Christmas String Ornaments

These string disks are one of my favorite projects I made for work for Christmas this year. They may even use things you already have around the house (because everyone has adhesive jewels- right?) They're fast and easy to make and are a great idea for an ornament exchange.

These pictures were taken in July-my camera is broken! It's been acting wonky since Halloween and now the lens is down for the count.
Very sad. I have some projects planned but will have to wait to post until a fix is found.

Materials:

• Bakers twine
• Light weight cardboard (from a white gift box or a thick paper plate)
• Adhesive Gems (or sequins or pom poms plus glue-use what you have)
• Pinking scissors
• Optional: Glitter paper/ tacky glue

Trace around a can or lid on the cardboard then cut out the disks.
Trim each disk with pinking scissors.
Tie one end of a length of bakers twine around the middle of the disk with the knot on the "back".
Wrap the twine around the disk, moving from one notch on the top and then to the bottom until the disk is completely filled.
Tie and knot the twine off at the back.
Add an adhesive gem to the front center (and the back if you like) of the disk.
Determine which edge looks best at the top and thread a short length of twine through the string in the notch and tie the ends together to make a loop.

You could also add to the "back side" with a slightly larger disk cut from glitter paper.

Glitter paper doesn't stick well to things - double sided tapes and glue dots haven't worked for me. So far- tacky glue is the only thing that has done the job.

 

 

Surprise Halloween Cake

The first time I made this style of surprise cake, I used a special pan to make the cake balls and colored the batter and baked the cake from scratch and it was a looooong and arduous process.

This time I went for speed: using a cake mix, cans of frosting and candy eyes but most importantly- donut holes or munchkins as we call them in New England. I’m also going to spell them "donuts" here too to be consistent (though usually I spell them doughnuts) because that's how the folks as DD do it and that's where I picked up my donut holes. Let's get started.

 

Materials:

24 donut holes- I bought the pumpkin munchkins from Dunkin Donuts- you could use chocolate or both kinds!

White cake mix (or try chocolate?) and the ingredients the cake direction call for on the box (eggs, oil etc.)

White frosting and chocolate frosting (not shown)

Wilton Candy Eyes (they make several sizes)

Mix and cover

If you make a lot of cakes you probably have a system- I use parchment paper on the bottom of 8” round pans then spray the pans with Canola oil (thank you Traders Joes).

Make the batter according to the box directions (I’m a fan of Duncan Hines).

While the cake is mixing (2 minutes or so), line each pan with 12 donut holes.

Divide the batter in half (I eyeball it- you could measure it).

Add each half of the batter, in spoonfuls over the donuts in each pan-try to not let the donuts touch. 

Bake and cool

Bake according to the box directions or until a skewer comes out clean or/and the cake pulls away from the sides.

Allow the cakes to cool completely then remove them from the pans.

At this point, you can wrap them up and freeze them for a few hours – it makes it easier to handle them and frost them.

When you’re ready --assemble the cake.

I use a cake board trimmed to fit under the cake (mostly because I wanted to use a wire cake stand).

 

Middle Layer Frosting

Add a dab of frosting and set the first cake on the board or cake plate with the bottom side down.

Add the middle layer of (white) frosting – spread it around generously then add the second cake, bottom facing up and give it a firm pat into place (the bumpy tops will sink together in the bed of frosting).

 

 

 

Outer frosting

Continue to frost the outside of the cake with the chocolate frosting –again I make a lot of cakes and invested in this “revolving“ cake stand; you don’t need it but it’s fun to use so-- with or without a stand- frost away.

I usually start at the top and then do the sides.

 

  

      

When the cake is frosted, add the candy eyes- be random and have fun putting them on!

Surprise! It has eyes outside and dots inside.

Enjoy this is cake- it’s fun to cut into and while the textures are slightly different – it really works.

You’re going to ask-- hey- aren’t the donuts dry after being baked? Nope!

Amazing and delicious and great for a special occasion.

Think of the possibilities the next time you’re in the donut hole section of the bakery.