!

If you are a frosting fanatic, stop reading now! On the other hand, if the sweet stuff is just a little too much for you… check out this list of frosting alternatives.

Marshmallow fluff
Peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter-- lightly sweetened with powdered sugar and thinned with milk if needed
Whipped Cream and berries
Sweetened whipped cream and cream cheese mixture
Caramel sauce with a sprinkle of sea salt
Chocolate ganache
Lemon curd
Jam
Ice cream
Nutella
Glaze-- flavored any way you like

Frosting is pretty, but Dessert Skirtz will dress up any cupcake, even without the frosting!

Peas and Carrots…
Peanut Butter and Jelly…
Tom and Jerry…
Valentine’s Day and Cupcakes…

Valentine’s Day and cupcakes go hand in hand and we have some super-duper sweet and sassy looks for you to create. It can be dressed up or down, and works famously for any age from 2 to 92. Cupcakes in cupcake wrappers are great for parties and classrooms, as well as gifts. For a super trendy-girl look we opted for the blue hues - just to be a little different. Pump up the cuteness factor with these ideas…

Here we used cupcakes dressed in Little Black Dress Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers, and topped them with precious heart suckers and gummy hearts (a personal favorite).

We used Chiffon Breeze Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers to skirt these beauties. It gives them an ultra-hip look, perfect for the tween set. We topped the Valentine’s Day cupcakes with a korker style bow. We'll show you how to make korker bows in the Dressing Room next week.

Say it with flowers! An elegant presentation for cupcakes.

We found this incredibly adorable conversation heart download at Family Fun magazine. There are several different hearts on the sheet. We attached them to a popsicle stick and made them into cupcake toppers that look oh-so-darling with our cupcake wrappers.

Share your photos of your Valentine’s Day cupcakes, using Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers for an entry to win 12 free cupcake wrappers from Confetti Couture. Contest ends February 15, 2011.