marshmallow cupcake-on-a-stick tutorial

food on a stick.

this is comes very naturally for me, given i grew up in the great state of iowa, home to the iowa state fair, known for [insert food item here]-on-a-stick (deep-fried, if you're lucky)! some of the interesting ones lately:

1. deep-fried pickle on-a-stick
2. deep-fried twinkie on-a-stick
3. deep-fried snickers candy bar on-a-stick
4. tiramisu on-a-stick
5. salad on-a-stick
6. pork chop on-a-stick, etc.

so, why not a faux cupcake on-a-stick???  these are sweet to look at and sweet to eat (and lots of fun to make)!  perfect for a cupcake-themed party!

what you'll need:

• marshmallows, white and/or pink.  we used one 10 ounce bag of each which yielded about 80 cupcakes-on-a-stick.
• almond bark (vanilla and chocolate).  we used 1/2 a package of each.
• lollipop sticks.  we used the 8" sticks.  got a pack of 100 at michael's (with my 40% off coupon, of course).
• multi-colored jimmies (sprinkles), nonpareils, or other small decorations
• small candy to use for the topper (mini m&m's would work well).  i found easter sixlets that worked perfectly!
• piece of styrofoam to hold sticks upright while cooling.

enough of the prep...let's get to the fun!

step 1:

put marshmallows on your sticks.  make them as straight as you can.  i pushed mine about 90% through. 

you could stop here...this is cute as is!

step 2:

melt almond bark.  before you open the package, tap on the edge of counter to break it into smaller pieces.  it'll melt more evenly.  put about half of the package into a microwave-safe container.  a glass measuring cup worked well.  it's not as shallow (for dipping) and had a handle for gripping your hot bark.  make sure your spoon is completely dry.  moisture will cause your bark to clump or separate. i micro'd on 70% power for 30 seconds at a time until smooth.  don't over heat!

step 3:

the fun part!  dip your marshmallows.  dip about 1/3 to 1/2 of the marshmallow into the bark.  while holding in container, spin gently to remove excess bark, then spin as you turn right-side-up (not necessary, but makes a cute twist on top!) 

ready to take the plunge!

post-dip, letting excess drip away

the twist!

step 4: 

decorate!  sprinkle your decoration of choice.  add the pretty candy (sixlet or m&m) to the center.

i love this action shot!

the fallen soldiers

step 5:
poke sticks into your styrofoam to cool.  and take some pics of them all lined up and pretty!

optional step 6:
place in treat bag and tie up with coordinating ribbon.  so sweet!

cupcake party pennant banner

we are in full swing party mode at my house! once again, with inspiration from the craftblog world, we (my awesome husband and i) created this uber-adorable pennant banner for maeve's 5th birthday party.

the banner taped to the wall, just to see how it looks

it was so simple. the penants measure 6" x 9" which allows you to easily cut three pennants from a 12" x 12" sheet of scrapbook paper. i used a textured paper which was a bit thicker than cardstock in the party colors.

we added a top border using a coordinating scrapbook paper and fancy decorative edge scissors (i love these). it's attached with adhesive on a roll. trim the excess flush with your pennant. we did have to splice a few, but you won't notice when it's hung on the wall. tip: if you use 12" x 12" paper, make the dimension of the top of the pennant 5 1/2". this way you can utilize the full 12" length of border paper.

i free handed the letters, but you could easily use a font from your computer. tip: use the 'mirror image' option (found in the printer preferences) and print on the back of your paper. then simply cut the letters out! viola! no lines on the front!

tip:  create your own coordinating cupcake invites with my simple tutorial here.

see the birthday girl in the background!

ribbon was on sale 3/$1 last weekend, so that is what i used to hang the banner. the pennants are attached to the ribbon with scotch tape.

we had 4 pom giant poms hanging from the ceiling: 2 pinks, one lime, one purple.  they are an awesome inexpensive splash of color!  each cost only $1.  there are a zillion online tutorials for making them yourself.  maybe i'll be a zillion and one.  ;)  stay tuned.

btw, maeve approves of the final product!

Melissa K. Hoy Jewelry Designs - Giveaway!!!

remember my post about my super-friend melissa and her fab 'wearable art'? you fell in love, didn't you?  you're in luck because sarah at northwest hospitality is giving away a $50 gift certificate to melissa's etsy shop!  you only have until the end of this week to leave a comment to enter...so go...now...you're still here...go....(this is the only time i'll shoo you away, i promise!).