Craftastic Gifts: Custom Cake Ornament

I am just DYING to share some of the creative gifts I am giving this year, and I can barely restrain myself from spilling all the beans right now! But I will do my best to preserve all surprises until they are received. Even though it is sooooooo hard!

I have one dear friend who I never intend to exchange gifts with, but always end up finding something delightful that I just cannot pass up for her. This year was no exception. She just got married this past August, and we had several discussions about "Our first Christmas" ornaments, and how there just weren't that many cute ones around this year. Or the ones that were just said "our first Xmas TOGETHER," which is not the case. As I was poking around Etsy one afternoon (danger, Will Robinson! Wallet damage likely!) it suddenly hit me.

Backtrack some - this is the couple who had the amazing polka wedding, in which I was a bridesmaid and helped with some of the decorations. Let's call them Mr. & Mrs. A.

Mrs. A & I talk pretty much every day, so I got to have a front row seat to all of the wedding planning, and that made the whole thing just so immensely fun, I felt like I was such a part of it all. As an engagement gift, I had given the couple this adorable little set of wooden German people:



Which the bride fell in love with as much as I had, and decided to put on her cake. The cake was a little non-traditional - a cupcake tower, with big bright pretty cupcakes and a small plain cake on top for the couple to cut.

Well, it was supposed to be plain. A plain white round cake, with a blue fondant ribbon. This is what she got:



She refers to it as a semi-wreck, since the ordered vs. received is so far off. We both laugh about the little small town baker (a 60-something man) looking at the cake and saying "I know they wanted plain, but I just have to add some SPRINKLES!!!!" The shape is a mystery to me, and even the fondant band is crooked! My mother would say "it has character!"



It was still really cute though. And I never fault too many sprinkles, they're like glitter you can eat :)

So anyways, what better icon to symbolize your wedding than your one of a kind half-wrecky, half ADORABLE top tier of your wedding cake? And I knew just the person to immortalize it as an ornament!Remember Kyotosong, who made my little clay mushroom key chains for Halloween? I was really happy with her quick turn around and final products, and I approached her with a proposition to re-create the tier and toppers. She is just AMAZING. Again, she went to work IMMEDIATELY and had the ornament to me in about a week! That is just crazy, especially this time of year, I fully intended to be giving this as a late gift. Instead, I even gave it early!

Tah Dah!



How cute is this little bugger? I've been giggling ever since I ordered it, sometimes finding the perfect gift for someone is just the best way to get in the holiday spirit. And when that gift is a one of a kind and intensely personal, it just feels magical! Originally I had intended to pass this off as her hostess gift for the NYE party they're throwing, but when it came so early I just could not wait to see her open it, and rushed over today on a break. Hope you love it and laugh about it for years to come, A-Family :)