For the next instalment of our birthday craft series, Artist Celine Chia shares with us some paper birthday cake craft ideas, and how to create your own customised birthday cake.
This DIY Paper Birthday Cake Craft can be done within 1.5 hours and it’s a perfect personalised gift idea for your special someone celebrating their upcoming birthdays.
Table of Contents:
Materials needed for Paper Birthday Cake Craft:
- A4 Coloured Construction Papers (160 gsm)
- Crepe Paper (Orange for the candle flame + one more colour of your choice)
- Scissors
- Super Glue
- Compact Disc (CD)
- Cardboard
- Pencil
- Permanent Marker
- Eraser
- Straw
The following image is the layout of the dimensions and instructions for the Paper Birthday Cake Craft:
*Note that the height of the top half is 10cm, and the bottom half is 9cm*
Here are the steps to create your own Paper Birthday Cake Craft:
Firstly, we start off by placing the CD on a piece of cardboard and use the pencil to trace out the circular outline (diameter).
Next, card out the disc-sized cardboard, this represents the base of the cake.
Following that, using the base as reference, we trace out another circle slightly bigger than the disc-shaped base on construction paper. In this case, the dimensions need not be too exact as we will be folding in the excess portions.
With reference to the image above, use pencil to draft out the lines from the diameter of the base to the end of the circle. You may refer to the image below for a clearer depiction.
After drafting out the lines, we proceed with cutting along the lines. You should derive something similar to the image below.
The next step involves folding the excess flaps and sticking the flaps around the disc-shaped base using super glue. You should get something similar to the following image.
You may choose to cover the white area of the base by cutting out a smaller circle using the same construction paper and sticking it to the base. There we have it, done with the base of the cake!
Let’s move on to the ‘body’ of the cake next. Plot out the dimensions of the ‘body’ according to the image above, on a piece of A4 Construction paper.
You should get something similar to the image above. Remember to take into account the 2cm allowance from the bottom and from the left side of the paper.
The next few steps can be seen from the time lapse below. The time lapse begins after Artist Celine Chia has cut the paper into 2 halves. (from the image above)
The top half of the paper will be used to wrap around the ‘body’ of the cake while the bottom half is used for the ‘body’.
Fold the bottom flaps slightly (for it to be laid flat on the base of the cake) and make sure that the flaps are facing inwards when the strip is being rolled to form the bottom half of the cake.
Next, apply super glue to the 2cm allowance and seal the ends of the strip to form the cylindrical shape of the bottom half of the cake. Apply super glue again to the flaps that will be facing the circular cardboard base. Attach the bottom half of the cake to the base.
Let your creativity flow, you can decorate and tailor it to your preferences. In this case, Artist Celine Chia uses decorative paper to add her own unique flair to it.
Next, she drafts out the phrase ‘Happy Birthday’ in pencil before outlining her beautiful penmanship with permanent markers. If you’re gifting it for other occasions like anniversary, please feel free to make the amendments accordingly.
Note that the diameter of the top half of the cake should be larger than the bottom half so that we can open the DIY cake easily.
Wrap the top half of the cake around the bottom half before applying the super glue to the edges.
This is to gauge the final result (how your cake would turn out) before you make any irreversible changes.
Crepe Paper usually comes in one roll. Without unrolling the crepe paper, cut along the roll (about halfway mark).
This is to achieve the ‘confetti’ effect when you unroll the crepe paper.
Using super glue, stick the ‘confetti’ around the diameter of the circle in the previous step. Continue to loop the crepe paper around the diameter for about 3-4 more rounds to increase the thickness (layers) of the ‘confetti’.
We can either place the excess crepe paper inside the cake for aesthetic purposes or use it to cover the flaps that we’ve previously glued to the base.
Last but not least, add in your well wishes or messages or even gift items into the middle of the cake.
Some gift ideas can be sweets, chocolates or even hand-written personalised messages.
Cut out about 4cm of the straw and tear out a small portion of the orange crepe paper.
Roll one end of the orange crepe paper and let the other end fray (it will act as the “flames” of the candle).
Apply super glue to the rolled end and attach it to one end of the straw. Next, we apply super glue to the other end and end off with attaching a straw (candle) to the top of the cake.
With that, you’re done with your very own customised Paper Birthday Cake Craft. For beginners new to craft, it may take about 1.5 hours to complete this craft, but for those with more experience, you should be able to complete it within an hour.
Final Words
Learning the Paper Birthday Cake Craft might seem like a chore at first glance, but it’s definitely worthwhile in the long run! This craft is perfect as a personalised gift idea, as it comes with an essence of the human touch alongside the thoughts and effort put into it.
The one being surprised will definitely feel your sincerity and dedication you’ve put into this beautiful craft!
If you like the Paper Birthday Cake Craft, check out our article on customised birthday pop-up card or stay tuned to our socials for more DIY crafts!
