Easy Skittles Cakes

I just hosted a Carnival party for my two boys, and they requested separate cakes, so I thought it would be fun to do a number cake for each of their ages. I made a giant 6 and a giant 8, and I covered both cakes with Skittles. The Skittles cakes were a hit!

I started with 2 Duncan Hines mixes (white for the six and chocolate for the eight). I followed the package directions... but I cut the oil in half and subtracted 2 tbsp of water to make the cakes a little more dense and easy to work with.

I found a lot of cake inspiration on Pinterest, but here is how I made mine:

To make the six, I started with two round cakes, cut out the pieces I needed, and "glued" them together with icing. Then, I started making straight lines of Skittles. I covered the tops first, and then I did the sides. It took me about two hours (and a lot of Skittles) to make this cake.

To make the eight, I started with two round cakes, trimmed the bottom and top of the circles where they attach, cut circles out of the centres with a glass, and "glued" the two pieces together with icing. Then, I started making straight lines of Skittles. I covered the tops first, and then I did the sides. It took me about two hours (and a lot of Skittles) to make this cake.

The cakes were time consuming, but they were not difficult at all. I suggest using a good amount of icing and applying the Skittles right away. Also, don't refridgerate the cakes. I put my "eight" in the fridge overnight, and the color of the Skittles faded. The kids didn't seem to mind though!

My boys are huge fans of Skittles, but I think this would be a fantastic cake with M&Ms too! What would you top your cake with?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Carnival Prizes

This weekend, I am throwing a "joint" DIY Carnival Party for two of my boys. I think the kids are going to be excited about all the prizes that they are going to be able to win. Today, I am sharing a "sneak peak" at some of the easy and inexpensive carnival prizes I have purchased and made for the party.

All of the prizes will be displayed in front of a fun "prize booth" backdrop that I created from a dollar store tri-fold and red duct tape. It was a simple DIY project, but I think it will have a big impact. A good backdrop really sets the stage and adds a bit of "polish".

One of the prizes I am really excited about are the pom pom poppers I made from pool noodles, balloons and duct tape. I was able to make a bunch (inexpensively), and I am sure the kids will have a lot of fun with them. You can find the full tutorial for pom pom poppers here.

Of course, I also have a bunch of dollar store goodies. My boys had fun picking out their favorite little treats.

One of the more unique prizes that will be available to be won are these LEGO crayons that I crafted from old, broken crayons. I love how bright and colorful they are, and my boys love LEGO! You can find the full tutorial for recycling crayons here.

Another way to get a lot of prizes without breaking the bank is to buy in bulk and divide up the contents. I bought a large box of sidewalk chalk, and I bagged it up in groups of two. Now I have a bunch of fun prizes for the kids to win.

It's also fun to try new ways to present prizes. I created a fun "prize punch" (from dollar store supplies) for hockey cards. You can find the full tutorial for this carnival prize punch here. I have been making these prize punches for years, and they are always a highlight of my boys' parties.

Finally, a party isn't a party without some sweet treats, and these little containers of candy make perfect prizes. I purchased big bags of candy, and then I packaged them in little condiment containers. Cute, right? With these little containers, a few bags of candy can be turned into a large number of treats.

I can't wait for all our little party guests to win some of these carnival prizes. I wonder which prizes will be the biggest hits. Do you have a favorite?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS (Here is the link to all the other DIY carnival party details.)

DIY Circus Party... with easy and inexpensive DIY details

A couple of weeks ago my son turned six, and he requested a Circus party... and I love a good DIY birthday party! Today I am sharing all the easy and inexpensive DIY details that made the party special.

We had 20 kids, and a ton of fun.  My birthday boy started the day with a special pancake breakfast, and then it was on to the party.

The Cake is one of my favorite parts of any birthday party.  The one I made was super easy -- using straws, a paper carousal top, and some animal cracker cookies.  I also made some fun, colorful "balloon" cupcakes.

And... what is Circus/Carnival party without a table of treats.  Check out the Concessions Table we had.  Not surprisingly, it was a big hit with the kids!  {I probably should have put tooth brushes in their loot bags.}

Of course... we had a few Party Favors -- Clown Noses and Ring Master Mustaches {cut from black paper and taped onto popsicle sticks}.

And... finally, we had the Midway.  You can find a full list of the games here, but I have included a few highlights below.

I think that paying attention to the details is more important than spending a lot of money.  Every aspect of this party is something that truly is DIY.  I hope it inspires you to throw a circus party for your little clown.  :-)

My boys and their friends had a fantastic time at this Circus party. It's a super-fun (and easy) party that is fun for kids of all ages.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Looking for more DIY party inspiration? Check out my super fun carnival party here.