It looks super professional even if you’re just a beginner balloon garland maker!

I’ll show you how to make an easy balloon garland (or balloon arch!) for your next party—and believe me, your guests will be impressed!

Looking for more balloon posts? Check out:

• 5 Balloon DIYs for Your Next Party!
• How to Make a Fancy Balloon Arch
• Make a Balloon Garland for Your Front Door

What’s the difference between a balloon arch and a balloon garland?

It’s mostly just how you hang it, really! Generally speaking, a balloon arch goes in an upside down “U” shape above a table, doorway, or walking path while a garland is usually hung more in an asymmetrical shape like an upside down “J” over the same items.

A garland can also be strung or hung horizontally in a straight line like down a banister or laid down a table.

What size balloons do you need for a balloon garland?

You can technically make a garland with one standard size of balloon and just blow them up different amounts to have some small, medium, and full-size options. But we like to mix in some 5″ size balloons with standard 11″ or 12″ balloons.

You can also throw in a few extra large sizes with a 17″ or 24″ option for a dramatic size variation on a larger scale garland.

Do you need helium for a balloon garland?

You don’t need helium for a balloon garland that you are attaching to another structure like a doorway or wall.

If you are wanting to make a freestanding arch of balloons that are just connected at the ground level (like an arch you would walk under), you may want to consider helium for those balloons so it will float without having to be attached anywhere up high.

How long will a balloon garland last?

While it depends on the kind of balloons and the temperatures they are exposed to, a balloon garland or arch can actually last 1-2 weeks once the balloons are blown up with regular air (an electric balloon pump like this is a big time saver).

Balloon garlands that are displayed outside though will usually only last a day or so based on the temperature and outdoor heat.

Can you make a balloon garland ahead of time?

Yes! Since the garland can last a week or two indoors, you can make it a few days ahead of your party (or at least blow up the balloons, store them in large garbage bags, and then assemble on party day).

If you are having an outside party, store the garland inside and then hang it the day of the event.

Is it easier to use a balloon garland kit?

It can be! If you want to get most (or all) of the items, you need for your garland in one convenient bundle, buying a kit like this or this can save time and money. And they will provide the right amount of balloon sizes and colors to get the look shown in the photo.

You can even find kits that are specific to a theme like a rainbow balloon garland (here’s a more simple one), a space balloon garland, a Frozen balloon garland, or an under the sea theme for a kid’s party.

Check out Elsie’s Frozen-Themed Birthday Party here!

What do I need to make a balloon garland?

• Balloon Decorating Strip: This helpful strip has prepunched holes for you to slip the knots of your tied balloons into, making it easy to create a long base for a garland (and the holes make it easy to hang as well).
  
• 12″ latex and 5″ latex balloons in colors of your choice to match your party or color scheme (can add in other sizes if you like—17″ or over 20″ size balloons give a larger garland a more balanced look). The pink balloons in the all pink garland are the Cameo Pink option.
  
• Balloon tying tool (optional): This little device will help save your fingers if you are tying a ton of balloons for you party and you can use them over and over as needed.
  
• Glue Dots (or low-temp glue gun): While you can use a low-temp glue gun to attach your smaller filler balloons and fill holes in your garland (just be careful about touching the glue gun tip directly onto the balloon), adhesive glue dots are our favorite way to get the job done.
  
• Command hooks for hanging: Removable small hooks like these are perfect for hanging balloon garlands since they can be put up quickly and removed easily (and damage free) once the party is over.
  
• Electric balloon pump (optional but helpful!): Balloon pumps like this are relatively inexpensive and they will make the balloon blowing up process much faster.

How to Make an Easy Balloon Garland:

Step One: Blow up your balloons in your desired colors and sizes. If you are assembling the garland right, then you can kind of guess how many you need, and then blow up a few more if you want them in a certain size or color to fill it out to your liking.

How many balloons do you need for a balloon garland?

How many balloons you need will really depend on the length of your garland, the size of the balloons you have, and how thick you want the garland to look.

For some idea, the all-pink balloon garland is about 6′ long and has 10 small 5″ balloons, about 20 standard 12″ balloons and just a few 17″ larger balloons for accents.

Step Two: Measure out your garland strip to be the length of your desired garland and start to add your balloons. Add a few extra inches at the beginning and end so you have some length to attach to the wall or hanging surface.

Add in your larger balloons first by placing the balloon knot through the holes in the balloon strip, and space them out a few holes from each other so you have space to add other sizes (and it doesn’t become too stuffed with one size).

Step Three: Keep adding different sizes/colors of balloons until the garland strip looks nice and full where you want it. Some garlands are uniformly full the whole way through, and others have a fuller area in the middle or maybe 1/3 of the way through for a more dramatic thinning out at the ends on each side.

Totally a personal preference and may depend on how you were planning to hang it, so do whichever you like!

PRO TIP: You can alternate adding balloons through the front and the back of the balloon strip so it creates a more balanced 360° garland with balloons facing each way.

Step Four: Add small balloons attached with glue dots to fill in any gaps in your garland. You can do more of this once you hang your garland in the final step, but you should be able to see any spots that look a little gappy and fill those in with a smaller size balloon— or one that’s just not fully blown up.

You can also follow this garland making method if you like the look of clustering the small balloons together in a group before hanging, as it gives it a slightly different look.

Step Five: Hang your balloon garland. Generally, the easiest way to do this is using Command hooks and strips to stick up hooks on which you can hang the beginning and end of your garland.

You can also tie twine or fishing line through the holes in parts of your balloon strip to tie onto existing railings or nails to attach the garland.

Sometimes it’s helpful to have a Command hook for the ends (and then use string and a third hook) to hang the middle for some extra support if needed.

Don’t want to gather supplies for a DIY balloon garland? Check out these balloon garland kits to make it easier:

Pastel Rainbow Daisy Balloon Garland Kit

This kit comes with 159 pieces of multiple pastel colors and sizes along with a balloon strip and adorable daisy balloons to make any party or shower more fun.

Shades of Blue Garland Kit

This garland kit creates a beautiful blue ombre effect with several different length options, four colors, two sizes, glue dots, a balloon decorating strip and a balloon pump add-on option.

Champagne Balloon Celebration Garland Kit

This festive kit comes with five different metallic shades of balloons, a hand pump, balloon decorating strip, glue dots, wall hooks, and twine so you have everything you need to create the garland of your dreams!

Rainbow Clouds Balloon Garland

This garland is perfect to throw together for a kid’s birthday party (it also comes in a metallic gold color scheme version) and at only $32 it’s a deal to get such a sweet look.

Dusty Rose Pink Balloon Garland Kit

This kit comes with 158 pieces to create the ultimate balloon arch with four colors of balloons, glue dots, a hook, and a balloon strip all for only $22!

Big Sur Balloon Sage Garland Kit

This beautiful color scheme comes with four sizes of three colors of balloons, three different length options, glue dots, and a balloon pump ad-on option.

Having a party? Check out our DIY garland archives and our party tips for all types of parties!

Print

Easy Balloon Garland DIY (With Video!)

Create an easy balloon garland DIY for your next party!

Keyword balloon garland

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 1 garland

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $30

Equipment

• 1 electric balloon pump optional but helpful!
• 1 Balloon tying tool optional

Ingredients

• Balloon Decorating Strip
• 12″ latex and 5″ latex balloons in colors of your choice  you can add in other sizes if you like—17″ or over 20″ size balloons give a larger garland a more balanced look
• Glue Dots (or low-temp glue gun)
• Command hooks for hanging

Instructions

• Step One: Blow up your balloons in your desired colors and sizes. If you are assembling the garland right then you can kind of guess how many you need and then blow up a few more if you want more in a certain size or color to fill it out to your liking.
• Step Two: Measure out your garland strip to be the length of your desired garland and start to add your balloons (add a few extra inches at the beginning and end so you have some length to attach to the wall or hanging surface).

  Add in your larger balloons first by placing the balloon knot through the holes in the balloon strip and space them out a few holes from each other so you have space to add other sizes and it doesn’t become too stuffed with one size.
• Step Three: Keep adding different sizes/colors of balloons until the garland strip looks nice and full where you want it. 

  Some garlands are uniformly full the whole way through and others have a fuller area in the middle or maybe 1/3 of the way through for a more dramatic thinning out at the ends on each side—totally a personal preference and may depend on how you were planning to hang it, so do whichever you like!
• Step Four: Add small balloons attached with Glue Dots to fill in any gaps in your garland. You can do more of this once you hang your garland in the final step, but you should be able to see any spots that look a little gappy and fill those in with a smaller size balloon (or one that’s just not fully blown up).

  You can also follow this garland making method if you like the look of clustering the small balloons together in a group before hanging as it gives it a slightly different look.
• Step Five: Hang your balloon garland. Generally, the easiest way to do this is using Command hooks and strips to stick up hooks on which you can hang the beginning and end of your garland.

  You can also tie twine or fishing line through the holes in parts of your balloon strip to tie onto existing railings or nails to attach the garland, and sometimes it’s helpful to have a Command hook for the ends and then also use string and a third hook to hang the middle for some extra support if needed.

Notes

• The amount of balloons you need will really depend on the length of your garland, the size of the balloons you have, and how thick you want the garland to look.
• For some idea, the all pink balloon garland is about 6′ long and has 10 small 5″ balloons, about 20 standard 12″ balloons and just a few 17″ larger balloons for accents.
• PRO TIP: You can alternate adding balloons through the front and the back of the balloon strip so it creates a more balanced 360° garland with balloons facing each way.

Jello shots are easy to make, super customizable, and just plain fun! These Jello shot recipes are great for:

• Parties – birthdays, bachelorette or hen parties, and other special parties like a graduation.
• Holidays – They make a great icebreaker as a toast at the beginning of a meal, or a festive dessert “drink” for the end.
• Boat Trips or Camping – Where I live, float trips and boating are big. Jello shots can be a fun option for these types of get-togethers.

Related: Basic Jello Shots, 40 Fun Cocktails to Make at Home, Pudding Shots and 25+ Refreshing Spring Cocktails

Basic Jello Shot Recipe:

Jello Shots = Jello Mix or Unflavored Gelatin + Water or Juice + Spirits

Below, in the printable recipe card (at the end of this post) you will find the most basic Jello shot recipe. You can change the type of Jello mix you use as well as what spirits you add, which will ultimately alter the final flavor.

There are also a LOT of recipes linked throughout this post to other Jello shot recipes that may include unflavored gelatin, which allows for even more customization.

How to Make Vegan Jello Shots:

Gelatin (including most Jello mixes) are made from animal products. So, if you are looking to make vegan Jello shots or if you have a sensitivity to gelatin, then you can update almost any of these recipes using this method instead.

Vegan Jello Shot Recipe

Vodka Jello Shots:

Probably the spirit most often used in Jello shot recipes is vodka. The reason being vodka is a great flavor carrier, in that it doesn’t have much flavor on its own. Unless, of course, you use a flavored vodka. Here are some vodka Jello shot recipes we love:

• Moscow Mule Jello Shots
• Candy Corn Jello Shots
• Cranberry Jello Shots

Related: Jolly Rancher Vodka – How to Infuse Vodka

Check out this video and post for How to Make Vodka Jello Shots!

Rum Jello Shots:

Rum is also great option to add to Jello shots as it goes well with citrus and other flavors like mint. Here are some rum Jello shot recipes we love:

• Mojito Jello Shots
• Diamond Ring Jello Shots
• Eggnog Jello Shots

Related: Rum Soaked Gummy Bears

Other Spirits:

You truly can use any type of spirits in Jello shots, like vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and more. You can also use other alcoholic mixers or wine like rose.

• Strawberry Margarita Jello Shot
• Rose All Day Jello Shot
• Double Stuffed Oreo Jello Shots

How to Make Jello Shots in a Mold:

Using molds to make Jello shots is one of the easiest methods! This allows you to easily make each Jello shot the same quantity, and you can create fun shapes without much work.

Simply pour the Jello shot mixture into the molds and allow to fully set before serving. It’s best to pour from a glass measuring cup or other container with a spout so you can easily fill each mold cavity.

How to Make Jello Shots in Citrus Rind:

Creating Jello shots in a citrus rind, like these orange creamsicle Jello shots (in orange rinds) is a classy way to serve them. It also makes Jello shots super easy to consume, as you simply bite the Jello away from the rind. No slurping or plastic to dispose of after!

To make these, cut the citrus in half and juice it (so you can use the juice in the recipe). Then, scoop out the insides. This does take a little work, but the results are worth the effort.

Place the now-empty halves on a plate or cutting board covered with something to keep them upright (sugar, rice, etc.) and fill each rind. Once the Jello has fully set, you can slice these into smaller pieces.

Related: Watermelon Slice Jello Shots using a similar technique!

How to Make Layered Jello Shots:

While making layered Jello shots does take a little more time, they can be so cute and fun for a seasonal party—like bomb pops for the 4th of July or candy corn Jello shots for Halloween. The key to success is to let each layer fully set before adding the next.

Related: Bomb Pop Shots – learn to make layered cocktails

How to Make Shaped Jello Shots:

Another option is to use small cookie cutters or other small kitchen tools to create cut outs. For this method, you create a large slab of Jello shots in a pan (like brownie pan).

Then, use cookie cutters to create cutout shapes like gingerbread people Jello shots and double-stuffed Oreo Jello shots.

Bachelorette Party Jello Shots:

Before I got my married, my sister threw me a bachelorette party that included a number of bespoke cocktails and a very special Jello shot. These can be such a fun part of any bachelorette or hen party. Here are some of our favorites:

• Diamond Ring Jello Shots
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Jello Shots – fun for a hotel party
• Key Lime Pie Jello Shots – could be fun for a boozy brunch

21st Birthday Jello Shots:

Here are some of our favorite Jello shot recipes when you are hosting or celebrating a 21st birthday!

• Birthday Cake Jello Shots
• Pink Lemonade Jello Shots
• Deviled Egg Jello Shots – a boozy surprise!

Related: Birthday Cake Martini – such a fun cocktail for any birthday celebration

Holiday Jello Shots:

Cheers the holiday season with any of these fun and festive Jello shot recipes:

• Peppermint Mocha Jello Shots – for Christmas or any winter holiday
• Eggnog Jello Shots – happy holidays!
• Spooky Eyeball Jello Shots – for Halloween
• Peeps Jello Shots – for Easter or any spring holiday
• Candy Corn Jello Shots – for Halloween
• Cranberry Jello Shots – for Thanksgiving
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Jello Shots – for Valentine’s Day

Summer Jello Shots:

If you are looking for a Jello shot recipe that feels like summer celebrations, try these:

• Pineapple Upside Down Cake Jello Shots
• Watermelon Slice Jello Shots
• Mojito Jello Shots
• Lemon Drop Jello Shots

Print

Basic Jello Shots

a simple recipe to make basic flavored jello shots

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword jello shots

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Set time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 60kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

• 3 ounces Jello mix flavored
• 1 ½ cups water or substitute all or some with juice
• ½ cup alcohol vodka or other

Instructions

• Pour the Jello mix into a medium mixing bowl or glass measuring cup. Something with a spout is best.
• Bring the water or water/juice mixture to a boil.
• Pour hot liquid in with the Jello mix, whisking to dissolve.
• Stir in the alcohol.
• Pour into molds or plastic containers and allow to fully set.
• Refrigerate and serve cold.

Notes

• You can use all water or a mixture of half water and half juice or even all juice depending on the flavor and sweetness level that you desire.

Nutrition

Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 1mg | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.01mg

There are several ways you can make this bottle cake topper. You can use all chocolate or all fondant, but I’ve found those methods can be too heavy.

Today, I’m going to show you how to make a cake topper with Rice Krispie treats and candy melts.

You’ll only need three ingredients to make this cake topper, and two of them will be for the modeling chocolate. Modeling chocolate is very pliable like fondant—it tastes loads better and easier to work with, I promise.

Ingredients:

• Candy melts
• Light corn syrup
• Rice Krispies

How to Make Modeling Chocolate:

To make modeling chocolate, you’ll need candy melts and light corn syrup. Make this a night before, as it takes a few hours to set.

Take a bag of candy melts (about 15 ounces) and melt it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then check to see if it’s melted. Continue to microwave 10 seconds at a time until fully melted.

Next, if you’re using white candy melts, you can add food coloring to the corn syrup at this point and mix. Add the syrup with the melts and fold until mixture seizes. Do not overmix or the mixture will get oily.

Pour mixture onto plastic wrap and let it set until it is a bit firm. This usually takes a couple of hours. Once set, unwrap your chocolate and knead it until smooth. Smash any hard lumps with your finger, and wrap again until you’re ready to use it.

Modeling chocolate will usually be hard every time you go to use it. You can warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds to make pliable.

How to Make an Edible Bottle:

Use Rice Krispies to form the bottle shape. I used a round cookie cutter to cut the Rice Krispies.

Stack the Rice Krispies together and smoosh it so it bonds together. Then, shape the top of the bottle with your hands. You can also use a knife to carve the bottle shape.

Knead your modeling chocolate. Roll it out or place in pieces onto the bottle and smooth it out with your fingers. The warmth of your hands will help make it smooth.

Once shaped, you can add details with more modeling chocolate or paint on it with food coloring. You can also print a label and wrap it around the bottle.

I hope you try making this topper. All the steps are the same for making any type of shape you’d like! xo. Ren

You can see more of Ren’s posts here:

• Bridgerton-Inspired Royal Icing Cookies
• How to Make a Watercolor Cake
• How to Pipe Frosting Ruffles
• How to Make Cakesicles

Print

Edible Bottle Cake Topper – 21st Birthday Cake Idea

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword birthday cake, cake topper

Author Ren Padilla

Ingredients

• 15 ounces candy melts
• corn syrup light
• Rice Krispie treats

Instructions

• To make modeling chocolate, you’ll need candy melts and light corn syrup. Make this a night before, as it takes a few hours to set.
• Take a bag of candy melts (about 15 ounces) and melt it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then check to see if it’s melted. Continue to microwave 10 seconds at a time until fully melted.
• Next, if you’re using white candy melts, you can add food coloring to the corn syrup at this point and mix. Add the syrup with the melts and fold until mixture seizes. Do not overmix or the mixture will get oily.
• Pour mixture onto plastic wrap and let it set until it is a bit firm. This usually takes a couple of hours.
• Once set, unwrap your chocolate and knead it until smooth. Smash any hard lumps with your fingers. 
• Wrap again until you’re ready to use it. Modeling chocolate will usually be hard every time you go to use it. You can warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds to make pliable.
• Use Rice Krispies to form the bottle shape. I used a round cookie cutter to cut the Rice Krispies.

  Stack the Rice Krispies together and smoosh it so it bonds together. Then, shape the top of the bottle with your hands. You can also use a knife to carve the bottle shape.
• Knead your modeling chocolate. Roll it out or place in pieces onto the bottle. Smooth it out with your fingers. 
• Once shaped, you can add details with more modeling chocolate or paint on it with food coloring. You can also print a label and wrap it around the bottle.

Since it’s my second time to pass though the Frozen phase, I am more aware how quickly these phases pass. I wanted to do something extra special this year and started putting together ideas for an elaborate Frozen-themed birthday party.

Starting with the base of snow (I left our snowflakes from Christmas up on our windows an extra month), snowmen and princesses, I knew it would be fun to build a themed party.

It’s a great bonus that many of these decorations can be reused in future Christmas decor.

Related: How to Make a Paper Snowflake – 10 Free Designs

Frozen Birthday Decorations

I decided to keep our decor minimal and lightly themed. I stayed away from large character cutouts and branded items, and instead focused on the themes of snow, the colors blue, white, and purple and a general ice princess theme.

For decor, I used a set of these paper snowflakes hung on a chandelier.

To create a candy centerpiece, I ordered light blue M&Ms, sour gummy rings, sour candy strips and blue and white rock candy sticks to resemble ice.

You can easily create a fun display of treats using just white and light blue candy. Other ideas that you can add are marshmallows, white chocolate covered pretzels, and white powdered sugar donuts.

Tips for picking Frozen birthday decorations

• Focus on your child’s favorite character. Let them wear a costume if they want to. Our daughter wears an Elsa dress nearly daily already, so we surprised her with a new one on her birthday.

• Color coordinate. Don’t worry about buying a bunch of branded items—just focus on the colors from the movie and you’ll create the same effect (or even prettier) with less branding.

• These snowflake banners are so cute!

Frozen Desserts and Cookies

I found these edible snowflake decorations and they are perfect for adding to cupcakes, ice cream, or truffles.

Here are some great cookie cutters you can use to create Frozen cookies: snowflake, Elsa’s crown and Olaf.

More Party Inspo

• If you want to add a few costumes to your party, I recommend Olaf, Elsa, and Anna. You can get adult versions as well (Emma and I went as Elsa and Anna).
  
• Balloon arches are easier to make than you think. All you need is a balloon kit and a pump. We’ve got full instructions for how to make a balloon arch here.

• Get a custom garland made from an Etsy seller.

• This Etsy seller makes candy party favors you can customize.

If you are having a Frozen-themed birthday in your future, we wish you a magical party! Remember, some people are worth melting for. xx- Elsie

Looking for more birthday party ideas?
–Nova’s Star-Themed Birthday Party
–Mermaid Birthday Party
–Puppy-Themed Birthday Party

I wouldn’t recommend waiting until right before the party to decorate the cake, like I did, but I would definitely advise flexing your baking muscles and giving this sandcastle cake a try! It was truly a lot of fun to make.

Related: Ocean Cake, Dirt Cake, Rainbow Cake – 3 Ways, Unicorn Cake, and 15+ Best Cake Recipes.

If you plan to make a sandcastle cake like this one, I recommend planning for three days of cake making/decorating sessions. (Not three full days, silly! Just three sessions.)

One day to bake and crumb-coat the cake layers, one day to prep the fondant shapes and assemble the main pieces of the cake, then the day of the party to add cookie crumbs (the “sand”) and fondant decorations.

Read on to find out about how I made each element and assembled the cake!

Making the “Sand” for the Cake

The first step of making this cake is crushing a box of vanilla wafers to create the sand for the sand castle. Use a food processor or a rolling pin for this process. Set the cookie crumbs aside until ready to make your fondant.

How to Make Marshmallow Fondant

I had never considered making fondant before, because, frankly, I never really thought fondant tasted very good compared to buttercream.

But then I realized I could combine fondant elements with a buttercream cake and get the best of both worlds! The Great British Baking Show convinced me that making marshmallow fondant was fun and easy, so I decided to give it a try. Turns out they were right!

I made a batch of marshmallow fondant to make some of the decorative elements of my cake, such as the cones at the tops of the towers, the crenelations of the castle, the shell adornments, and the castle door.

You should make the fondant at least one day before making the fondant shapes and pieces, and I recommend making the shapes and pieces the day before decorating the cake. (It just makes decorating go a lot faster when you’re not fussing with fondant!)

Ingredients

• 16 ounces of marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (or more) of butter or shortening

Step One: Microwave marshmallows for 1 minute to begin melting them.

Step Two: Stir in the water and vanilla extract while marshmallows are hot.

Step Three: Transfer the hot mixture to a stand mixer and gradually mix in 2 pounds of powdered sugar. Save some of the sugar for kneading in the next step.

Step Four: Place sticky fondant “dough” onto a surface dusted with powdered sugar.

Step Five: Coat your hands with butter or shortening. This will keep your hands from sticking to the dough.

Step Six: Knead the fondant “dough” until it is barely sticky, adding powdered sugar as necessary.

Step Seven: Add food color and knead it into the dough to fully incorporate the coloring. I had to do a bit of experimenting to get the correct color of fondant that looked like sand. It’s helpful to keep a bag of the cookie crumb “sand” nearby to compare my color.

I combined brown, copper, yellow, and teal colors to create the sand color. The teal and yellow added a yellowish green hue which muddied and toned down the reddish hues in the brown and copper coloring.

Just add a little bit at a time to keep the color going in the right direction without making any irreversible mistakes.

Step Eight: Place your finished fondant in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for at least one day. Before rolling out the fondant to make your decorations, allow it to completely come to room temperature.

Making Fondant Shell Decorations

I used a silicone fondant mold to make fun shell shapes to decorate my cake. This is the mold set I bought. I think this fondant shell mold set looks even better, though!

Step One: Allow your one (or more) day old fondant to come to room temperature and press pieces of it into the crevices of the silicone mold.

Step Two: Use a sharp knife to cut away the excess fondant from the surface of the mold.

Step Three: After trimming away the excess, press the remaining fondant into the mold again. This is in case any of the fondant lifted out of the mold while trimming.

Step Four: Place the mold into the freezer for at least five minutes to set the shape. Then, pop the shaped fondant out of the molds and store between parchment paper in an airtight container until you’re ready to decorate the cake.

Prepping the Layer Cakes

Now, on to the cake! I made my cakes a week before the birthday party and popped them in the freezer until the day before the party. Gotta be honest—to save time, I opted to use a Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix.

I chuckled when everyone raved about how delicious the cake was, considering it was from a mix! I did swap melted butter for oil, so maybe that was the trick?

The entire sandcastle cake used three boxes of cake mix, each one giving me one 8″ round cake and one 6″ round cake. I used these cake pans which I greased and dusted with flour before filling with batter.

While the cakes were cooling, I made a double batch of buttercream frosting which I ended up coloring the same way I had colored the fondant. Then I cut off the rounded tops of the cakes and stacked them with buttercream between each layer.

After stacking, I covered the cakes in a thin layer of frosting to act as a crumb coat. Crumb coats are intended to seal in the crumbs so that they don’t ruin the look of the final coat of frosting, though honestly for this sandy cake, crumbs wouldn’t even matter.

I placed the cakes in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then covered them with wrapping and foil, then placed them in the freezer until I was ready to decorate the cake the following week.

The cakes were removed from the freezer 24 hours before the decorating took place.

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons cream

Assembling the Sandcastle Cake

Step One: Cover the crumb-coated cakes with an even layer of sand-colored buttercream frosting. I made an effort to make my frosting nice and smooth, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. It will be covered with crumbs, after all!

Step Two: Use your hands to gently press the crumbs into the freshly frosted sides and tops of the cake. Try to get as many crumbs to stick as possible. They will become saturated with the butter of the frosting and darken the crumbs a bit, so keep this in mind!

Place the frosted and crumb-coated cakes in the refrigerator to stay cool and firm until you are ready to stack them.

The top layer of your cake should be placed on a 6″ round piece of cardboard to support the cake while stacking it in step four. Be sure to add the cardboard to the bottom of the cake before frosting it.

Step Three: Make four 8″ tall towers for each corner of the cake. You can use cardboard from paper towel rolls covered in fondant or even wrapped PVC pipes as I did!

I covered my pipes with buttercream and rolled them into crumbs to make non-edible castle towers. Originally, I had planned on making these entirely out of thickly rolled fondant, but decided it wasn’t worth the fondant as they would not be eaten anyway.

Step Four: Place four dowels into the 8″ layer cake as Emma demonstrates in her wedding cake tutorial. Use spatulas to carefully lift the cooled 6″ cake to rest on top of the dowels of the 8″ cake.

The cardboard at the bottom of the 6″ cake will protect it from being pierced by the dowels, whereas the dowels keep the 6″ cake from smashing the 8″ cake.

Adding Fondant Decorations

Now it’s time to add your fondant decorations! I recommend that you prepare all of your fondant decorations at least a day before you plan to decorate the cake, only because it goes much faster without worrying about creating the fondant elements.

But if you have plenty of time, you may opt to do it all in one day as I did. (For the record, I did not have plenty of time, but it all worked out in the end!)

Step One: Print two of these small cone templates and one of each half of this large cone template (half and half) onto card stock.

Roll out the fondant into 1/8″ thick sheets and cut out the five pieces for the cone shapes. Keep these stored in an airtight container until step three. Place parchment paper between the pieces so they don’t stick together.

Step Two: Roll out more fondant into 1/8″ thick strips and cut into 1″ strips using a fondant ribbon cutter or a clean ruler and a blade. I used a square-tip X-acto blade to hand cut crenelations into the strips.

You could use any clean, sharp blade for this step. Store these strips in an airtight container or tightly covered pan until you’re ready to add them to the cake.

Step Three: Tape together the card stock cone templates to act as a platform for the fondant cones. Use your fingers to blend the seams. The seams do not need to be perfect as they will be covered in crumbs, but you will be able to tell if the seams are very poorly blended.

Step Four: Brush all of your fondant elements with alcohol (such as vodka) to moisten it for crumb application. Alcohol evaporates much faster than water, preventing the fondant from getting too mushy.

If you don’t want to buy alcohol for this project, you could probably just use minimal water, though it would not be ideal. Or you can just buy a tiny bottle at any liquor store.

Step Five: Working with one moistened strip at a time, gently press cookie crumbs onto the surface of the fondant.

Step Six: Pipe leftover buttercream frosting onto the areas where you need to apply the fondant decorations.

Step Seven: Trim the crenelation strips to fit the areas where they will be applied and press them onto the buttercream. Be sure to use enough buttercream or the weight of the fondant will cause the pieces to fall off the cake.

Step Eight: Add the fondant shells and a front door to the castle for the final decorative touches.

I used a wood cheese board as a cake plate, because none of my cake plates were big enough! I have seen people use upside-down pans covered with cloth and even hat boxes used as cake stands.

The gaps at the sides of my wood platform bothered me (I’m such a diva sometimes), so we decided to add card stock waves to the edges to complete the whimsical look of the cake.

As you can tell in the image above, the vanilla wafer crumbs did absorb some of the moisture of the buttercream, but it didn’t get any worse than you can see in the above image.

We had the entire bottom half of the cake leftover from the birthday party and served it at a family event the next day.

I’m happy to report the crumbs held up nicely, didn’t absorb any additional moisture, and the cake still looked great without the towers and the fondant crenelations!

This sandcastle cake was such a fun project and really was the (buttercream) icing on top of my daughter’s mermaid birthday party! I’m so excited to try my hand at another showstopper cake sometime soon. – Mandi

Looking for more birthday party ideas? Check out …

• Our Frozen Birthday
• Nova’s Star-Themed Birthday Party
• Puppy-Themed Birthday Party

I think she was probably envisioning something fit for Ariel, while I was busy thinking of ways to do this theme without the red-headed Disney character plastered on each dinner plate and napkin. The party was a lovely event certainly fit for a mer-princess like Ariel, but still kind to the Earth, my wallet, and my eyes!

I wanted to share my table decorations and themed treat ideas so that you can also easily throw together a fanciful mermaid birthday party for the special mermaid or merman in your life!

Earth-Conscious Party Supplies

I know a lot of children’s party supplies are often made from plastic—like flatware, cups, and even plates. Not to mention party favors and cake decorations. While paper plates and cups are still coated with material designed to prolong their lifespan, they still eventually break down and are a much kinder choice compared to plastic alternatives.

I decided to combine paper party products with compostable items like plates made from pressed palm leaves and flatware made of birch. This is the perfect party theme for these types of product since they go with the earthy vibes associated with the beach.

My sequined tablecloth is something I decided to buy last year, knowing it would probably coordinate with most birthday party ideas my girls dream up. (They love sparkles, and the white color matches everything!)

So far we’ve used it for a My Little Pony party and this mermaid party. This time around, I covered the tablecloth with one of the two fishnets that came in this set. (The other fishnet is hanging on the wall behind the table.)

For party favors, we simply made starfish wands with ribbon streamers. I wasn’t sure what to do about the starfish, to be honest. I know that using real starfish seems like an eco-friendly choice, considering they’re natural byproducts of the ocean.

However, I also know that not all starfish you buy at stores are ethically sourced and may have been alive when caught. Even if they weren’t alive, I’m learning that taking shells from the beach does have an impact on other sea/beach creatures’ natural habitats. In the end, I decided to use these resin starfish I found on Etsy.

Mermaid Birthday Party Supplies

1. Clear Bubble Balloon Set
2. Lilac Paper Cups
3. Lilac Scalloped Napkins
4. Holographic Shell Paper Plates
5. Birch Flatware
6. Resin Starfish
7. Compostable Palm Leaf Plates
8. Natural Fish Net Decoration (set of two)
9. Drink Dispenser with Natural Base

The starfish “mermaid wands” were a cute addition to the table settings, and the kids absolutely loved playing with them through the entire party.

These were a breeze to make, and more fun and imaginative than a lot of the little trinkets often used as children’s party favors. Here’s how to make your own.

Starfish Wand Supplies:

• Starfish (I used these resin ones)
• Ribbons in colors to coordinate with your party (Mine are all from JOANN)
• 12″ wood dowels
• Hot glue gun

Step One: Cut the ribbons into 18-20″ lengths

Step Two: Knot one of each ribbon type around the top of each dowel. Stagger the lengths so that one side of the tied ribbon hangs lower than the other side.

Step Three: Apply a line of hot glue across the tied ribbon as shown above right.

Step Four: Press a starfish onto the hot glue and hold for a moment.

These starfish wands were a big hit, which got me wondering why didn’t we think about doing mermaid headbands as a party craft? Maybe we’ll do that for our next mermaid birthday party. (I’m already getting requests from sis for a similar party because—mermaid dresses!)

For a party backdrop, I kept it simple with a hanging the two fishnets that came in this set covered in various sizes of clear bubble balloons. I purchased this set of bubble balloons from Etsy and was pleased with the mix. They were really difficult to blow up by hand, so I’d recommend using a pump of some sort if you’re not using helium. I strung them up with monofilament and 3M hooks.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have really questioned my sanity when you saw me spend the better part of a week practicing making macarons until I found the perfect method for making shell-shaped macarons. I’ve made macarons before, but had never really achieved perfection until my self-imposed macaron boot camp.

These little guys looked really special and were admired and enjoyed by each of our guests. (The chocolate pearls are sixlets I found at a party store.) I made them a few days before the party and kept them sealed up until the big day.

You may be wondering about this sandcastle cake, so don’t worry! I shared a tutorial around how to make it! It was sort of a grand experiment that I had planned for a while and ended up making the morning of the party. It went really well and ended up being a straightforward (though a bit time-intensive) project.

I really think this party wouldn’t have been the same without the sandcastle cake. I would certainly make it again if I were to go back in time! Plus, it was amazingly delicious and gave us good leftovers for a family gathering the next day.

We have ourselves one happy little mermaid! It was such a fun day. My heart is always filled with so much joy to see my kiddos truly enjoy the fruits (or cake) of my labor!

Party planning can be a lot of fun, but obviously can be a lot of work too, if you let it. Do the amount that you find fun and works with your schedule and family lifestyle. I’m just the crazy lady scrolling through Pinterest already planning the next big bash! – Mandi

Looking for more birthday party ideas?
–Frozen-Themed Birthday Party
–Nova’s Star-Themed Birthday Party
–Mermaid Birthday Party
–Puppy-Themed Birthday Party

Credits//Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Last year, I selected a cake off the rack at a local grocery store, and I bought Juniper a balloon. That was about the extent of my party planning. We joked that her birthday party theme was “mom and dad just gutted a house.” So this year I wanted to put more effort into making her birthday party feel special. I spent a little time working on crafts or food each day during the week before her puppy party. With a little bit of effort and a small budget, her puppy party ended up being such a sweet affair!

This guy here is part of the reason we’re all a little dog obsessed, to the point of planning a puppy-themed birthday party! At the beginning of the year I said to my husband, “Can we please finally get a dog this year?” And he agreed!

So the girls and I spent months stalking PetFinder until we found a special pair of bonded dogs that we couldn’t leave at the pound. (Meet our dogs at this blog post!)

This is Theo, and his buddy Alfie was standing at my feet (like usual) as I was taking this photo. The girls wanted to make dog ear headbands for them, forgetting that, in fact, they already came equipped with dog ears!

After seeing the cute cookies Elsie made for Nova, I knew I wanted to try out some fancy cookies myself. This was the most time-intensive part of party prep, but I learned a lot in the process. Next time will be much easier—and yes, there will be a next time! Ha!

First, I spent some time on Pinterest deciding what kind of cookies I wanted to make, then I bought this dog cookie cutter set. I used this butter cookie recipe to make and freeze the cookies a couple of weeks in advance. Then I used this royal icing recipe to decorate the cookies two days before the party.

I purchased a pink plaid table runner for the dining table and the food table, which brought a nice pop of color to the party decorations. Everything else I kept pretty simple so that the dog ears and novelty food could really stand out.

I couldn’t find any cups or plates that I loved with a puppy theme, so I decided to make my own cup decorations and then buy some plain biodegradable party plates.

How to Make Dog Bone Party Cups

Materials:
–plain white paper cups
-kraft card stock
–dog bone template*
–glue dots or double sided tape
-scissors
-printer

Load your printer with the card stock and print out one sheet of this dog bone template. Cut out each dog bone by hand with scissors. Use glue dots or double-sided tape to affix each dog bone to paper party cups. The dog bones are a cute decorative detail, but they also provide a nice spot for people to write their names on their cups!

*Full disclosure: I made the dog bone template out of this clip art that someone else designed.

How to Make Dog Ear Headbands

Instead of party hats, we like to make special headbands that go with our birthday party theme. (We still have a few bumblebee headbands from Lucy’s third birthday party.) Of course, it was a no-brainer to make dog ears for a puppy party! The girls were obsessed with them.

We even got face paint to give the kids dog faces that matched their headbands. The kids ended up getting sidetracked at the party and we didn’t do face paint then, but we did do it the next day!

The dog ear headbands were pretty easy to make, and the supplies were inexpensive. Check out how I made them below!

Materials:
-2 pieces of crafting felt for each headband (or just one for smaller ears)
-plastic headbands (I bought a set of plastic headbands to save money for this and future headband projects.)
-fabric scissors
-hot glue gun with glue

Step One: Cut out two ear shapes and at least two 1″ strips of felt for wrapping the plastic headband. I found that I could get by with only two strips of felt for wrapping the headband in step two, but it took a bit of stretching.

I didn’t use any templates for the ear shapes, but you can see below what the shapes looked like that I ended up freehand cutting out of my felt pieces.

Step Two: Wrap the plastic headband with your felt strips. I used hot glue to affix the end of the strip where I began. After I wrapped the entire headband, I glued the very end, and trimmed the felt with fabric scissors.

Step Three: Glue the dog ears onto the headband. You may want to pin them in place first and put on the headband to see if you like the placement. Then you can commit to gluing them into place.

I made two headbands of each dog ear style. One I got going, it went pretty quickly! It took me the length of a one-hour podcast to make 10 headbands.

The girls requested I try to make dog ears like our dogs, so I added some white fringe to the bottom of some black floppy ears to look like our Theo, and I did try to make Alfie cookies, but really they ended up looking more like Lassie. Oh well, they tasted great and the girls didn’t seem to notice the discrepancies the way that I did.

Puppy Cupcakes

I think it’s important to know your limits when planning a party, and for me, that limit was at cupcakes. I figured I could either make dog cupcakes or dog cookies, but I didn’t want to put myself through having to do both of them.

So I ordered these puppy cupcakes (or pupcakes, if you will!) from my friend Shawna, who owns a shop called A Cupcake A Day in Medina, Ohio. They were delicious and I was so pleased with how cute they turned out!

Puppy Print Decals

The last puppy party detail I added was little paw prints across the walls in our kitchen and dining room. I found a template I liked using Google Images, printed out three per sheet of card stock, and hand cut them. They were stuck to the wall with glue dots, and they came off easily during party cleanup.

I really enjoy planning cute birthday parties for my kids, and it’s not a burden to me—as long as I don’t try to do too much myself. (I always ask for help when it comes to putting together party food!) Usually I get a lot of ideas spinning around in my head when planning a party, so I do have to choose where to hit the brakes before I enter crazy town.

This puppy party had the perfect amount of fun details without being too much work for me. And when Juniper saw the party decorations and pointed out each detail with delight, it made it all feel even more worth it! – Mandi

Looking for more birthday party ideas?
–Frozen-Themed Birthday Party
–Nova’s Star-Themed Birthday Party
–Mermaid Birthday Party
–Puppy-Themed Birthday Party

Just kidding. We went all in!

We had no idea how it would all shake out because at Christmas Nova had ZERO interest in gifts and did not seem aware at all that it was a special day. We tried to prepare that she may not understand the whole birthday concept this year, but somehow it all clicked for her. It might have been the daily gifts my mom packed to give her each morning (can’t blame a grandparent for wanting to spoil her!) or hearing the birthday song sung to her by all our friends and family. Whatever it was, it really stuck. She now asks to go to her birthday party every morning (haha!) and tried to open up all Jeremy’s Father’s Day gifts herself.

Anyway! I’ll give you what you came for. Here are the cute party photos …

We kept it pretty simple with food prep. Cakes from Whole Foods (no time to make cakes when you spend three days making cookies—haha), a cheese board (my one and only party “must”) and pizza from our favorite local spot hidden in the kitchen.

We took our time and had a pretty chill party full of adults chatting and children running around wild—as it should be.

Our beautiful birthday girl.

Augh, my heart! One of the happiest, sweetest, best moments of my life.

We love you so much, Nova!

After that, we moved on to the “pool party” entertainment (which entailed a blow-up pool from Amazon and a sprinkler). The kids loved it—it was so cute (and LOUD!).

Friends + family!

Here’s half my friends (assuming the other half were chasing their little kids—haha).

And the grand finale was giving Nova her first car! It was Jeremy’s parents idea and turned out to be something she is having so much fun with. She’s definitely still on her “learners permit” though. Haha.

Thanks for following along!! Our family truly appreciates your love and support! xx. Elsie

Looking for more birthday party ideas?
–Frozen-Themed Birthday Party
–Nova’s Star-Themed Birthday Party
–Mermaid Birthday Party
–Puppy-Themed Birthday Party

While they look super intimidating to attempt, they are really quite simple once you know how. I started making a few small balloon installs a little over a year ago for fun.

Related: Easy Balloon Garland DIY (With Video)

In the last few months, I have transitioned to creating larger installs for parties and events here in Austin (although, here’s a way to make an easy balloon arch for a party as well).

Since I can’t be everywhere though, I wanted to share how you can easily make a balloon garland for your front door for your next party or book club meeting.

For this garland, I went with a fresh citrus theme that matched perfectly with the coral front door of my friend, Katie Kime. But you can easily change up the colors and scale to fit your theme.

Materials:
-latex balloons in a variety of sizes and colors to match your theme (I tend to use Qualatex brand because the latex is thicker and the balloons hold up better in the garlands)
–low temp glue gun
–balloon pump
–outdoor rated mounting hooks 
-ribbon or string
-crepe paper leaves (optional for lemons)

Step 1: Blow up your first balloon and tie like normal. Then blow up a second balloon and tie the knot around the knot of the first balloon to combine them.

Repeat with the third and fourth balloon until you have a cluster of four balloons all tied together. Feel free to use an assortment of colors and sizes of balloons to get an organic look to your garland.

Step 2: Repeat to create at least 20-30 clusters of balloons all with an assortment of colors and sizes.

Step 3: Use the low temp glue gun to glue the clusters to each other. To do this, add a line of glue where the balloons join and hold the two balloons in place for 20-30 seconds until the glue hardens. Then, repeat with the other balloons to create your garland strand.

And here is another method for attaching balloons together:

Step 4: For this garland, I started with the smaller 5″ balloon clusters and then transitioned to the 11″-15″ clusters and then to the 16″ clusters and a few 24-36″ balloons.

To add the optional lemon balloons, use 5″ balloons and blow them up to resemble a large lemon size. Then tie and glue on green paper leaves cut from crepe paper sheets or cardstock.

Step 5: Once your garland is complete and all the balloons are attached, it’s time to mount them. To do this, attach 2-3 wall mount hooks to the exterior of your house where you want the balloons to flow.

For these, I placed one hook up high to the left of the door frame and one about 2′ from the ground.

Step 6: Then simply thread a piece of ribbon around one of the cluster knots close to a hook and tie around the hook in a knot. Repeat with all your hooks and the garland is ready for party time!

The balloons hold up really well (even in extreme heat and wind) with just the low temp glue gun. And because the balloons are so light, only 2-3 hooks are needed to anchor the balloons.

I hope seeing how easy it is to make a balloon garland for your front door will encourage you to try your hand at it for your party. Just be sure you are ready for all the oohs and aahs from your guests! XO. Kara

Print

Make a Balloon Garland For Your Front Door

Keyword balloon arch

Author Kara Whitten

Equipment

• –balloon pump

Ingredients

• latex balloons in a variety of sizes and colors to match your theme I tend to use Qualatex brand because the latex is thicker and the balloons hold up better in the garlands
• low temp glue gun
• outdoor rated mounting hooks
• ribbon or string
• crepe paper leaves optional for lemons

Instructions

• Blow up your first balloon and tie like normal. Then blow up a second balloon and tie the knot around the knot of the first balloon to combine them. Repeat with the third and fourth balloon until you have a cluster of four balloons all tied together. Feel free to use an assortment of colors and sizes of balloons to get an organic look to your garland.
• Repeat to create at least 20-30 clusters of balloons all with an assortment of colors and sizes.
• Use the low temp glue gun to glue the clusters to each other. To do this, add a line of glue where the balloons join and hold the two balloons in place for 20-30 seconds until the glue hardens. Then repeat with the other balloons to create your garland strand.
• For this garland, I started with the smaller 5″ balloon clusters and then transitioned to the 11″-15″ clusters and then to the 16″ clusters and a few 24-36″ balloons. To add the optional lemon balloons, use 5″ balloons and blow them up to resemble a large lemon size. Then tie and glue on green paper leaves cut from crepe paper sheets or cardstock.
• Once your garland is complete and all the balloons are attached, it’s time to mount them. To do this, attach 2-3 wall mount hooks to the exterior of your house where you want the balloons to flow. For these I placed one hook up high to the left of the door frame and one about 2′ from the ground.
• Then simply thread a piece of ribbon around one of the cluster knots close to a hook and tie around the hook in a knot. Repeat with all your hooks and the garland is ready for party time!

Credits // Author and Photography: Kara Whitten. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Apparently the other night my husband, Trey, walked into our bedroom after I had already gone to bed and tried to start talking to me. He says I turned toward him, looked him right in the eye, and said, “It’s your birthday?”

To which he said, “You’re asleep.” And I replied confidently, “It’s your birthday!” It wasn’t his birthday. I was asleep. I’m not much of a sleep talker or sleep walker, so this is hilarious to me! But also, for some reason, kind of freaks me out too. Do any of you sleep walk or talk?

But, my main point today is not about sleep habits (although that would probably be a pretty interesting post), today I want to talk about birthdays. Specifically, birthday candles.

Related: How to Make Candles – Beginner’s Guide

I love novelty candles, like SO much. And I was curious about how to make my own candle molds to make novelty shaped candles. Turns out it’s pretty easy although a little time consuming.

Making small candle molds is one of those crafts that feels like it’s mostly waiting for things to dry/set. Sometimes I think crafting is almost more of an exercise in patience and meditation as much as it is creativity.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make your own molds for small candles or little soaps (cute guest soaps!!!!!!), then see below for a simple tutorial.

I tried a few different techniques and learned a few things along the way including totally messing one up! So I’ll share about that too so you can avoid the same issue.

Supplies:

-items you want to make a mold from (I used nail polish and lipgloss)
-plastic container that can hold items
–Smooth-On Silicone Mold Making
-disposable cups and spoons for mixing
-wax for candles
-candle thermometer
-candle coloring
-wicks
-tooth picks or sticks

There are other brands and types of silicone mold making products out there, this is just what I used. If you use something different, you will want to read the directions carefully as some things could be very different than what I used.

Step One: Create your mold(s).

If using the Smooth-On, mix the two compounds together in equal parts (ratio 1:1). Then use to create your mold. The two parts are red and blue, so when you mix, they become purple and this helps you to see how well you’ve mixed them together.

Use disposable cups and utensils to do this and take care not to spill or get any on your skin. I did get a tiny bit on my leg at one point (I was wearing shorts at the time), and it washed off easily and didn’t irritate my skin, but it’s still good to take care when working with chemicals of any kind.

I created my mold two different ways. First I used a small plastic container and filled it halfway with sugar. Then I added two nail polishes to the sugar and pressed them in so that only half of the bottle was sticking out of the sugar.

Then I poured the prepared Smooth-On over that and allowed it to cure according to the directions. The second mold I made I poured the prepared Smooth-On into my plastic container first, and then added my objects (see photo above).

I found that both methods work, but I probably liked the second a little better as it was less messy (no sugar to clean off the final mold). The only thing you have to be careful of with the second method is if your objects are heavy enough that they sink all the way through the Smooth-On.

If that happens, then your mold may not work as it won’t be able to hold the wax as it dries. So again, two methods that both work… what works best just depends on what objects you are using.

Here you can see the mold I made by adding sugar to the container first.

One note about choosing objects to make molds from. So the mold I messed up was from when I tried to use this perfume bottle for a mold. I LOVE the shape (I also love that perfume) and thought it would be a really beautiful candle.

But I didn’t think about how the Smooth-On would have to completely encapsulate the flowers on the top of the bottle, which would then be very difficult to pull out without ripping up that part of the mold. I tried it, but it didn’t work at all.

So I would stick with objects that can more easily be pulled from the silicone after the mold has cured.

Step Two: Prepare your wax. I used paraffin wax that I bought from a craft store. You could also use soy wax or beeswax. You will want to use a wax thermometer to make sure your wax isn’t too hot before adding to the mold.

The Smooth-On suggested keeping waxes around 170°F, but again you should check the mold instructions as it could be different if using a different brand. I also added some coloring to my waxes, to give the candles the look I was aiming for.

Step Three: Pour the wax into the molds and add a wick. You should also add a small stick or toothpick to the bottom if you want these to eventually be used in a cake (so it can stand upright). I clearly forgot to do this in the above photo, but figured out my mistake for the other ones.

As the wax cools, it may cave in some. So it’s good to have some extra wax you can add later. Keep in mind these candles will have flat back sides.

Once the wax completely sets, you can unmold and use the mold again. These are really, really fun! And my next plan is to use these molds I made to make tiny guest soaps for when people stay the night at our house. Silly, or totally awesome?! xo. Emma