The Sweetest Cake Not For Eating

Sue, a loyal reader and dear friend, recently sent us the cutest birthday cake project she completed for a big family 80th birthday party! We loved the idea and had to share Sue’s handiwork…

“I wanted to share my 80th birthday cake project for Mary Lou with you. It was a very personal and a really meaningful gift. She loved it! It’s pictures of my dad, her children and their spouses, her step-children and their spouses, all her grandchildren from both sides and her two great-grandchildren – all holding birthday wishes for her.  I walked around Hobby Lobby looking for ideas and ended up with straw wreaths for the lower layers and Styrofoam for the upper couple because they needed to be pretty small.  I covered the rings with batting and pinned it underneath.  I placed the mini lights where I wanted them before wiring the rings together from the underside. 

I had all the family members send me their photo messages online, then had them printed and cut out the people so they looked more like they were actually there on the cake. I backed all the pictures with card stock to make them stand up better and used pearl head pins to attach them to the cake.  After I had all the pictures where I wanted them, I decorated with the beads and flowers.  The idea could really be done a million different ways but getting pictures of all the loved ones with their own message is what makes it so special. We had a big party and presented it to her. The idea could certainly be used for other occasions – hope you like it!”

We love it, Sue! So glad you took pictures and shared with us. Such a personal touch for a big family party, and especially meaningful for those family members who couldn’t be there in person, I’m sure. What an awesome and loving idea… makes us want to reach through the screen and hug all those sweet family members!