Bow Tie Cupcake Toppers

Bow Tie Baby Boy shower themes seem to be a new trend these days! I was so excited when my friend Hannah contacted me about making some bow tie cupcakes for her sister's baby shower! She sent me the shower invite for color inspiration and I absolutely fell in love! I think it's because her colors for the shower featured some of the same colors...green, blue and orange that we are currently decorating our nursery in for the arrival of our little boy in just over a month!

Unfortunately I didn't snap photos of the step-by-step process of making these bow ties but the they are super simple.

Bow Tie Supplies:

-fondant (tinted in the colors of your choice)
-a 1.5" square cutter
-a round cutter (I used the end of a decorating tip)
-a Pastry Wheel
-fondant roller & cutting mat
-paint brush
-water

1.Tint fondant desired colors.
2.Roll out colored fondant using fondant roller on cutting mat.
3.Use 1.5" square cutter to cut out square shapes.
4.Use your pastry wheel to cut diagonally through your square shapes to make an "X". This will create 4 triangles within the square and give you 2 bow tie shapes.
5.Pull apart the triangle shapes opposite each other to use for a single bow tie.
6.Place triangle shapes tip to tip with a little space in between.
7.Cut out your round fondant shapes to create the center of the bow tie.
8.Using a small dab of water and your paint brush place water on the triangle tips of each bow tie and place the round circle on top. Allow to try overnight.
9.Once fondant bow ties have hardened then place on top of cupcakes.

If you want to create some custom bow ties with different patterns such as stripes or polka dots then start by rolling out white fondant and making the bow ties following the steps above. To paint designs on them you will need a little vodka, color gel and a paint brush. Put a small dab of color gel on a paper plate and add the tiniest drop of vodka to the color and mix with your paint brush. Then start drawing your patterns on the bow ties. The vodka/gel mixture will dry overnight and you will have some super cute bow ties!

I was thrilled with how these turned out and just couldn't help snatching a ton of pictures! Hope you enjoy! I definitely think I'll be using the bow tie theme sometime in the near future with a party theme for our little boy!

Ombre Red Velvet Cupcakes

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and I've got the perfect sweet for you to share with your loved ones this year! Decorated with ruffles in shades of pink to red, these are a fancy version of your typical Red Velvet Cupcakes. I've also swapped out the traditional cream cheese icing for a white chocolate buttercream which I think you are going to LOVE! These are absolutely delicious and a must make for your sweetie!

I have been dying to try the ombre technique ever since I came across these stunning cakes over at Half Baked last year. I knew February would be the perfect month to have some fun with various shades of icing and my piping tips!

Although the various shades and layer upon layer of icing may appear a bit intimidating these cupcakes really are super easy to make! I'm sharing the recipe and all the tools & tips you will need to recreate this decorating technique over at Half Baked!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Have you ever decorated something sweet with the ombre technique...I'd love to hear all about it!

XOXO