Sweeten Any Celebration with Fun to Make Styrofoam Ball Cupcakes

July 30, 2010 by Jessica Christman  
Filed under Kid's Arts and Crafts, Party and Special Occasion, Winter Crafts

4 Comments

If you’re looking for a unique and sweet decorative touch for an upcoming bridal or baby shower or are itching to get a jump-start on holiday crafting, these easy to make Styrofoam cupcakes are sure to satisfy. You don’t need to be a pastry chef to whip up a batch of these tempting treats for the eyes. The best part? They’re 100% calorie free, so you can indulge to your heart’s content.

Things you need:
2 ½” Styrofoam Balls
Heavy-duty foil cupcake liners
Iridescent White Soft Snowflakes
Berry Spray (color of your choice)
Craft Glue
Paint Brush or Foam Sponge Brush
Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Scissors
Ribbon or decorative string for hanging
Skewers or Dowel Rods

Things to do:
1. Press a dowel rod into each Styrofoam ball, and coat a little more than half of the top of the ball with a generous layer of craft glue.
2. Roll the glue-coated Styrofoam ball in a shallow pan filled with artificial snowflakes, then use your fingers to press the flakes securely to surface. Tap gently to remove excess flakes, and prop in a coffee can or mug to dry. Try to wait patiently because if you try to glue liners on before the styrofoam balls dry, the sides won’t stick. If you are having little hands help you with this project… they will LOVE this step!
3. After glue sets and dries, add a generous dollop of hot glue to the bottom and the top inside of each foil cupcake liner and press the Styrofoam ball in firmly. Be sure to carefully press the sides of the foil so the liner is tightly glued on. Also, keep in mind that you may not want to push the styrofoam ball down too far or the bottom will curve and your cupcake will not sit flat, (not a big deal if you’re planning on hanging them though.) If you are having little hands help you with this project… be sure to only have big-kids or adults handle the hot glue step.
4. Snip the berries from the branch, leaving about an inch of stem, and cut lengths of ribbon or decorative thread for hanging. Add a dollop of hot glue to the top of each Styrofoam ball, pressing the tails of the ribbon (if you are wanting to hang your cup and berry into the Styrofoam. You can also flip your cherry around with the step showing upwards to make it look like a cherry stem! Allow to dry thoroughly before displaying.

Tip: For mini cupcakes, use 1 ½” styrofoam balls and mini cupcake liners.

You can also try making your cupcakes a little more retro by gluing your styrofoam balls to galvanized tart pan to the bottoms instead of the cupcake liners. Use a 3″ tart pan with a 3″ styrofoam ball for a large cupcake or use a 2-1/4″ tart pan with a 1-1/2″ styrofoam ball to create little mini cupcakes!

Create a mouth-watering centerpiece by dangling these sweet decorations from a table top ornament tree, or make a sweet bouquet by inserting dowel rods into the bottom and displaying in a festive vase. While you’re at it, be sure to make an extra baker’s dozen to share with family and friends.

Photo Credits: Bake it Pretty