5 must-know tips when planning your child’s party cake!

Choosing your celebration cake for your kids party, Christening or baby shower shouldn’t be hard. Here are some tips to make the process a little bit easier thanks to talented baker Catie of  Sweetly Baked Perth

 

1. Make a wish list

Before you meet with your baker, make sure you have an idea about what you like and what you don’t like. Meeting your baker with a list of what you love, what you like and what you would never ever want, helps with clear communication between you and your baker.

Bring with you decoration designs, invites, colour swatches etc that you’ll be using throughout your celebration to help with design ideas.

Keep in mind though, every baker has their own style and set of design skills and most won’t copy a cake exactly, especially if it is another baker’s hard work and ideas.

 

2. Research

Not all cake makers are the same. Some can create amazing sugar flowers and fondant creations, while others choose to only work with buttercream.

Ask for pictures of previous work, stalk social media and read the comments, look at the cake-maker’s website and see if that particular baker makes cakes in the styles that you like. Send them through pictures of what you like, and ask if they have made something similar beforehand. They will let you know if it’s something they can do.

3. Budget

Consider your budget! Be realistic about what you can and can’t afford.

You might really want that embellished seven-tier cake, but if it doesn’t fit in your budget, don’t be afraid to ask your baker for alternative suggestions that still give a wow factor. A good cake decorator will make helpful suggestions, while still meeting your cake dreams.

4. Flavour

Choose something that YOU will enjoy, not what you think others will like. Most of the time, you’ll end up with leftover cake and you’ll be the one eating it! Double check with your baker if they charge extra for “premium flavours and fillings”. Not everyone does, but it is something to keep in mind.

Most bakers will also offer cake samples/tasting boxes (usually for a fee that is deducted from the total if you go ahead with the order). Take the opportunity to taste cakes and meet with the baker if you can.

5. Something Different

Is someone attending your celebration who might not be into cake? Are you not that into cake yourself?

There are lots of alternative on offer if you’re one of those people. You could go for cupcakes, sugar cookies, baked donuts, bite size brownies, dessert cups.

All these things look and taste delicious and will still give you that awe-inspiring dessert table.

 

Thanks to Catie from Sweetly Baked Perth for these fantastic tips!  As you can see from the images above, her creations are gorgeous! If you’re in Perth you can get in touch with her here!

 

Inspirational Party Desserts

I’ll admit when I am planning my children’s parties one of the things I get the most excited about is the desserts for the celebration! Desserts have evolved so much from when I first started blogging and to see the creativity and art that is being transformed into something edible is truly a feast for the eyes!

Today I’m sharing with you some gorgeous (truly!) desserts and styling by an incredibly talented LLC partner – Katerina of My Petite Sweets in Perth

 

 

 

I am always drooling over what Katerina shares on her social media and I love that she not only can create desserts but she styles beautiful dessert tables:

 

 

How amazing is this Frozen party dessert table? The towers of meringue kisses make a fantastic feature:

 

 

As you can see My Petite Sweets really can bring a party theme to life with the whole setup, props, cake and desserts! Here are more amazing kids party dessert tables:

 

 

 

 

 

My Petite Sweets offers a range of desserts and as you can see the detail in her desserts are truly amazing and she really does take desserts to the next level!

Everything can be custom made to suit the party theme – cake pops, cupcakes, macarons and more! You also receive a special taster box to help you choose your flavours!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Petite Sweets also offer high tea packages which are perfect for adult celebrations, baby showers and kitchen teas! You can relax as everything is setup in your home/venue and your guests can enjoy a charming setting and delicious high tea menu!

 

 

 

If you’re based in Perth – make sure you contact Katerina from My Petite Sweets when planning your child’s next party! If you’re not in Perth but can appreciate amazing desserts then make sure you keep a eye out on the facebook page of My Petite Sweets!

 

 

Flour and Ink combined! Introducing ‘Deliciously Yours’

Today we are meeting Carol from Deliciously Yours who offers a unique service for easy planning for your kids birthday party!

Carol creates custom party stationary AND gorgeous matching cake and desserts (Sydney) . This means everything is coordinated and you only have to deal with one person to create the overall look, feel and theme of your child’s birthday party and have it all come to life in the cake and stationery!

I just LOVE this amazing mermaid cake Carol created:

 

 

 

Carol, tell us a bit about yourself:

I am the founder and owner of deliciously yours. I am a creative spirit, a lawyer and most importantly, a mum. I am passionate about designing and creating – I think it’s one of those things that defines who I am.

 

 

How did you start cake decorating and stationery design?

By accident!  A friend of mine gifted me a cake decorating book for my birthday.  I had never even heard of fondant or ganache at this stage.  I first attempted a cake for my son’s 2^nd birthday and fell in love with the whole process – perfecting the baking and each of the recipes, hand colouring fondant, mastering ganache – and above all, the designing!

 

I kept practising on family and friends until I felt comfortable that my work was up to scratch.  And so, deliciously yours was born.  I was an art student and really missed using my creative side and so deliciously yours has given me the most amazing opportunity to keep using my creative side.

 

 

 

I launched my stationery range earlier this year. I love planning parties for my own family and friends and love the idea of a theme for a party – and it all starts with the invitation.  I love teaming my invitations with a unique cake and party favours, thank you cards or back drop (I’m crazy about this stuff!).

 

 

 

Describe your concept and style

So what is deliciously yours – flour and ink?

The concept is simple – unique cakes + matching stationery. I bake your cakes, I design and print all your invitations and party paper.  You only deal with me and we work together to create something memorable for my clients and their families.

 

 

 

My style is nice clean lines (my cakes have gorgeous razor sharp edges!) and soft colours.  I love modern hand painting and stencilling as well as traditional piping and sugar flowers.

 

Less is more – I like to stick to a couple of simple techniques to let the cake really shine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does a typical day look like? 

My day is filled with meetings and family responsibilities.  My evenings are usually quite relaxed and that’s when I work on my designs or sugar flowers or learn a new technique.

 

 

What is your most memorable project?

My son’s 2^nd birthday cake – it was my first ever attempt at a fondant covered cake and he loved it!  It really made me stop and think about doing this more often and getting better and better.

 

What is your favourite aspect of your job?

I love designing and playing with colour.  Some days its hand colouring fondant, other days its working on a sketch or new colour palette. I often have ideas racing through my head when I talk to a client about their ideas.  I love the collaborative part of what I do.

 

 

What advice would you give to a potential client when planning their cake? 

Start with a theme – whether it’s a colour, texture, character or anything else that represents who they are.  Everything falls in place after that!

Do some ‘research’ to get a feel for what designs they like and what inspires them.  After that, I work with my clients and talk through what the celebration is about, what is important to them and how we can best represent that.

What I love about deliciously yours is that each one of my designs is different. They are unique to my client and what they are celebrating.  I love helping them create that snapshot in time they want to remember forever – whether it’s wedding, 1^st birthday, Christening.

 

 

 

 

Complete this sentence:

“I am happiest when… I am with my 2 little boys.”

 

Thank you Carol for sharing some of your business and inspiration with us as well as advice!

Now if you want a little piece of Deliciously Yours in your own home, Carol has shared her delicious vanilla cupcake recipe with us!

I’m looking forward to giving these a try:

 

Vanilla cupcake recipe (makes 12)

 

 

What you need…

 115g unsalted butter (room temp or warmed a teeny bit in your microwave)

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs (room temp not cold)

3/4 cup milk

1 cup plain flour

1 cup self raising flour

 

What to do…

Preheat your oven to 170 (fan forced).

 

Beat the butter and sugar in your mixer until light and fluffy.  The colour should be nice and pale and the texture almost silky smooth.  On medium to high speed, this usually takes me around 5 minutes.

 

Add your eggs (one at a time) and your vanilla – beating well after each egg.

 

Add your milk and flour alternately and just fold.  If you over mix your cupcakes won’t be nice and fluffy.

 

Spoon mixture into your pretty  cupcake cases.  I use 2 spoons to scoop them in or you can use an ice cream scoop.  Bake for around 18-20 minutes.  Do not over bake or they won’t be soft and scrumptious!

Thank you Carol!

Find Deliciously Your’s on Facebook here  and website here

 

 

Baking & Cupcake Decorating Party Supplies

A cupcake decorating or baking party is a fantastic theme especially for slightly older girls. It provides a fun hands on activity and something they can all eat and enjoy at the party or at home!

Pastel colours work well with this party theme as well as incorporating some sprinkle/confetti party items. It’s also a chance to set up a fun table for the kids to sit and decorate their creations.

I hope you enjoy all the Cupcake Decorating/Baking party finds in this blog post – most of which are from vendors in the Life’s Little Celebration’s children’s party directory. Remember to click on the image to be taken to where you can purchase or order the item from.

 

 

Invitations and Printables

So many cute and pretty invitations and printables to suit a Cake decorating/Baking party:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decorations

A pretty backdrop which could be modified to suit a birthday party:

 

 

 

 

Some hanging decor in pastel colours:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A cupcake garland such as this would be fantastic to incorporate into the decorations:

 

 

I thought this wooden spoon chandelier was such a clever and cute decorating item made by Sweet Bambini Event Styling in this amazing cake decorating party!

 

 

 

 

Tableware

 

A cute cupcake tablecloth for the kids table:

 

 

Or use a pastel tablerunner over a plain white tablecloth:

 

 

There are are sweet party plates perfect for a cake decorating/baking party:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cake and Desserts

If you’re in Melbourne, this is a useful pack with all you need for a cupcake decorating party!:

 

 

These cute DIY Cupcake packs are also perfect for a cupcake decorating party:

 

 

If you want the kids to do some cookie making and decorating at the party then these little cookie bottle mixers are the easiest way to do it as they have all the dry ingredients needed! They are also  the perfect little favours for a baking party:

 

 

These kid friendly cookie and cupcake decorating accessories are great for this party theme:

 

Various tubes and tins which could be used to display the different toppings for decorating:

 

I also love this idea as a way of setting out each cupcake and toppings for each child:

 

 

 

Some sweet cupcake toppers for decorating!:

 

 

I couldn’t do a baking party theme without sharing some fun and cute baking cups and cupcake wrappers you could use!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some fun and pretty items to display the cupcakes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cute little doilies to pop under the cupcakes as the girls decorate them:

 

 

I thought these were some cute candles for the birthday cake!:

 

 

You can find many talented vendors in the Directory to create a Birthday cake or other items for this party (cake pops, macarons etc) such as Miss Shell’s Cakes who made this amazing cake for a cake decorating party. Love all the miniature items!:

 

 

 

 

 

Hire

A fun toy kitchen to hire especially if doing this theme with slightly younger guests:

 

 

As mentioned before – a cupcake decorating/baking party is the perfect theme to set up a cute table for the kids to sit at for their decorating. Here are some of the options available in the HIRE category on the Directory. There are many more vendors in a variety of states – just browse the Directory for more options!

 

 

 

 

 

A pretty pastel ruffled tablecloth which is perfect for a dessert table for this theme! You can also purchase this from Saffy & May, and there are other vendors in other states which hire this item.

 

Some cute cupcake props for hire!:

 

 

 

If you prefer someone else to come and setup and run the cake decorating party for you, then you can find businesses who offer these services for children’s parties! In Sydney, try Sweet Bambini Event Styling:

 

 

Baking Party themed items:

 

Some chef hats and apron options for the guests:

 

 

 

I thought this was such a cute apron – perhaps as a birthday gift for the little girl who loves her baking!L

 

 

Favours

 

Some cute cupcake novelty items:

 

 

 

 

A few cute options for the guests to take their cupcakes home in:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real Parties

I just LOVE this amazing Cake Decorating party by Sweet Bambini Event Styling. Some fantastic styling ideas and inspiration!

A gorgeous and pretty baking party styled by Leanne of Sweet Style

Fabulous bake shop dessert table by Carly of the Creative Journal, on the Amy Atlas Blog

Great tips and ideas in this Cupcake decorating blog post by Linda from Bubble and Sweet

Practical ideas for a cake decorating party for kids as seen in this party on the Bonnie Bakes blog

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I hope you enjoyed all the party supplies and ideas for a Baking party/cupcake decorating party! I’m sure your birthday girl and her friends will have lots of fun with this theme!

 

Pretty Tea Party Theme

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes…

Spring is around the corner and the perfect time to be thinking about a tea party for your little girl. I just adore this theme…the lace, fresh flowers, scrumptious tiny treats served on gorgeous tableware.

This theme is a beautiful chance to decorate with lots of pretty things! If you prefer to HIRE some tableware, check the end of this post for some tea party hire companies!

For help or inspiration for the tea party you are planning please contact me at lifeslittlec@gmail.com for information about my Custom Online party styling services which you can read about here.

To set the scene here are some sweet invitations and printable selections:

 

 

 

 

Decorations for this party are perfect for being used afterward in your daughters bedroom or for future girly theme parties, which make them worth the extra money you spend on them. These shabby chic and floral buntings could be used many times over!

 

 

A few other delightful options:

 

 

 

These fabric chains would look so lovely dangling around your tea party area with its pretty pattern. It’s a unique decoration that your little girl is sure to want in her bedroom afterward!

Could lantern’s get any more sweeter than this?

Love the lace look of this lantern:

This white paper sunburst would look gorgeous contrasted with pink:

If your tea party setting is outdoors these hanging lanterns would really dress up the garden:

For a really personal touch, these custom made fabric lanterns by Whimsy Petite Styling would look just darling for a tea party!

Also adore this custom made party hat also by Whimsy Petite Styling! I saw both these items in a recent feature of a tea party by Whimsy Petite Styling and thought they were just beautiful and love that they can be custom made to work in with the fabrics you are using for your tea party! Watch out for an upcoming blog post featuring this tea party and a SPECIAL OFFER for all of you!

One of the beautiful features at a tea party is the table! So for your table here are a few choices of fabric and paper tablecloth and table runner options which will keep your table looking charming but within budget:

A tea party is a great excuse for you to buy some gorgeous teaware (although if you wish to hire instead, check out the end of this post)! Depending on the age of your little one’s they could use them to drink some refreshments, or you could use them mainly for decoration or as a take home gift with some sweets wrapped inside. You could pile pretty tea cups on top of each other or lay out a full tea set for a beautiful tea party centerpiece. Here is a selection to inspire you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are some cute options which the little one’s can safely drink out of, and which double as a lovely gift for the birthday girl too:

This set comes with this pink cardboard suitcase which also provides a styling idea.

You could use these white vintage suitcases to display an elegant tea set:

A few more options the little one’s will love:

 

Here are some more unbreakable choices for tableware, perfect for little hands. Just because they are paper doesn’t mean they can’t look pretty!

 

Doilies are so sweet to use at a tea party to decorate a table:

Also love this idea of doily placecards:

You could recreate the effect with these plain white doilies:

Nothing says tea party like tiered cake stands! They give such height to a table setting and really display the treats in an irresistible manner!

 

 

Ruffles on a cake stand? Yes please!

These are some great options if you prefer a simple and elegant look which you can work into many different party themes:

And an unbreakable option for those little one’s who still want a tea party but may not be ready for the real crockery:

Besides tiered cake stands you can also fill your table with other lovely tableware for serving your delicacies:

These mini cakestands are just so adorable!

 

Wrap some delicate paper or tie some lace or ribbon around these cones and use them to serve all sorts of treats:

Lovely baking cups for your cupcakes and muffins:

For your main birthday cake, these cake stands are so fitting for a gorgeous tea party and will ensure your cake stands out amongst all the other beautiful tableware that is being used on the day:

A cute cake bunting to dress up a simple cake:

 

Now for some extra special touches for this pretty tea party!

Having a tea party doesn’t mean the little one’s have to drink tea! They could drink an assortment of juices, punches and lemonade. However if they do want to experience a bit of the tea experience, then I love this “She-Tea” junior blend made especially for the little one’s with a natural fruit infusion! It naturally caffeine-free, contains no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, and has no added sugar. These would also make a great take home gift:

A sweet tray to serve drinks from, or to display a tea setting:

Tall candle holders look great on a tea party table and these off white holders would work well with some pink or green candles:

Some special ideas for labeling of your sweets, treats, drinks etc:

 

Just to make your food look even more irresistible are these food flags to sit on your canapes!

A gorgeous tea bag box you could use to serve sweets/lollies in, cutlery or just for decoration:

This collection of wooden serving trays have lovely fabric patterns on them which really dress them up. This is one of many designs they have available:

If you are having a candy buffet then this glass teapot would work well in carrying the tea party theme through:

To add a bit of a garden touch, these grass placemats can be used for centerpieces, a base for a tea set display or as lovely placemats on the table:

Such a beautiful menu card holder  which could be set up to display a menu of the food being served, or a welcome or birthday message:

Lovely vintage teaspoons for the little one’s to use or take home:

Fresh flowers are a must for a tea party! You could display them in pretty floral bowls, coloured glass vases or for a unique look I love this vintage style bottle to hold one or two stems in. A few of these along your table would look divine:

For a pretty unbreakable vase option, this teapot vase (which has a waterproof base) would look so cute on your table!:

An absolutely gorgeous tea cart which would make a stunning feature at the tea party, and could be used to serve food/drink from as well. It would make a lovely item in your garden for after the party as well:

These captivating umbrella’s and parasol’s would dress up the tea party area and could even be hung upside down for a unique decoration. I’m sure the girls will love playing with them too!

 

A lovely garden parasol which you could keep permanently in your garden:

This delicate birdcage would really compliment an outdoor teaparty setting!

Another “wow” factor piece is this pink chandelier. It is just stunning and would look amazing in your home afterward, ensuring that this splurge is well worth it:

These picnic blankets from Amelie’s Room are handmade of quality fabrics. A new range is coming in August and they would be perfect for a tea party setting laid out on the lawn:

These sweet prints would look lovely in your party area!

 

A delightful table setting for your little girl which you could use on the day of the party for her and her friends or to just set up a lovely tea-setting for decoration:

At the end of this divine party here are a few ways the little one’s can take home a bundle of prettiness!

These floral fans are sure to be loved by the little one’s at the party and make a great take home gift:

What girl wouldn’t love a ribbon wand to twirl and dance around with! An enchanting gift that the girls could play with at the party as well:

Or how about these exquisite flower wands? Perfect for a floral tea party:

For favour packaging I love these ideas for the little one’s to take home a sweet treat in:

These gorgeous tapes can be used to pretty up any packaging:

 

Or for the genuine lace look you could use these on your packaging as well as on glass drink bottles etc:

Other delightful items for the guests to carry something enjoyable home in:

Finally just when you didn’t think there could be any more prettiness coming your way, here is some inspiration for a special outfit for the birthday girl to wear on the day of her Tea Party. I adore the collections by Sydney based Tea Princess – beautiful lace, frills, pastel colours and sweet embellishments. Their range does sell out quite quickly however here are a few pieces of their  collection still available in some sizes from their stockists. Keep an eye on their website for their Summer range!

 

Hopefully you have found some gorgeous inspiration for this delicate theme and remember to keep your eye out for our real Tea Party feature for some extra ideas and a special offer for all of you.

HIRE:

If you love the idea of having all sorts of beautiful tableware for the tea party, but prefer to HIRE it for this one off occasion, here are some lovely suppliers I found of tea partyware and/or tea party styling so you can still have a gorgeous tea party but won’t be left with items you don’t think you’ll be needing again.

Perth – Antiquitea

Melbourne – A Vintage Affair

QLD:

Greater Brisbane –

Whimsy Petite Styling

Chocolate 2 Chilli

Fancy Tea

Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Toowoomba + Northern NSW –  Hummingbird Vintage

Adelaide – High Tea at yours

NSW:

Central Coast, Northern Sydney, Newcastle – Vintage Tea Time

Sydney –  The Vintage Kitchen

Unfortunately I could not find these services in Canberra, Tasmania or the Northern Territory but if you know of any places please let me know and I will add them to this list!

I hope your little girl enjoys being celebrated through this pretty theme!