How to Make Cupcake Toppers & a Centerpiece Banner

Embellish any cupcake with a topper.

A centerpiece banner atop your cluster of cupcakes is a creative -- and edible -- way to maintain the theme of any party or get together. The concept behind this decoration idea is for each cupcake to have one topper that contributes to the centerpiece banner as a whole. For instance, a birthday party banner that says Happy Birthday might have one letter as a topper for each cupcake, so that the first cupcake's topper is H, the next one is A and so on.

Things You'll Need

• Colorful card stock
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Jar
• Scissors
• Thin wooden skewers -- 6 to 8 inches long
• Craft glue
• Embellishments -- such as sequins, rhinestones, buttons or beads (optional)

Instructions

1. Draw the shape that you want the cupcake toppers to be. You can have each cupcake topper the same shape, or mix them up so that some toppers are square and others are circles. Use a pencil to draw the shape directly onto the card stock. If you need assistance, use a ruler to help you draw perfectly straight lines and a jar to trace around for a circle. Make each shape approximately 3 inches tall and wide. Anything bigger may not hold up well in the cupcake, and anything smaller might be too small for a substantial centerpiece banner.

2. Cut the shapes out of the card stock using scissors. Set them aside. Use more card stock -- in contrasting colors -- to add a second layer on top of the shapes you just cut out. If you are writing a message for the centerpiece banner, such as Happy Birthday, this is the time to draw out the letters. Or, if you are creating a centerpiece banner out of themed images, such as horseshoes and cowgirl boots for a cowgirl-themed party, draw the images onto the new card stock. Cut out all the new letters or images that you create.

3. Use craft glue to paste the embellishment letters or images on top of the cupcake topper shapes. This adds contrast to the toppers so they stand out more. Let the glue dry for 30 minutes.

4. Glue the back of the card stock shapes to the upper portion of the wooden skewers. Let them dry for another 30 minutes. Cut the wooden skewer according to how tall you want the centerpiece banner to be. If you want the centerpiece banner to be low, cut the skewers in half. If you want the centerpiece banner to stand tall, leave the wooden skewers as they are.

5. Glue embellishments onto the cupcake toppers, such as sequins, rhinestones, buttons or beads. Allow the embellishments to dry for 30 minutes.

6. Insert one wooden skewer topper into each cupcake. Arrange the cupcakes into a formation that makes sense to complete the centerpiece banner.

Tips & Warnings

• Use tracers or cookie cutters to create additional shapes in Step 1, such as stars, hearts or flowers.

References

• The Busy Budgeting Mama: DIY Cupcake Topper Tutorial