Crafting Wedding Cake Toppers: A Guide To Perfection

DIY wedding cake toppers are a fun and creative way to add a personal touch to your special day. Whether you're crafting a rustic twig topper or a glamorous gold glitter design, making your own topper is a rewarding project that can be kept as a memento for years to come. With a range of materials to choose from, including paper, clay, fondant, wire, and even pine cones, the possibilities for customisation are endless. So, if you're feeling crafty, grab your glue gun and get ready to create a unique topper that will wow your wedding guests!

Using glitter cardstock and a Cricut machine

Making a wedding cake topper using glitter cardstock and a Cricut machine is a fun and easy project. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create a beautiful and sturdy topper for your special day.

Materials:

• Cricut Machine (any model will do)
• Glitter Cardstock in your desired colour (gold and silver are popular choices)
• Poster Board (optional but recommended for added support)
• Glue (a glue gun, SuperGlue, or ModPodge are recommended)
• Bamboo Skewers or Cake Dowels
• Cricut Weeding Tool and Spatula

Design:

The first step is to design your cake topper. You can choose from a variety of pre-made designs available in the Cricut Design Space library, or create your own using a program like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign. If you're designing your own, select a thick font that can be easily overlapped or interlocked to create a sturdy structure. Consider using a combination of upper and lower letters to create a condensed design. You can also use the Offset tool in Cricut Design Space to create a proportional outline and add extra stability to your topper.

Cutting:

Once your design is ready, load it into the Cricut Design Space. Set the complexity to "Moderately Complex" to ensure delicate designs are cut with precision. Size the image according to the width of your cake, and centre it on the cutting mat. Select "Glitter Cardstock" as your material in the Cricut Design Space. If using glitter cardstock, consider setting the material to Poster Board in the machine settings, as glitter cardstock tends to be thicker.

After making your selections, let the Cricut machine work its magic! When it's done cutting, carefully remove the mat from the material. The mat is sturdier than the cardstock, so peeling it away will help prevent the paper from curling.

Assembly:

Now it's time to assemble your cake topper. If you used the Offset tool, carefully weed out each individual piece and glue them together. If you have a complex design, you may want to refer back to your digital design to ensure all pieces are placed correctly. For simpler designs, such as words or monograms, weed out the cake topper design and use a scraper to easily remove it from the cutting mat.

Next, cut the design again on poster board for backing support. This step is optional but recommended for a firmer and longer-lasting design. Glue the cardstock and poster board together, being careful not to use too much glue as it may cause the paper to become wet and bubbly.

Finally, attach your cake topper to the bamboo skewers or cake dowels. Glue them as high up on the back of the topper as possible without being visible. This will give your topper extra stability and ensure it doesn't sink into the cake.

And that's it! You now have a beautiful, glittery wedding cake topper, ready to be displayed on your special day.

Silhouette toppers from thick quality card

Silhouette cake toppers are a great way to add a personal touch to your wedding cake. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating your own silhouette topper from thick, quality card:

Materials:

• Thick, quality card in your preferred colour (black is a popular choice for silhouettes)
• A craft knife or scissors
• A pencil or marker
• Glue
• A lollipop stick or similar for the base
• Optional: paint and a paintbrush

Instructions:

• Start by finding or drawing your silhouette design. You can download images from the internet or create your own custom design. If you're feeling creative, you can even try drawing your silhouette freehand!
• Once you have your design, cut it out carefully using a craft knife or scissors. Take your time with this step to ensure clean edges for your silhouette.
• Trace or print your silhouette design onto the card. If you're using a light-coloured card, a pencil may work best, while a marker may be more suitable for darker cards.
• Carefully cut out the traced silhouette from the card. Again, take your time to ensure clean edges.
• Optional: paint your silhouette. You can leave your card as is or add a touch of colour. Paint the sides and back of the card, leaving the front unpainted for a rustic look. Alternatively, paint the entire silhouette a single colour.
• Allow the paint to dry completely.
• Attach your silhouette to the lollipop stick or base using glue. Ensure that the glue is suitable for use with paper or card.
• Allow the glue to dry completely before placing your topper on the cake.

And that's it! You now have a custom silhouette cake topper that will add a unique touch to your wedding cake. Feel free to get creative with your design and add personal touches to make it truly yours.

Polaroid and wire cake toppers

Materials

• 16-gauge wire (in a roll)
• Wire clippers
• Needle-nose pliers
• Polaroid pictures

Method

• Using wire clippers, cut a piece of wire a little longer than needed to stick into your cake.
• Using needle-nose pliers, begin bending the wire into a circular shape at one end. Continue twisting the wire until you've formed a "curly cue" shape.
• Once the curl is complete, use the pliers again to pull the centre out a little so that a polaroid picture can fit securely.
• If your wire is in a roll, it may be slightly curled. Use your hands to straighten the length of the wire under the curl.
• Place your polaroid picture into the holder, and you're done!

You can make one topper for a small cake or cupcake, or a trio for a larger cake. If the wire is still too long for your cake, simply clip the ends with the wire clippers.

Paper cut-outs

Materials:

• Thick quality card or glitter cardstock
• Bamboo skewers or toothpicks
• Glue (ModPodge or SuperGlue)
• Tracing tools
• Cutting tools

Steps:

• Choose a design for your cake topper. You can opt for a simple design like "Mr & Mrs" or "Just Married", or go for something more intricate like a silhouette of the bride and groom.
• Trace your design onto the thick quality card or glitter cardstock. If you're using a silhouette design, carefully cut around the outline.
• Cut out your design using cutting tools. If you're using a cutting machine like a Cricut, load your images into the machine and set it to "Moderately Complex" to ensure delicate designs are cut with precision. Size the image according to the width of your cake and centre it on the cutting mat.
• If you want to add some sparkle to your cake topper, consider using glitter cardstock. You can find this at craft stores like Michaels.
• To make your cake topper more sturdy, consider adding a backing. Cut your design again on poster board for extra support.
• Glue your cake topper to the bamboo skewers or toothpicks. You can use ModPodge or SuperGlue for this step.
• Place your finished cake topper on top of your wedding cake!

With these steps, you'll be able to create a beautiful and personalised paper cut-out wedding cake topper that will be a perfect addition to your big day.

Clay models

Clay is a great material for making a personalised wedding cake topper. You can use polymer clay or oven-bake clay, and you can create anything from animals to human figures.

Polymer Clay

Polymer clay is a soft and pliable material that doesn't dry out and can be baked in the oven to harden. It's a great option if you want to create a lasting keepsake from your wedding cake. You can buy polymer clay in a variety of colours, and you will also need a tool set, a rolling pin, and some form of glue.

To create human figures, start by making the legs. Roll out four pieces of clay, about 1-1.5 inches in length, and shape them into hooves or feet. For the body, create a roll that is about 2-2.5 inches long and 1.5 inches thick, with a tapered neck and a larger middle. Use a toothpick to create holes in the legs and body, and then attach the legs to the body, smoothing out the edges to blend them together.

The neck should be about the same length as the body but thinner, and you can use a toothpick to secure it to the body. For the head, roll some clay into a ball about the size of a quarter, and then flatten the bottom so it sits on the neck. You can add ears, texture, and facial features using clay tools or a toothpick.

You can also add accessories like a bow tie, hat, or flowers, and you can personalise the figures with hair colour, clothing, or other details.

Oven-Bake Clay

Another option is to use oven-bake clay and create letters or numbers as your cake topper. You will need alphabet and number cookie cutters, a rolling pin, parchment paper, bamboo skewers, acrylic paint, and glue.

Roll out your clay between two sheets of parchment paper until it's about 1/4" thick. Use your cookie cutters to punch out the letters or numbers, and place them on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie rack. Bake according to the manufacturer's instructions, and then let them cool. Paint the letters or numbers with your chosen colours, and then glue the bamboo skewers to the back.

You can layer the words or phrases on your cake topper to create a unique and memorable decoration for your wedding cake.

Frequently asked questions