Airplane Birthday Cakes

My sweet adorable nephew turned ONE!  I made an airplane cake for the party and an airplane smash cake for him!  Nothing like having a baby nephew to spoil!

To make the party cake, I used the Pantastic Airplane pan to make a cake to go on top of a half sheet cake and decorated as pictured.

To make the smash cake, I used an airplane cookie cutter to make an indentation in the blue icing that I traced with the red icing and decorated the rest as pictured.

"10" Cupcakes

I like to do a fun cake for my kids' birthdays, but this year my son asked for cupcakes in the shape of a "10" so that's what he got!  Happy birthday Jacob!

Minecraft Birthday Party

My youngest turned 6 and was very opinionated about what he wanted for his birthday party!  The Game Truck came to our house for a Minecraft themed party!  He had a blast!  Here's what we did...

The Game Truck:  If you have never heard of The Game Truck, it is super cool and the perfect boy birthday party.  I have no affiliation with this company, but we just had so much fun that I have to tell you about it!  It is basically an eighteen wheeler sized trailer filled with couches on one side and 4 TVs and game consoles on the other side.  They have almost every game you can think of.  The kids LOVED it!  Plus, it just needs a flat surface to park on and will come wherever you want.  So, they came to our house and I loved it because I kept the kids outside for the whole party!

Invitation: I made the invitation in Excel using clipart, text boxes, and Minercraftory font.

Decorations: I did all lime green and black paper products and balloons.  I made a Happy Birthday banner using my Silhouette.  I made Creepers for the table by wrapping square boxes (with a water bottle inside for weight) with lime green wrapping paper and putting Creeper faces on them.  I also put glow in the dark axes and swords in mason jars on the table.  It was so cute!

Cake:  Here's the Creeper Cake!  

Cupcakes:  I made Minecraft cupcakes on his actual birthday.  You can download the Cupcake Toppers HERE.  Print out on cardstock, punch with 2" circle punch, attach to halved coffee stirrers with tape, and stick into cupcakes!

Favors:  For the favors, I did lime green bags with Creeper faces.  I used my Silhouette to cut the faces (the eyes are 1" squares, the middle of mouth is 1"x 1.5", the 2 sides of the mouth are .5"x 1.5").  I filled the bags with candy and with sticker bags (see more below).  Then, I folder the bag over, added the favor tag (download favor tag HERE), and tied with black tulle.

The sticker bags were a big hit with the kids!  I printed out many Minecraft shapes on Avery 5161/8161 labels and then cut them into long stripes (so that the stickers would be square like the game).  I got some of my labels from Frugal Family Times (download labels & view lots of party ideas HERE) and then I created some of my own! (download stickers HERE).  I put all of the stickers in a ziploc bag and attached a label I had printed on sticker paper that said "Make Your Own Minecraft stickers" (download labels HERE).

I made some Minecraft Thank You cards for my son to fill out.  You can download them HERE.  Print them on lime green cardstock and you'll be set!

It was a great party!  I can't believe my baby is 6!

Soccer Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for our End of Season Soccer Party!  I found the soccer cupcake liners at Walmart.

For cakes, I always use Duncan Hines butter cake mix.  To the dry mix, I add one small instant french vanilla pudding dry mix then make as directed (3 eggs, water, 1 stick butter).  Next, bake as directed for cupcakes and let cool.

For icing, I use Wilton's buttercream recipe.  I change it up some when I am making white icing (see step 4 on the Wilton link) but for any colored icing, I follow this recipe.  I made 24 cupcakes and 1 recipe of icing, which I tinted "leaf green".

I spread a thin layer of icing on the cooled cupcakes.  Next, I added green icing with Ateco tip #133 to make grass all over the cupcakes (instructions for grass technique HERE).

Top with Soccer Cupcake Toppers if desired (available for download HERE ).  Print toppers on cardstock, punch with 2" circle punch, attach to halved coffee stirrers with tape, & insert into cupcake!  Yummy!

Tae Kwon Do Party

My 9 year old son wanted to have his birthday party at the place where he takes Tae Kwon Do.  It was a really easy party for me because everything was included - although you know I had to do the invitations, cake, & favors!  The kids got to do a short class and they ALL got to break a board.  My son got to demonstrate everything and even got to cut the cake with a sword!  The kids got Tae Kwon Do headbands and also a favor from us.  It was an awesome party!  All of the kids had so much fun!

Here is the cake:

Here are the favors: ninja throwing star from Karate Mart, fortune cookies, & candy - all wrapped up in a red take out box with a black ribbon & sealed with labels that said "Thanks for kickin' it with me!"  You can download the labels HERE (print on sticker paper & cut out with 2" circle punch).

Two party shots:

End of Season Baseball Gifts

I gave these treat bags to my son's team for an End of Season favor.  I got the ziploc bags at Michael's, the Big League Chew at Academy, and the return baseballs at Dollar Tree.  I re-used the same tag from last season that can be downloaded HERE.  So fun!

Then, I made this baseball for the kids to sign for their coach.  I made it on my Silhouette and used "Harlow Solid Italic" font.  It was easy!

I made these cupcakes for the party too.  The kids loved them!

Angry Birds Birthday Party

My son is having an Angry Birds 5th Birthday Party at a local play place that has laser tag, arcades, and mini bowling.  So, thankfully, I don't have to plan any activities but still want everything to be Angry Birds cute! 

I've got Angry Birds t-shirts for my boys to wear.  And, of course, we have Angry Birds paper products, balloons, and decorations. 

Here is the invitation, which I made on my computer using clip art and "Feast of Flesh" plus "Cicle Gordita" fonts and printing on white cardstock:




















Here is the cake.  I made a 12" round + a 6" round cake from 2 cake mixes.  I cut the 6" cake into the tail and feather pieces and attached them with icing on to a 16" cake board.  I outlined all the parts using a #10 tip and then just starred everything with a #18 tip.

Here are the cupcakes for school with toppers that can be printed HERE. 

Here are the favors with tags that can be printed HERE.  The favor bags contain Angry Birds graham crackers, fruit snacks, tattoos, mini frisbees, and disc launchers plus bubble gum. 

He had a blash at his Angry Birds birthday party - yay!

Easter Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for our playgroup egg hunt and for my 4 year old's class.  They were easy and very cute! 

For cakes, I always use Duncan Hines butter cake mix.  To the dry mix, I add one small instant french vanilla pudding dry mix then make as directed (3 eggs, water, 1 stick butter).  Next, bake as directed for cupcakes and let cool. 

For icing, I use Wilton's buttercream recipe.  I change it up some when I am making white icing (see step 4 on the Wilton link) but for any colored icing, I follow this recipe.  I made 48 cupcakes and 2 recipes of icing, which I tinted "leaf green".

I spread a thin layer of icing on the cooled cupcakes.  I placed 2 Cadbury mini eggs on each cupcake, then added grass icing in the middle, and then added the 3rd egg.  Next, I added green icing with Ateco tip #133 to make grass all around the eggs (instructions for grass technique HERE). 

For the preschool ones, I added a bunny topper, placed them in clear plastic cups, and then placed them in cute Easter bags to hand out individually.  Happy Easter!

   

Wario & Waluigi Party

Some things I do for a birthday party could also be used at least in part for a school party.  Not this one!  I tried to talk my new 4 year old into a cute camping themed party at our house but was unsuccessful.  He wanted a Wario and Waluigi party (Mario characters FYI) at the local jumpy place.  So, this post is just for any other poor souls who find themselves planning a Wario and Waluigi party.  There can't be that many of us!

Here's the invitation.  I used Wario & Waluigi clip art and printed the invitation on white cardstock.  I mounted the whole invitation on purple cardstock.  Then I added a 2 1/2" yellow cardstock circle with a 2" picture of my son in a Mario mustache.

These are the cupcakes I made for him to take to school.  I used purple cupcake liners and yellow sprinkles.  Then, I added 2" circles of clipart and text onto 2 1/2" scalloped circles.  I put the circles on 1/2 of a coffee stirrer and put them on the cupcakes.

For the favors, I included Mario stickers, pen, paper, and fruit snacks.  I made mustaches by cutting out black felt into mustache shapes.  I hot glued 1/2 of a black coffee stirrer horizontally on the back and then a whole coffee stirrer vertically for the handle.  I purchased the question mark box download HERE.  I assembled the boxes and filled them with bubblegum and gold chocolate coins.  All of this went into the yellow favor bags with "Game over!  Wii thank you for coming to James' party!" tags and purple tulle.  So fun!

Lastly, I made a Wario and Waluigi birthday cake!  I made a 1/2 sheet cake and covered it in white icing.  I printed coloring pages of Wario and Waluigi.  Then I turned the coloring page upside down and put wax paper on top.  I used piping gel to trace the images onto the wax paper (should be backwards).  Then I flipped it onto my iced cake and rubbed the wax paper to transfer the piping gel image.  Then I filled in all the different colors on Wario and Waluigi.  I added stars, purple writing, yellow border on the top, and purple border on the bottom.  I added gold chocolate coins in between the borders.  He loved his cake and his whole birthday party!

Christmas Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my 1st grader's Christmas Tree party (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON THE WHOLE PARTY).  It was easy to make these pull apart Christmas tree cupcakes!  Frost 2 cupcakes with white icing.  Tint the remaining icing green and frost 16 cupcakes with green icing.  Decorate the tree!  I used mini baking m&m's for the garland and added gumdrops, presents, lights, & a star.  (I found most of that near the gingerbread house materials at Michael's.)  Very cute!



I made these cupcakes for take-home treats for my 4 year old's class.  The idea came from Kara's Party Ideas.  I used red & white snow cupcake liners, white icing, and white snow sprinkles.  I put the old fashioned peppermint sticks (found at Cracker Barrel) in the middle of each one.  I printed the North Pole signs on cardstock and cut them out.  I attached the signs and a red hot with white icing.  I put each cupcake in a red cup and plastic bag and tied them up.  The kids loved them!

Christmas Printables

I've got 2 fun Christmas printables for y'all today!

1. My kids and I always make cupcakes for Jesus' birthday on Christmas Eve.  I made some tags to put on top of the cupcakes this year.  Simply print them, cut out with a 2 inch circle punch, and tape half of a coffee stirrer to the back.  Easy and cute!  Download the cupcake toppers HERE.

2. My kids love to sprinkle Reindeer Food outside so that Santa's reindeer can find them on Christmas Eve.  I make reindeer food by mixing oats with red, green, & white sparkly sprinkles.  Put it in a ziploc bag and attach these cute tags with the poem on them!  Download the Reindeer Food tags HERE.



Cakes

Here are cakes I've made over the years.  I took 1 Wilton cake decorating class and am not an expert, but using shaped pans and star tip, I can usually make something look decent!  So, you can do it too!

Monsters Inc Birthday Party

Race Car Birthday Cake

Pool Party Birthday Cake

Sports/Ball Birthday Party

Frog Birthday Party at Jumpy Place

Monkey Birthday Party

Smash Cake for the 1 Year Old