DIY Flower Cake Topper
A simple and delicious cake accented with fresh flowers can be the centerpiece of your dessert table. Whether it's a rehearsal dinner, groom's cake or bridal shower, you can create flowers in just about any shape to blend in with the theme of your event. Fresh flower cake toppers on every reception table transforms cakes into centerpieces that are also the dessert!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch wax flower
- bamboo barbecue skewer
- wire cutters
- heavy gauge floral wire
- floral tape
- small scissors or floral snips
- optional: needle nose pliers
COST
Approximately $5-8
TIME
About 45 minutes
PREP
STEP ONE:
Wrap the floral wire around the top of the bamboo skewer (photo A) so that the wire tightly wraps around 2-3 times to secure it before reaching the top. If you have access to needle nose pliers, they will make wrapping the wire around so it sits closely and evenly to the skewer a lot easier than hand wrapping.
(Photo A)
STEP TWO:
Form a half heart with the wire, then double the wire back on itself to form the other half. You should have a hook or "C" shape with two layers or wire (photo B). This is to ensure both sides of the heart have roughly the same amount of wire allotted to it. Unfold the wire shape to complete the heart (photo C), then wrap the wire around the bamboo skewer 2 - 3 times again (photo D) under where you had originally wrapped it. Note: The heart doesn't have to be perfect - you'll likely need to reshape it as you're working, but it should be near the shape you are ultimately going for.
(Photo B)
(Photo C)
(Photo D)
STEP THREE:
Snip tips and offshoots of your bunch of wax flower to create small little bundles, mixing flowers as well as greenery bunches as shown (photo E). Wrap the tip with a small bit of floral tape, stretching it quite a bit as you wrap to activate the adhesive. Cut off any excess tape, then use the floral tape again to attach the bundle to the wire heart frame. Start attaching your bundle so that the bulk of the flowers and greenery are covering the bottom point of the heart shape (photo F), then repeat as you work counterclockwise around the shape of the heart, layering each bundle closely on top of each other so that no floral tape is visible and the wreath looks full (photo G).
(Photo E)
(Photo F)
(Photo F #2)
(Photo G)
STEP FOUR:
When you reach the dip at the center top of the heart, stop when your bundle bottom is flush with the bottom of the tip (photo H). Skip over to the next side of the heart, layering the next bundle so that the bulk of it is covering both the tip of the heart and the bottom of the previous bundle (photo I), then continue covering the frame.
(Photo H)
(Photo I)
STEP FIVE:
When you reach the bottom of the wire frame, layer the last bundle as normal over the previous bundle, but bury the floral tape wrapped tip under the first bundle you attached to create a seamless wreath (photo J). Make sure all of the bundles are secured in place, then lift the cake topper wreath up and trim away any bits of greenery or flowers as needed to make the heart shape more clearly visible. Small scissors or floral snips will make this job quite a bit easier and will help you avoid cutting away too much.
(Photo J)
Expert Tips from Splendid Supply Co:
Store the flower cake topper in a cool place out of direct sunlight, and the wax flower wreath topper should last you about 2 - 3 days while still looking fresh. Make this as close to the day of your event as possible to ensure its best condition.
We used white floral tape because I knew I was shooting against a white backdrop, and I wanted the topper to feel a little more wispy and airy. If you don't know where your cake will be, or if it will be against a dark wall, use green floral tape. It will blend in with the greenery of the wax flower, so you don't have to worry as much about it showing through.
Special thanks to Maddy Hague at Splendid Supply Co, an Etsy store known for their artfully and thoughtfully designed products, for creating this projects. Splendid Supply Co is the perfect place to find stylish, handmade party and home decor.
Credit:
Styling and Photography: Splendid Supply Co
Wholesale Flowers: FiftyFlowers.com
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Need help planning your DIY Wedding Flowers?
Schedule a complimentary consultation with one of the wedding flower planners at FiftyFlowers.com by emailing events@FiftyFlowers.com. Or download the Flower "Recipe" worksheet designed to assist DIY brides in knowing how much to order for their DIY wedding flowers.
