Bunting Wedding Cake: Diy Guide To A Charming Cake

Bunting cake toppers are a cute and easy way to decorate a wedding cake. They can be made from fabric, paper, or edible transfer sheets and can be customised to fit any colour palette or wedding style. You can buy bunting cake toppers online or make them yourself with a few simple materials, such as paper, ribbon, and skewers. Making your own bunting cake topper is a fun and inexpensive way to add a personal touch to your wedding cake.

Choosing materials and colours

When making bunting for a wedding cake, it's important to choose the right materials and colours to create a beautiful and cohesive look. Here are some factors to consider:

Fabric

Fabric is a popular choice for bunting, and you can find a variety of options at craft stores or online. Choose a fabric that complements the colour scheme of your wedding. If you want a more rustic or vintage look, consider using burlap or hessian fabric. For a more elegant or modern wedding, opt for fabrics like silk or satin. You can also use edible transfer sheets to create semi-circle-shaped bunting, as mentioned by Cake Geek Magazine. This is a unique way to decorate your cake and ensure it tastes as good as it looks!

Colour

The colour of your bunting can be chosen to match your wedding colours or the cake's design. If you're going for a more subtle look, opt for neutral colours like white, ivory, or cream. If you want something bolder, choose bright colours or fun patterns. You can also use gold or silver glitter cardstock for a touch of sparkle. Consider the overall style of your wedding when selecting colours. For example, if you're having a summer garden party-themed wedding, pastels and florals might be a good choice.

Ribbon or Twine

Ribbon or twine is essential for stringing your bunting together. You can find these in various colours and materials, such as thin ribbon, striped twine, or bakers twine. Choose a colour that complements your fabric and overall wedding colour scheme. If you're using edible transfer sheets for your bunting, ensure that the ribbon or twine is also food-safe.

Sticks or Dowels

To display your bunting on the cake, you'll need some form of support. You can use food-safe skewers, such as wooden kabob sticks, or even colourful drinking straws. These will be inserted into the cake to hold the bunting in place. If you're using a vase or other topper as part of your display, ensure that the structure is secure and won't topple over.

Personalisation

Personalising your bunting with letters or stickers is a great way to add a special touch. You can spell out a message like "Just Married" or the couple's names and wedding date. Consider using ABC letter stickers in plain, glittery, or metallic finishes to customise your bunting further. This adds a unique and flexible element to your cake decoration.

Cutting the fabric/paper

For fabric bunting, you will need to select a lightweight fabric that can be easily cut and sewn. Cotton, linen, or a thin silk are good choices. Choose a fabric that complements the colors and theme of your wedding cake. If you're using paper, opt for a thicker cardstock that will hold its shape and not tear easily. You can find a variety of colors and patterns to match your wedding theme.

Once you've selected your fabric or paper, you'll need to cut it into triangles, which will be the individual bunting flags. To do this, first decide on the size and shape of your triangles. A traditional bunting flag is an isosceles triangle, with two equal sides and a base. You can vary the size depending on the size of your cake, but generally, the triangles should not be more than 2-3 inches high and 1.5-2 inches wide at the base.

Create a template by drawing your triangle on cardboard and cutting it out. This will ensure all your triangles are uniform. Place your template on the fabric/paper and trace around it with a pencil or fabric marker. You will need two triangles of fabric and two of paper for each flag, so cut out the number you require, plus a few extra in case of mistakes. If using fabric, you may wish to pin the layers together before cutting to ensure they don't shift.

Now, carefully cut out your triangles, taking care to follow the lines you have drawn. If using scissors, ensure they are sharp and suitable for the material you are cutting. For fabric, you may wish to use a rotary cutter and mat for a precise, straight cut. Once cut, you should have a collection of identical triangles ready for the next step. At this stage, you may wish to decorate your bunting with letters or patterns, or leave them plain, depending on your chosen design.

Folding and gluing

To make bunting for a wedding cake, you will need a few supplies. These include colourful paper, ABC letter stickers, tape, thin ribbon or baker's twine, and skewer sticks. You will also need a hot glue gun.

• Start by folding your chosen paper in half. If you are using 4x6 cardstock paper, fold it lengthwise.
• Cut little flag shapes from the folded paper, ensuring that the top edge of each flag falls on the folded line. The pointy part of the triangle should face away from the fold.
• It's okay if your flags are not perfectly uniform in size; in fact, slightly different sizes can add a whimsical touch to your bunting. Just make sure they are large enough to fit your ABC stickers.
• Now, take your ribbon or twine and lay it out.
• Line up your flags in the order you want them, and spell out your message using the ABC letter stickers.
• Place each flag back over the ribbon and secure it with a small piece of tape. A hot glue gun will also do the trick.
• Continue this process until you have spelled out your entire message.
• Cut the ribbon or twine between the words, creating individual bunting strands for each word.
• Slightly tuck in the corners of each flag towards its neighbours to help the words stay together and not slide around on the ribbon.
• Measure the spacing between the words by holding up your skewer sticks and determining how far apart they need to be on the cake.
• Using your hot glue gun, attach the bunting strands to the skewer sticks.
• Finally, carefully glue or secure the skewer sticks into the cake, ensuring they are firmly in place.

Your wedding cake bunting is now complete and ready to be displayed!

Attaching to skewers/dowel rods

Attaching the bunting to skewers or dowel rods is a simple process. Once you have cut out your bunting, you will need to attach it to some form of string or twine. You can use baker's twine, embroidery thread, or yarn for this. Using a hot glue gun, apply a small amount of glue to the top, reverse side of each bunting triangle and attach the string.

Once the glue has dried, you can then attach the string to the skewers or dowel rods. Apply a small dot of glue about one inch from the top of the skewer and wrap the string around it a couple of times. Trim the string with scissors, add another small dot of glue, and secure the end. Repeat this process for the other side of the bunting, ensuring that the string is pulled taut.

If you are using two skewers or dowel rods, as in the example above, you will need to measure and cut the string accordingly. You can then place the skewers or dowel rods into the cake, ensuring they are secure and symmetrical.

Positioning on the cake

When positioning the bunting on your wedding cake, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, you'll want to ensure that the bunting is secure and won't slide down or fall off the cake. One way to do this is to use dowel rods, as mentioned in the blog post from Two Twenty One. You can wrap the twine or string of your bunting around the dowel rods and secure it with a small amount of glue. Then, you can insert the dowel rods into the cake, positioning them symmetrically or at your desired angle.

Another option for positioning bunting on your wedding cake is to use skewers or food-safe sticks, as suggested by Peanut Blossom. You can tie or secure the ends of your bunting string to the skewers and then insert the skewers into the cake. This method allows you to create multiple rows of bunting by using several skewers.

If you prefer a more subtle approach, you can simply wrap the bunting around the cake, as mentioned in the One Fab Day article. This way, the bunting adorns the cake without the need for additional supports. However, ensure that the bunting is not too tight, as it may leave marks on the icing.

Additionally, you can get creative with the placement of your bunting by incorporating it into the cake topper itself. For instance, you can pair the bunting with a vase of flowers, vintage teacups, or striped vintage straws, as seen in the cakes featured on Cake Geek Magazine. These elements add height and visual interest to your wedding cake display.

Lastly, when positioning the bunting on your wedding cake, consider the overall design and theme of your cake. Bunting can be a versatile decoration, complementing various styles, from vintage to minimalist. Choose colours and patterns that align with your wedding colour palette, and feel free to mix and match different bunting styles to create a unique and whimsical look.

Frequently asked questions