Baby Shower Cake: "Welcome to the Nest"

A good friend of mine is expecting her second little girl and the choir threw her a baby shower at church. I think she was a little over the traditional idea that everything for a girl needs to be pastel pink, so I decided to step outside the world of stereotypical baby shower cakes. She likes birds so I decided to do a "Welcome to the Nest" theme. After a quick search on Pinterest, I found this cake and used it as my inspiration. 

Materials needed:

• 2 Cake mixes of your choice (I used a chocolate Duncan Hines mix.)  
• Icing (homemade or store bought)
• 2 boxes of white fondant (You can find this at any craft store.)
• Gel food coloring (I used Wilton . This works much better than the food coloring drops.)
• Wilton Nature Fondant and Gum Paste Mold
• rolling pin or fondant roller
• 2 round cake pans (6 inch and 8 inch)
• confectioner's sugar 
• Roll and cut mat (optional, but helpful)
• Fondant smoother
• a cutting tool with a small, sharp blade. (There are special fondant tool kits that you can buy, but I used the cutting kit that came with my Circuit machine. A small knife or an exact-o knife will work, too, if you're on a budget.)
• Cupcake liners 
• paintbrush
• shaping foam (in the cake aisle)

1. Bake your cake (and cupcakes if desired). I decided to make a small cake surrounded by cupcakes. I used Wilton Color Cups, which I found at JoAnn's (36 for $3.00). The liners are made of foil, so they cook evenly and retain their color while baking. You can even bake them without a cupcake pan.                                                      
2. Let your cake cool completely before transferring to a working surface. Put the cake on top of something that you can move easily (a cake board, a cookie sheet or thick piece of cardboard covered in tin foil).
3. Mix your fondant colors. Divide one box into 4 equal parts: pink, green, brown. Add the left over quarter of white fondant to the entire 2nd box of fondant and color it blue. I am a novice at this, so here is a link to a really great website that explains how to color fondant. Be sure to read all of the tips! 
4. My K-imperfect moment on this cake: I made the mistake of only buying one box of fondant to cover my two tiered cake. So I rolled out the fondant thinly enough to make the circle cover both. If I could do it over, I would have covered each tier individually.
5. Roll out the fondant. Lightly dust your smooth work surface or the Roll & Cut Mat and your rolling pin with confectioners' sugar to prevent sticking. Roll out fondant sized to your cake. To keep fondant from sticking, lift and move as you roll. Add more confectioners' sugar if needed.
6. How big does your circle need to be? The diameter (the distance across) + the height of the cake + the height of the cake + 2 inches of wiggle room.  This means that for a cake pan that is 8 inches across and 3 inches high, you would need (8+3+3+2=) a circle that is 16 inches across.   
7. To move your fondant in one piece, roll it onto your rolling pin and then unroll it over the cake.
8. Smooth out the fondant with a fondant smoother. This is probably the hardest part.   
9. Trim away excess fondant and tuck the ends under the cake gently.
10. Don't worry too much if there are some minor tears or creases in the fondant, especially around the base of the cake. This is a good cake for beginners because there is an easy way to cover these mistakes.

How to make the decorations:

This part is simple, but time consuming. I did this while watching a movie. :-) I didn't finish in one sitting, so I put the pieces that I had finished in a tupperware container until I was ready to decorate.

Use the mold to make the pieces you want (leaves, flowers, branches) by pushing pieces of fondant into the mold. Bend the mold to make the pieces come out and them trim them using your tools. To trim them, I laid them on a piece of shaping foam. (This is optional, but it was nice to have.)

A branch on the shaping foam.

Attach the branches on the cake first. To attach pieces, paint the back of the decoration with water using your (new) paintbrush and press onto the cake. You can use frosting, too, but I thought painting them was easier and I didn't have to worry about excess frosting being smushed out around the decorations. 

The first thing I did was cover any creases or bumps along the sides of the cake. Then add more branches to fill in the gaps. 

The first branches placed to cover the imperfections.

Next, add your flowers and leaves. 

Cover any problem areas first and then fill in the rest.

How to make the bird family:

One of the party hosts had bird napkins that she'd picked up from IKEA, so I modeled the birds (one for each family member) off the napkins. 

1. Roll a ball of fondant into an egg shape in the size that you would like the bird to be. flatten the bottom of the egg so that the bird will stand up.

2. To make the wings, I used the leaf mold and then pinched the end to make it look a bit more pointed. Attach it to the bird with a wet paintbrush.

3. To make the tail, roll out a small rectangle of fondant. Use your cutting tools to add line impints to it to resemble feathers. Attach it to the egg shape in the back with a wet paint brush.

4. Shape tiny eyes and a small beak using leftover fondant. Attach to the face. 

5. To make the nest, make a few brown fondant branches using the mold. Twist them into a nest shape. For the egg you can just roll a small piece of fondant into an egg shape, or use egg shaped candies. Jordan almonds would work well, too, but I didn't want to pay $7.00 for the bag.

  

Overall, I think it turned out very well considering it was only my 2nd time using fondant. Don't refrigerate the cake because the moisture will make the fondant sticky.  

Extra tips and suggestions:

• Use the 40% off coupons to craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby to buy the mold, fondant, and any of the other higher priced items needed to work with fondant.
• If there is a step you don't quite understand, google it. Chances are good that you will find several links and youtube video tutorials that will help you. 
• I love some of the specialty cakes from Publix, like vanilla with strawberry cream filling, that I have a hard time recreating. You can always order an undecorated cake and add the decorations yourself. 
• If you want to make your cake in advance, you can freeze it. Just cover it in saran wrap and, for extra measure, tin foil. De-thaw it to room temperature before decorating. 
• For a really moist, thicker cake I always prepare my cake mix with: 4 eggs, 1 (3.4 oz.) package of instant pudding, 1 1/4 Cups of water, and  1/2 cup of oil to prepare the mix. Add approx. 15 minutes to the listed baking time. (Note: this works really well on chocolate cakes.)   
• Wrap your cake board in wrapping paper that matches your cake if you don't have a pretty platter or cake stand to display it on. 
• If you're making a large version of this cake, follow these rules for stacking a cake.
• This is a link to a chart for the amount of fondant needed to cover other shaped/sized cakes. I think they over estimate the amount of fondant needed, but that couldn't possibly be because they are trying to sell you something, right? 

Why do I do it?

My son does not have a baby book. 

He has a baby book, a wall calendar recapping the major moments of each month, 2 enormous 12x12 scrapbooks that capture every major event from my pregnancy to his first birthday, and this photo growth chart chronicling his first year.  

When I signed up to bring fruit kabobs for my son's Fall party at school, I didn't bring in a pile of fruit on sticks.

I whipped out my drill & the box of Mr. Potato Head parts.

This year at Christmas, I signed up to bring in cookies for the class party. In my book, this doesn't mean bring in a package of Oreos. 

They got personalized gingerbread boy and girl cookies.

(I won't even get started on the things I have already done/made for my daughter.)

The big question that occurs to me when I am recreating valentines from Pinterest at 11:20 p.m. or closing in on my 2nd hour of frosting a birthday cake when I am 39.4 weeks pregnant is simple:

WHY AM I DOING THIS?!?!

It would be easier to buy something cute off of Etsy instead of figuring out how to make ruffle pants for my daughter. It would take a lot less time to order a cake from Publix than make one myself. I realize this. And yet, most of the time, convenience doesn't win. 

Here is why:

1. I like to make things. More importantly, I have a need for things to be pretty. 

2. Nature and nurture: My projects in school were usually amazing, thanks to my mom. My 2nd grade teacher sent us home with a template of a turkey that we were supposed to decorate and bring back to school. Most people came back with popcorn kernels and macaroni glued to their turkey. Mine looked like Abraham Lincoln, complete with a hat and a gold pocket watch. I was raised to do my best and think outside of the box, or as my fellow teachers would say, "Exceed the standard". I want to pass this on to my kids. 

3. I like to save money. Learning how to make ruffle pants or pillow case dresses for the price of fabric and thread saves me roughly $20 every time I want one for Emily. 

4. The little things matter to people, especially kids. The gingerbread cookies above were a huge hit with the 4 year olds. When I unveiled my son's 3D race car birthday cake that I had made for him, it literally took his breath away. 

I will never forget the look on his face. 

     Kids see the time you spend doing something for them and (if you do it joyfully) they appreciate it. I also try to take the opportunity to teach them how important it is to do things for other people. Letting Jacob help me bake the cake we're taking to a friend who just had a baby is more meaningful than grabbing one at the supermarket. 

5. I'm not just making cakes and costumes. I'm making memories. Sometimes they are for other people, but they are also for me. One day I won't remember any of the silly things my kids say on a daily basis or how cute they looked playing together in the sandbox for the first time. And neither will they. At least, not without my scrapbooks. :)

6. I am a teacher. I post my stuff on facebook or this blog to let people see what I can do and be inspired. I love it when people come to me for advice on something they want to learn to make. The best comment I had on one of my creations was "I am totally stealing this!" Almost everything is easier than it looks. 

   For example, here is the race car cake that I made:

 It uses one frosting tip for the entire cake. One.

This is a Winnie The Pooh cake I made for a baby shower.

   It used two different frosting tips. Two. Seriously, with the right cake pan, a box of Duncan Hines, and a pastry bag, you can do this! 

7. Affirmation. I've saved this one for last because it is more of a bi-product than a reason. The older I get, the less important it is for me to hear the virtual applause of my facebook friends. I don't put all of my projects up for display. But if I am totally honest, I can admit that I still enjoy seeing people like something that I have spent a lot of time on. I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with that, as long as it isn't what drives you. 

Five or 10 years ago, the honest answer to the question, "Why am I doing this?" would probably have been "Because I want to be the best", rather than wanting to give my best. 

Ahh, the lessons of motherhood. It is only a competition if you make it one. 

My Bumper Crop

As a first time mommy, I made it my mission to learn everything I could about the thing I feared most: SIDS. I then felt deeply obliged to impart this knowledge to everyone else...whether they wanted to hear it or not. One of the biggest debates that I found on message boards and with other mommy friends was over crib bumpers- to use or not to use? I vote NO. But as my mom says, "You had a bumper and you're still alive."

Regardless of where you fall on the bumper debate, eventually you won't need them anymore. Why did I even have them? Well, with baby #2, I splurged on the perfect bedding set from BRU that cost a small fortune, even if it included multiple items I would never use: bumpers, a diaper stacker (seriously, does anyone use this?), and a window valance. Here is my idea to repurpose these items- remat a picture for the nursery.

I apologize for not posting the actual steps like a good blogger would, with pictures. But I made this before I decided to start this blog. If I get around to framing more pictures, I will update this with pics.

STEPS:
1. Find a great picture. This is my daughter's photo growth chart. It took her picture on her actual birthday in the hospital with a stuffed bear, and then again on the 17th of every month. I made the photo collage on Shutterfly (and paid for it using my Pampers Gifts to Grow On Points). I love this 13 picture option because I could include the pictures from her "birth" day, all 11 months, and then a large picture when she turned 1. This is an 11X14 collage. Nothing against the cutesy month-by-month picture frames you can buy, but I wanted the pictures of each month to be larger than a nickel.

2. I bought a picture frame that included a flimsy, beige mat. If you want to use a frame you already have and don't even want to spend the money on a mat you'll just cover up, you can cut out your own mat out of a t-shirt box, cardstock, or cardboard. Just check and make sure it won't be too thick to close the back of the frame.

3. Then I cut the fabric off of the crib bumpers. Her bedding had a quit pattern, so I had to make sure the colors and patterns lined up.

4.  After arranging and cutting the fabric, I sprayed the mat with a spray adhesive, and attached the fabric. In order for it to stay taught and not wrinkle, I pulled the fabric on the backside tightly and taped it with masking tape. A hot glue gun would work, too.

This probably took me 1.5 hours, start to finish. It might have taken less time, but arranging the quilted patterns took a long time. If you're using a solid material, I imagine it will take about an hour...after the kids are in bed. If you're attempting to do this while your children are awake, give yourself no less than 4 days to complete the project.

Note: It didn't look that pretty on the back side of the mat, but who cares?

I have plenty of fabric leftover to mat other pictures if I feel like it later. Another option is to make a fabric covered cork board or a magnetic bulletin board for their room. :)

So-so sewing

If you're learning how to sew, don't make your first big project a baptismal gown for your daughter, made from the material of your wedding gown.

I heard about this tradition while I was engaged and specifically looked for a wedding dress that would be perfect for me AND the daughter I hoped to have one day. I found a 2-piece ballgown. I saved the heavily beaded top in case Emily wants to wear it one day with a skirt we could have made.

I've attempted smaller projects in the past: pillows that no one would ever see, a Bam-Bam halloween costume that required almost no sewing, a Christmas stocking, etc... But I figured, how hard could it be to sew a dress? The pattern clearly read, "6 Easy patterns in one".

Guess what I found out? There is a BIG difference between "6 Easy patterns" and "Easy to Sew".  I learned this after I had already cut out the fabric pieces from my satin ballgown.

There are so many mistakes in the dress that I made for Emily's baptism. (Yup, baptism- not a dedication ceremony. I'm a crazy Methodist that believes in baptizing at any age, with any amount of water, but that's another blog.)

Anyway, one sleeve is tighter than the other. I had safety pins helping the fit once I put it on her. I was cutting stray threads right up until the moment we walked to the front of the sanctuary. And I was 70% done with the dress before it came to my attention that my machine was actually broken. The timing or something was off, which is why it kept jamming. I finished it with my sister's machine.

I cannot even begin to tell you how many hours over the course of the summer that I spent on this dress. I had no idea how to piece things together, sew a zipper, add hooks/eyes, gather fabric, etc... I learned a lot. But the most important thing I learned had nothing to do with my sewing technique. I learned that I love to sew! 

I firmly believe that you can learn how to do almost anything. (Except math.) It just takes some initiative and time. Over the same summer, I decided to learn some basic embroidery techniques. So I went to the library, got a few books, and after a trip to Michael's, I was set. My first and only project to date: Bloomers for Emily to wear under her baptismal dress. If I messed up, who was going to notice?

I found this "E" through a google search for "E" clipart. Then I copied it to Microsoft Word, enlarged it, and traced it onto the fabric. Then I used 2 different stitches to embroider while I watched tv after the kids were in bed. I am very happy with the end result:

Yes, I know that her baptism was not about what she was wearing, anymore than my marriage was about my wedding dress. Mistakes and all, I'm still glad I made it for her. Now even if she decides on a different wedding dress when she gets married, it won't break my heart because she's already worn it. :)