{DIY} How to make cupcake toppers!

So you want to buy a PDF/Printable/Print-At-Home Party set off of Etsy but you’re not sure what to do with it?  Fear not…I’m here to help!  For example – how do you make cute cupcake toppers like this out of what a seller sends you?

Easy peasy.  Actually, I’m not sure exactly what the packages look like from other sellers, but this is what I sell and this is how I make a ‘cupcake topper.’

Required/*Optional Tools:

1. White cardstock (available at Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, etc.).
2. A printer (you’re on your own here).
3. Glue or tape (I use hot glue and double-stick tape)
4. Lollipop sticks (4″ is a good size for food toppers)
5. *Scissors or…
6. *Craft Punches (I’ll go into details a little later on WHICH craft punches you need).

If you buy a PDF Print-At-Home Party Set from me, this is what you’ll get: 5 pages of instructions and patterns, all of which you can print over and over again and use however you want. Just don’t give the PDF file away or sell it. I worked hard on it…I’m sure you understand.

This is the instruction page – it gives you some tips on how to use the patterns:

These are my ‘Ghoulish Glam’ patterns that you can cut out with scissors or with a 1.5″ circle craft punch (see below).  It’s much easier/faster/nicer looking with a craft punch.

These are the striped backgrounds, which I’ve made approximately 2.5″ wide.  You can cut them out with scissors, or punch them out with a craft punch.  I use a 2″ craft punch (a scalloped circle), but you can also punch out regular circles, squares, ovals, etc.

The same thing here with the solid backgrounds – I didn’t put the graphics directly on the backgrounds so that you can customize them however you’d like!

And this is the striped pattern that I’ve included as well!  You can cut triangles out of it (3 per page – instructions are on my instruction page) to make a pennant banner, you can use craft punches to make gift tags, napkin rings, cupcake topper backgrounds, confetti, or print them on label paper to make wine bottle labels.  You can also fold them to make place cards, Halloween cards or favor tags.  Or use your imagination because the file is yours to use however you’d like!

Here are some examples that I made using the file!

These are my “Little Monsters” party set, which is the same as the “Ghoulish Glam” set, except the center graphics are different!

So what is a ‘craft punch’ and where do you get it?  Most people would just head down to their local craft store and find them in the paper crafting section (Michael’s, JoAnn’s, etc.).  If you live in Likely, nowhere near a Michael’s, you have to shop online.  I like Scrapbooking Alley.com because they don’t charge tax and have free shipping!  Then you can (usually) find what you need – they seem to be sold out of the 2″ scalloped circle punches right now but I’ll show you the different brands anyway!

• {Click here for a list of places that sell the Uchida of America Super Jumbo 2″ scalloped circle punch.

• And click here for a list of places to buy the EK Success XL 2″ scalloped circle punch.}

What you’ll need is something like this (this brand is EK Success Paper Shapers – but this link will take you to the 3″ size – you need the XL 2″):

There is also the Uchida of America brand (which is what I have – but this link will take you to the Mega size, which is 2.5″ – you need the Super Jumbo):

When buying the Uchida of America brand, they come in lots of shapes and sizes, and here is a handy guide to their sizes:

• Xtra Giga (Blue/green color) is 3.5″
• Giga (Purple) is 3″
• Mega (Pink) is 2.5″
• Super Jumbo (Blue) is 2″ (the perfect size for making cupcake toppers!)
• Extra Jumbo (Yellow) is 1.5″(the perfect size for the center circles for cupcake toppers or napkin rings, etc.)
• Jumbo (Green) is 1″
• Standard (Peach) is .5″

You can also buy punches from a Stampin’ Up demonstrator, if you happen to know one.  Stampin’ Up sells the EK Success brand.

Now how to make a cupcake topper: If you haven’t figured it out yet, I simply punch out the background color (printed onto white cardstock) with a 2″ scalloped circle punch, punch out the center graphic with a 1.5″ circle punch and then tape them together with double-stick tape.  To attach lollipop sticks to the back (I use 4″ and I buy them on eBay), I like to use hot glue.  Easy peasy, right?

And don’t forget, that if you want someone else to make some for you (ahem…me!), then you can buy them from my Etsy shop (I always pay for the shipping)!  My oven is finally fixed, which means that I can bake some cupcakes to photograph my new cupcake topper designs – be on the lookout for new holiday toppers — so cute!!

Happy Halloween!!