I rarely sew. When I do, the results tend to be comical. Picture uneven hems, knots where there shouldn’t be knots, and thread stuck in the sewing machine. But a few stitches I can handle. And, I just re-took up needlepoint, which I find much more manageable than creating fashion or awe-inspiring home decor.

These stitched yarn monogram cupcake toppers are well within my range of do-able, because they are that easy to make. Use these to personalize cupcakes or to spell out a message. Or to write whatever your heart desires.

to make yarn monogram cupcake toppers…

you will need:

yarn

tapestry or embroidery needle

cardstock with a good thickness

white mailing labels

scissors

pencil

lollipop sticks

 cupcakes

what to do:

First, cut the cardstock to the size topper you want. I made rectangles 1 1/2 inches by 2 inches. Lightly sketch a letter in pencil. Thread the tapestry needle with the yarn and sew on the paper to cover the pencil. TIP: It helps to poke holes along the letter first where you want to sew. When the letter is finished, cut a piece of mailing label to cover the ends and attach the lollipop stick on the back. Stick in a cupcake and serve.

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Geez, I’ve done a lot for Spring in the past few years. Which is funny since I much prefer Winter. I know, I know, I’m the lone person out there for whom this is true. But snow is so dang pretty, I never tire of it. Just wish we actually got some this year. And I’m the type who doesn’t want the cold to end, I want to wear sweatshirts and sit in front of a fire. And the world is just quieter in winter, and gosh I like the quiet. And… enough longing for Winter. I need to psych myself up for Spring. Above are vegetable garden cookies. Ha, as if I actually “garden.”  As always, you’ll find everything seasonal in the Seasonal button up there, but below I’m linking to a few of my favorites.

I noticed a few themes in the collection. Each one is pretty predictable.

Cherry blossoms, of course, since I live in Washington DC and all. Cherry blossom cookies, painted cookies in cones, cherry blossom marshmallows, painted cherry blossom cookies.

Birds!   Bluebird brownie pops, poured sugar birdie cookies, painted birdhouse cookies, chicken (or hen?) cake pops.

Bugs! Bug marshmallow pops, butterfly cookies, bug topper printable on Oreo Cakester petits fours, bug cookies, easy Starburst dragonfly toppers, fondant bugs.

And of course, flowers.  Felt flower cupcake toppers, gerbera daisy cookie pops, carnation cookie pops, bite-size daisy cookies, how to make a flower cookie arrangement, springtime marshmallows.

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Feel free to share (nicely)! While my blog's photographs and text are protected by copyright, I do allow (and encourage) you to share ONE photograph with credit to "the decorated cookie" and link to this blog post. PLEASE don't reprint any part of the blog post and PLEASE don't post a photo without credit. Thank you!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Melissa, Amber, Mikey, Stephanie and Carla! Their comments (numbers 5, 64, 65, 44 and 7) were randomly drawn to win and their prizes are on the way…

I know, it feels almost too early for Halloween, but the eerie chill you feel (right? that’s what I was going for) is actually meant to celebrate the almost-release of the 3D stop-motion family film, ParaNorman, from Focus Features, opening August 17. Focus Features asked me to help spread the word via sweets, and how can I resist this awesome combination of kid fun, dessert and movies? They created an uber-fantastic, supernatural decorating kit so you could create your own themed desserts. Scroll to the end to enter the GIVEAWAY!!!

ABOUT THE FLICK:

Before you do anything, watch the hilariously creepy trailer:

Quoted from Focus Features: “The film ParaNorman follows Norman, a misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead and his adventures as he takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups, in order to save his town from a centuries-old curse.  The film is rated PG and from the makers of Coraline.  It promotes the positive message of embracing the qualities that make each of us unique and not to shy away from our gifts, like the tagline says, ;You don’t become a hero by being normal.’ Leslie Mann, John Goodman, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck and Kodi Smit-McPhee lend their voices to the film.” Read more about the film HERE.

THE DECORATING KITS and WHAT I MADE:

Each kit includes: ParaNorman cupcake liners with character cupcake picks,  edible frosting toppers, and a custom-made ParaNorman cookie cutter.

I made some cookies on a stick with the cookie cutters, and given the film’s subject matter, I feel entirely OK about the whole head-on-a-stick thing. By the way, that red felt tie is supposed to represent Norman’s sweatshirt. I also used the edible frosting toppers to make cookie pops. And I used the cupcake liners and picks to make some neon green cupcakes oozing blood.

To make the cookie pops, I made my cookie dough, chilled, rolled out and cut out 2 1/2-inch circles for the frosting topper cookie pops and used my Norman cookie cutter to make Norman. For cookie pop how-tos, click here. I prepared my royal icing, divided and tinted using my Americolor Soft Gel Pastes (Bright White, Super Black, Peach, a mix of Sky and Royal Blue, and Chocolate Brown). To make Norman, I prepped decorating bags with couplers and size 1, 2, and 3 tips and piped my decoration. For the circle pops, I outlined each circle with white and flooded with white icing. (For basic cookie decorating how-tos, click here and to find supplies, click here.) Then I let the flooded icing dry overnight. I brushed the surface of the cookie with light corn syrup, then gently placed a frosting topper on top and smoothed with my fingers.

To make the cupcakes, I simply prepared white cake batter from a mix, and added some Electric Green Americolor Soft Gel Paste. I made some frosting, tinted it with the same Electric Green, and used a decorating bag with size 1M  tip to pipe the frosting on the cupcakes. Then I put some strawberry preserves in a decorating bag, snipped the tip and piped “blood” on the cupcakes. Insert the picks, and that’s it.

THE GIVEAWAY!!!

 Leave me a creepy comment (a non-creepy comment works, too) here before

Sunday August 12, midnight EST

and FIVE of you will be randomly chosen to win a

ParaNorman decorating kit.

Winners must have a US address.

Winners have 48 hours to respond after being notified before another name is drawn.

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So summer is definitely here, according to the outdoor thermometer that is currently reading 96.6 degrees. I’m a mess in the heat. Crabby (oh, hey, that’s a good word considering this post), irritable, complainer of heat I am. Griper of A/C turned up too high. Groaner at the hair frizzing humidity, the sweat causing blazes, the… I could go on ’til Fall.

Luckily, I’ll most definitely be escaping to the beach this summer. Also luckily, my family is from the New Jersey shore. No, not the Snooki, group house, beer pong, night clubbing shore (though the area is not without such things), but the lovely town of Sea Girt. While it has changed dramatically since I was a kid, what with the sky rocketing property values, cottages razed for lot-sized mansions, and the like, it’s still an oh so lovely town. Our roots run deep in this place, as my great grandfather was the lighthouse keeper.  If you scroll down this page, my great grandfather is the man holding his cap, William Lake, and the boy with Edith is my grandfather, “Toots,” who would later rescue survivers of a fire that brought down a luxury liner, the Morro Castle, off the shore.  (And you’ll recognize my name,  or rather, my last name, as my brother is recognized, too.)

But I digress from gumdrops and cupcakes. I made these crab and fish cupcake toppers for my demo and book signing last weekend, and they seemed to be such a hit, I thought I’d share the how-tos with you.

To frost the cupcakes, I just filled a decorating bag fitted with a size “1M” tip with blue frosting and piped swirls. For the sandy cupcakes, I frosted the cupcakes with brown frosting and dipped the tops in light brown sugar. Then I topped with candy and instant beach scene.

how to make gumdrop crab and fish cupcake toppers

you will need*:

large gumdrops (2 red for each crab and 1 of any color for each fish)

rolling pin

wax paper

granulated sugar

1 1/2-inch oval or circle cookie cutter

scissors

Twizzlers Pull n’ Peel licorice

candy eyes

light corn syrup

*Find the cookie cutter in the craft store or cake decorating store, likely as part of a set. Find candy eyes in the craft store, or, find them online.

to make the crab

Roll out two red gumdrops on a piece of wax paper dusted with granulated sugar. Use more sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Cut out two red ovals.

Snip 6 pieces, about 1 1/2-inches long, of red licorice from the Twizzlers. Smush them into the top of one gumdrop oval, using dabs of light corn syrup if needed to stick.

Top the gumdrop and licorice with the other gumdrop oval and smush a bit. Add two candy eyes on top, using dabs of light corn syrup as glue if needed.

to make the fish

Roll out a gumdrop on wax paper dusted with sugar just as you did for the crab. Use scissors to cut out a fish shape (or, if you have a mini fish cutter, even better, I just don’t have one. I don’t think. I probably do somewhere.). Add a candy eye, using a dab of light corn syrup as glue if needed.

To put the fishy on a pole, I threaded an embroidery needle (or any needle with a large eye) with a piece of baker’s twine, pushed through the fish and tied a knot, then tied another knot around the end of a lollipop stick.

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Like many, I have an affinity for fairy woodland gnome toadstool fawn forest type scenarios. Something about the combination is so very earthy and retro and magical. These fabric cupcake wrappers were inspired by the sculptable frosting figures created by my friend Cheryl at Sew Can Do. (Teaser: Cheryl will be guest posting on Thursday to show you how to make sculptable frosting cupcake toppers!!).

I  immediately envisioned her sugar figures atop cupcakes, and I did something I don’t often do… go for fabric. Sewing and me, we don’t match seamlessly (pun totally intended, pretty good one, right?). But sewing and Cheryl, perfect together. So she inspired me in two ways today.

I bought these gnome, deer and evergreen tree cupcake toppers from the Layer Cake Shop. I made chocolate cupcakes, topped with chocolate buttercream and crumbled, chocolate cookies, and popped them in the wrappers.

to make woodland cupcake wrappers

you will need*

felt (two shades of green, red and white)

cupcake wrapper template

paper

sharp scissors

glue

cupcake toppers (or, Cheryl’s toppers)

*A good quality, sturdy felt is best for wrappers. I got mine from Wool Felt Central. Because felt can be a pain to glue, a tacky glue is best. For the cupcake wrapper template, there are plenty online (such as HERE at Skip to My Lou), or just copy the one found at the back of Sugarlicious, since I’m assuming you own Sugarlicious.

step one: cut out the felt

Print or trace the cupcake wrapper template on a piece of paper, cut out and use as a template to cut out felt. Either pin the template to the felt, or use a pencil or sewing pen to trace on the felt. For each grass wrapper, cut out one dark and one light green. For each toadstool wrapper, cut out one red.

step two: cut out the embellishments

For the grass wrappers, take one of the shades of green and cut out grass as shown. For the toadstools, cut out circles in various sizes from white felt.

step three: glue it all together

Overturn the grass felt and dab glue all over the bottom and each of the blades. Carefully layer over the other shade of green cut-out wrapper and press. Let dry. Glue the white dots on the red cut-out wrapper, and let dry. When dry, dab glue along one end of the wrapper, overlap the other end, press to seal, and let dry completely.

step four: add your cupcakes

Pop in a frosted cupcake and add your toppers. To make the edible, sculptable frosting toppers, check back on Thursday when Cheryl stops by for a visit.

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Feel free to share (nicely)! While my blog's photographs and text are protected by copyright, I do allow (and encourage) you to share ONE photograph with credit to "the decorated cookie" and link to this blog post. PLEASE don't reprint any part of the blog post and PLEASE don't post a photo without credit. Thank you!