When you think about cakes and other desserts, you probably think of delicious, edible treats for special occasions. However, cakes are not all about flavor (even though having good flavor is definitely an important factor). The vast majority of cakes are made for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. Consequently, the appearance of the cake can be just as important, if not more important than the actual taste. For this reason, many people turn to inedible cake toppers made from cardstock.
So, how can cardstock be used for cake toppers? What are the benefits of choosing cardstock over other materials? What are the best kinds of cardstock for cake toppers? How can you make a cake topper out of cardstock? What is a cricut machine and how does it work for cardstock cake toppers? Finally, where can you find high-quality cardstock to make beautiful cake toppers of your own?
In today’s guide, we will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s look at some of the most common reasons that people choose card stock for cake toppers:
Why Use Cardstock For Cake Toppers?
At the risk of belaboring the point, it may seem odd to choose non-edible materials for cake toppers. However, the truth is that most cake toppers are made of inedible products. For example, many cake toppers that display numbers for birthdays or anniversaries are made of plastic, while candles are typically made of wax. However, you can use virtually any material to make toppers, as they are often removed before the cake is actually cut into pieces and eaten.
DIY cardstock cake toppers are an increasingly popular option for specialized cakes. So, what makes cardstock a good choice for cake toppers? Here are just a few reasons to choose cardstock over other options on the market:
- Malleability – Though thicker cardstock is generally recommended for cake toppers, you can choose the cardstock thickness that best fits your needs. Thinner cardstock is easier to bend into different shapes and designs, making it better if you really want to get creative.
- DIY Options – In addition to being more physically malleable than plastic or other materials, cardstock also offers a wide range of options for DIY enthusiasts. You can use cardstock to spell out words of congratulations or similar messages that match the intent of your cake, as well as the tone of the event. With cardstock, you can turn virtually any message into beautiful cake toppers!
- Affordability – Party stores often have cake toppers for sale, but not always at good prices. The premade designs and materials greatly increase the cost to manufacture each topper, and those additional expenses are passed on to you. With cardstock, you can get tons of material in bulk at discounted rates to make your own DIY cake toppers for a fraction of the price.
- Easy Positioning – Some cake toppers are too heavy to place at the peak of a tall cake, while others may have awkward designs that do not work well with a wide variety of cake styles. Fortunately, cardstock is easy to position just about anywhere on the sides or top of your cake. Even thick pieces of cardstock can be cut and shaped to fit on your cake.
- Simple Removal – Finally, like every inedible cake topper, you will need to remove your cardstock cake topper at some point to actually divide and eat your cake. Some cake toppers have to be stuck deep into the center of the cake, making them a little bit difficult and messy to remove. Alternatively, cardstock can just be pulled straight out or lifted off of the surface without taking away any of the cream or frosting.
The Best Cardstock For Cake Toppers
As previously mentioned, thicker cardstock is generally best for cake toppers, though cardstock thickness is not the only factor to consider. Thick cardstock for cake toppers is stronger and will not lose its strength when exposed to moist materials or low temperatures. For example, if you need to refrigerate your cake for a few hours or even a day or two before an event, thick cardstock will not be negatively affected by the sudden temperature change.
However, if you want to save on the cost of your cake toppers and you do not need strong, resilient toppers, you can opt for thinner products. Just remember that they should be applied as close to the actual event as possible. In other words, if you plan to present your cake at a certain time, you should apply thinner cardstock cake toppers an hour or two beforehand so that they do not get moistened by the cake before people have had a chance to see them.
Nonetheless, we still recommend a thick cardstock product for cake toppers. This way, you won’t have to worry about when or how your toppers are applied. You can just design your entire cake, and then set it and forget it!
How To Make A Cardstock Cake Topper
There are virtually limitless ways to make a cardstock topper for cakes. That said, some of the most common and popular designs only require a little bit of time and preparation. If you have skills with arts and crafts, even better! So, let’s take a look at how to make a few different kinds of cardstock cake toppers:
- Cutout Writing – Most cardstock cake toppers involve words or numbers. For example, you might want to have your cardstock read “Happy Birthday!” or simply “20” for a couple’s 20th anniversary. Either way, you can write and cut out the letters or numbers in one of two ways. You can use “hollow” writing, wherein the letters and numbers are cutout of the material. This allows light to shine through the spaces and make them readable. Alternatively, you can cut out the excess material from your writing to make solid letters and a more traditional written cake topper.
- Fun Characters & Objects – Not all cake toppers need to convey a message. They can also be about having fun and making a beautiful cake. For example, for a kid’s party, you could create fun characters like mermaids, fish, and clams. To enhance the artificial environment, you could also make cardstock cutouts of algae and bubbles. This way, your cake will display a fun, beautiful, underwater environment!
- Themed Additions – Lastly, many cake toppers are simply additions that help make a themed or specialized cake even better. For example, unicorn cakes are extremely popular for kids’ birthday parties. However, to make a great unicorn cake, you need cake toppers to recreate the unicorn horn and ears. These can easily be fashioned out of colored cardstock.
Using A Cricut Machine To Make Cardstock Cake Toppers
If you are not familiar with cricut machines, they could become the most important tool in your DIY arts and crafts arsenal. Essentially, a cricut machine is an electronic paper cutter that can create customized cutouts based on your specifications. Cricut cardstock cake toppers often look like professionally-made products, which can greatly improve the visual appeal of your creation!
Ready to create your next cake topper using cardstock? If so, be sure to check out our high-quality cardstock products on Fine Card Stock today, and let us know how you put our cardstock to good use!