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.
, 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...
