No Cal Confectionery Party Favors

These treats look good enough to eat. Each Delectable party favor ismade from STYROFOAM and topped with a special "icing". Use as place card markers or photo holders.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Products:
  • Ball: 3" (makes one cupcake)
  • Disc: 7-1/2" x 1-1/4" (makes four cake slices)
• Acrylic spackling compound (available at home improvement centers)
• Acrylic paints: white, brown, yellow
• Satin ribbon roses
• Paper doilies, round
• 30-gauge silver wire
• Small photo or place card
• Assorted trims (cupcake only): paper cupcake liner; plastic birthday candleholder; 3/8" wooden dowel, 2-1/2" length; gold foil, 2" square
• Serrated knife
• Old candle
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Wooden skewers
• Glass tumbler
• Disposable palette
• Water basin
• Paper towels
• Small disposable container
• Craft stick
• Spatula or butter knife
• Wire cutters
• Needlenose pliers
• Thick, white craft glue

Instructions:

Cupcake

1. Wax serrated knife blade with old candle for easier, smoother cutting. Form 3" ball into shape of a muffin by cutting a 3/8" slice from the bottom. With a pencil, draw a groove around circumference of ball, 1-1/4" up from flat bottom. Cut 1/4" slices of foam from circumference of ball, cutting from groove down, until ball fits snugly in paper liner. Rub cut edges with sides of a pencil or your fingertips to smooth any rough edges.
    
2. Glue foam cupcake inside a paper liner.
    
3. Transfer 1/2 cup of spackling compound to a small disposable container. Mix in small amounts of water until compound reaches consistency of smooth whipped cream. Tint spackling with paint to resemble icing and mix thoroughly. Spread compound with a spatula or butter knife onto top of foam cupcake. Press a ribbon rose or plastic birthday candleholder into center top of iced cupcake. Set aside to dry.
    
4. Center and glue cupcake on doily.
    
5. For birthday candle, paint wooden dowel desired color. Cut a teardrop-shape flame from gold foil and glue to top of dowel. Insert and glue dowel candle into plastic holder on top of cupcake.
    
6. Cut an 8" length of wire. Form a loose spiral in one end, using needlenose pliers to form initial loop. Press straight end of wire into center top of cupcake; slip place card or photo into wire spiral.

Cake Slice

1. Using a serrated knife, cut foam disc into eight equal pie-shape slices. Begin by cutting disc in half and then cutting each resulting piece in half until eight pieces are formed.
    
2. Insert a wooden skewer into each foam slice to use as a handle while painting. Paint slices desired cake color; stand in a glass tumbler to dry.
    
3. Following Step 3 (in cupcake directions), tint spackling to resemble icing. Spread compound onto top and rounded edge of one foam slice. Press a second slice on top and ice it with compound in same manner. Press a ribbon rose into center top of iced cake slice. Set aside to dry.
    
4. Follow Steps 4 and 6 (in cupcake directions) to add a paper doily and wire holder.
    

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow.  For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.

For more great New Year's Eve party ideas, check out 14 New Years Eve Party Ideas, Recipes, Drinks & Decorations eBook.