If you’re organising a party of any kind, there isn’t a nicer treat for your guests than a beautifully presented cupcake.  Of course, I am a little biased towards these little morsels of great taste and fun (just look at the Pink Frosting logo!), but cupcakes truly are an easy way to create a beautiful cake presentation for your celebration.  In my series of party presentation ideas, I’m going to look at beautiful ways to style up your party without too much investment in time or money – after all, most of our customers at Pink Frosting’s online party shop are busy, busy, busy and want to create a celebration that looks spectacular without spending days tinkering away making crafts.

To present a gorgeous cupcake for your party, first start with a standard cupcake.  This is my basic recipe:

• 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 125g butter, melted, cooled
• 2 x 59g eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 12 x 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan. Alternatively, line holes with paper cases. Combine flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre.
2. Add milk, butter, eggs and vanilla to flour mixture. Using a large metal spoon, stir gently to combine.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
4. Once your cupcakes are cool, frost them with a swirly buttercream.   Here’s our easy how to create a swirly buttercream top on your cupcakes demonstration.

Now you’re ready to present the cupcakes and make them suit your theme.  No matter what you are celebrating, Pink Frosting’s cupcake decorations shop has a huge range of themed cupcake toppers, decorations, racks and presentation stands, and cupcake wrappers to suit your style. 

Using cupcake wrappers is so simple!  They come flat packed, so take one end of the wrapper with each hand and hug the wrapper around the cupcake until the ends meet.  Then loop the smaller end through the slit (outside to inside so you’re hiding the ends) and you have a beautifully wrapped cupcake!  From there, you can place your cupcakes into a cupcake rack or stand for beautiful presentation instead of a cake, or if you’re using the cupcakes as favours, carefully place the cupcakes into a cupcake box and tie a coordinating ribbon around it’s centre.  Perfection and it only took about an hour from start to finish.

Here are some gorgeous cupcake wrappers presented perfectly for your inspiration:

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

I’m starting a new series today focusing on party presentation ideas.  There are so many beautiful blogs around the world to give you excellent ideas on how to present your party.  Some of my favourites are Hostess with the Mostess, Pizzazzerie, Kara’s Party Ideas and Amy Atlas’ Blog.  You can subscribe to these blogs to get daily inspiration for your party and see how the experts do it.  Many of these blogs also present real party ideas and galleries – straight from the house of people just like you and I – people who just love to entertain and have created a really beautiful party.  The catalogue of ideas will have you inspired for years of creative parties!

Then you have amazing websites filled with party planning tips and ideas.  The one you’re reading now – Australia Entertains - is packed with tips to make your party perfect.  Others that we adore and turn to for inspiration include Martha Stewart’s most excellent website which could have your days filled for months reading entertaining tips and inspirational ideas, the Pink Frosting party ideas website is packed with great Australian ideas for party planning including seasonal menus and flower guides for our part of the world, and although it’s not very pretty, the About Entertaining pages are packed with great party tips and etiquette guides.

Finally, even if you’re planning a christening or kids birthday party, you should visit the exquisite wedding ideas blogs for inspiration.  Our favourite wedding blogs are the ultimate Australian wedding blog Polka Dot Bride, the spectacular daily swoon-fest at Style me Pretty and Brooklyn Bride, as well as the lovely and entertaining features at Wedding Chicks.

So over the coming months, we’ll explore great party presentation ideas.  The first will be cupcake wrappers, which must be my all-time favourite indulgent party decoration!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Presenting the pretty pink miniature Double Bubble gumball machines at the Pink Frosting party shop.  Each functioning plastic gumball machine measures 6.35cm x 12.7cm and resembles the classic shape with a pink base and top and a Dubble Bubble-logo-decorated clear globe that reveals the white gumballs inside.  Just turn the silver coloured crank and a gumball is dispensed below.  The top also screws off for insertion of replacement gumballs or other candy like smarties, sugar almonds or wrapped treats.

I just adore these gumball machines and can’t wait to use them at my next pink themed party.  Stand by for plenty of photos!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

I remember a time when a few cheap balloons from the supermarket and a store bought sponge cake were enough to signify a party.  These days it’s very different and that is a great thing.  We’re becoming more creative with our party themes, favours and decorations and we’re celebrating in style!  As it’s not unusual for party planners to be given budgets to rival weddings for children’s birthday parties and other celebrations, we thought it was time to give you some tips to create a celebrity-worthy party without the crazy budget.

Australia’s number one party decorations shop Pink Frosting has been involved in birthday parties, christenings and baby showers to rival any party given by Britney Spears, Elton John or Tom Cruise that have the budget of a wedding and the styling to match.  But our favourite celebrations are ones that are heart-felt and match the budget that fits the family.  Pink Frosting would hate to see anyone overspend on a party and then have a debt to pay.  The Pink Frosting team offers some great party planning tips to help you host your party like the stars but without over-spending:

1. Everyone loves candy! One of the key trends of the moment is a candy bar where you buy lots of different kinds of lollies and assemble them in different containers and lay them out on a table.  Give all of your guests a lolly bag and let them scoop in their favourite treats.  Celebrities are using Dessert Bar specialists like Amy Atlas to create wonderful candy bars for their events, but you can get inspiration for the colours online and then create a fun candy bar yourself.
2. Hold the party at home.  One of the biggest expenses for any event is the venue hire, so if you hold the party at home, you’re already on your way to creating a more budget-friendly party.  You also get to decorate over many days, rather than having a small space of time to get ready at a hired venue.
3. Have the guests decorate their own cakes!  Suri Cruise’s recent birthday party was a cupcake themed party where the kids decorated their own cupcakes.  This is seriously one of the best ideas for entertaining kids at a party and you don’t even need to decorate a cake yourself!  There’s no reason why this also wouldn’t work for adult celebrations like bridal showers or hens parties – give the guests a theme and ask them to decorate their own cakes in the theme.  Fun!
4. You don’t need to hire entertainment.  These days, your iPod can do most of the work for you.  With a little bit of work and the Genius tool, you can create a fun music list that suits the theme of the party and makes everyone get into the celebratory mood.
5. Balloons are making a come-back!  Big bulbous balloons and lanterns are the best way to create a beautiful party atmosphere and you won’t break the bank.  Go overboard with hundreds of helium filled balloons (do this yourself with a hired helium canister) and hanging lanterns.  You seriously won’t spend more than $100 filling the ceilings of most rooms this way. Add some paper bunting around the outside of the walls, and voila – you have a spectacular party space.
6. Party favours don’t have to be expensive.  They are a great idea because they are a reminder to your guests of the fun they had at the celebration.  Stores like www.PinkFrosting.com.au and Baby Showers Australia have hundreds of options for favours under $5.00 each and include personalised lollipops, customised candy and fun practical gifts.

The most important tip is to always give your party from the heart.  A party isn’t about how much money you spent on the presents or decorations, it’s about enjoying time with the people you love the most.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

We’ve just shot some gorgeous new examples of the colours you can choose for your wedding bombonieres with our personalised rock candy.  It makes choosing the colours so much easier when you can visualise what they will look like together.

We also love the rock candy favours for Christening bombonieres, baby showers, milestone birthdays, Christmas presents and corporate events too – because you can pop whatever text you like into the centre!

You can see the range of flavours, colours and packaging at PinkFrosting’s online wedding and party shop.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

What would you do with $250 to spend on your next celebration?  Would you wow your guests at your wedding with superb table scatters? Would you go over the top with your Christmas decorations this year?  Would you treat the guests at your kids birthday party to some extra special favours?

No matter what you’re celebrating, Pink Frosting is here to help you create a magical event.  Our mission is to deliver unique and beautiful party and wedding accessories all over Australia every day and provide you with ideas that help you create a celebration that makes the guest of honour and everyone in the room say, “wow”!   Our customer service team loves helping our customers envision their table decorations and party favours, our wedding and party buyers love scouring the world for beautiful and new goodies that will give Australian celebrations a real wow factor, and our writers and stylists love to provide free ideas and advice through our planning pages that inspire beautiful celebrations every day.

Australia’s number one online wedding and party store is offering a lucky Australia Entertains reader the chance to win a $250 gift voucher from Pink Frosting to spend any way you choose until December 31st 2010.  All we need you to do is tell us in 50 words or less what you’re celebrating and how you would use your gift voucher.  Leave your ideas as a comment below.  We’ll be looking for the most creative ways you’ve come up with to use Pink Frosting’s amazing products for your next event – and there are over 3000 products, so you sure have a big range to choose from!  Entries close at midnight on 20th October 2010 and are open to delivery addresses in Australia only or if you are overseas and you win, the voucher does not cover your shipping charges which are charged at cost for international destinations.

Visit Pink Frosting’s online wedding and party shop now to get inspired for your Gift Voucher story!

We look forward to hearing just how creative you are!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

The hippest party planners from around the world are taking the humble balloon and making it the chicest decorating accessory of the moment.  Take giant bulbous balloons filled with helium and use them to decorate your room and each table.  Secure with your floral centrepiece or in a vase of lollies for a truly whimsical look.  Cheap, beautiful and fun!

Australia’s most stylish party shop, Pink Frosting, has just taken delivery of a whole new range of chic party balloons, perfect for kids parties, Christmas and other holiday celebrations, adult birthday parties, swanky soirees and even weddings.  Some of our favourites include:

• Chocolate Brown Party Balloons – we are so excited to finally offer this very chic colour in a party balloon;
• Jungle Assorted Party Balloons – perfect for a jungle themed birthday party or a safari adult celebration;
• Polka Dot Pastel Assorted Party Balloons – we love these balloons for kitchen teas, baby showers and Spring party celebrations;
• Rainbow Sprays Party Balloons – gorgeous for a rainbow party, garden party or a shower of any kind – oh so sweet;
• Tropical Hibiscus Beach Party Balloons – make your next BBQ or beach party more colourful with these beachy themed party balloons in tropical colours.

Whatever you’re celebrating, beautiful party balloons really are the central decoration packing a punch on a budget.  The Pink Frosting balloon range is all professional quality – perfect for inflating with helium (you can hire helium canisters locally) or simply inflating with good old fashioned lung power!

Shop Pink Frosting Party Balloons >>

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

We love tea parties at Pink Frosting!  Whether you’re hosting a baby shower, kitchen tea, a child’s birthday party or a Sweet Sixteen, a tea party is a pretty theme and suits just about any age group. Here are our top tips for hosting the perfect tea party:

• Host your tea party in the mid-afternoon when your guests have finished their chores for the day and have many hours to linger over a pot of exquisite tea and your decadent home-baked favourites.
• If possible, host your tea party outdoors in the prettiest garden setting possible. Make sure you have dappled shade, plenty of cushions on your furniture and blossoms blooming against plenty of green grass. Even if you can’t hold your tea party outdoors, a beautiful indoor space with plenty of natural light is the perfect complement to taking tea.  Set the scene with some pretty hanging lanterns, bunting and other delicate party decorations.
• Serve light savoury sandwiches along with beautiful homemade biscuits, scones and petit fours. Minted cucumber sandwiches on delicate slices of white bread (crust off of course), madeleines, clotted cream with scones and homemade jam (if you can spare the time) and an assortment of mini cakes from your local bakery are just the ticket. Bake up and buy up big, but don’t serve everything at once. This is a delicate celebration and you should serve your beautiful things in small quantities, prettily presented and replenish often.
• Serve your tea the old-fashioned way. Buy qualities leaves, brew your tea according to directions and serve your tea as if you are dining with the Queen of England. Learn the perfect etiquette for taking tea over at Pink Frosting’s party planning pages.
• Decorate with the prettiest crockery you can find. Nothing plastic. Nothing chunky. Nothing contemporary. Taking tea is all about vintage crockery (mismatched is fine), antique silver teaspoons, linen napery and pastel cake stands. Raid Great Aunt Ethel’s cupboards if you must!
• Have a small guest list. Tea parties are intimate. Not for 50 of your closest friends. No more than 10 people works best, in our experience.
• Give pretty party favours to your guests. Pink Frosting has some gorgeous little afternoon tea guest gifts to complete the party.

Inspiring tea party images by Sara Moon Photography.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

I have always loved blackboards as wedding decor.  They make a rustic and fun way of presenting a menu, seating chart, directional sign, candy table decoration and table sign.  Maybe its the fact that I come from a family of teachers or that I spent hours making chalk drawings on blackboards to make some extra money.  Whatever the reason for my adoration, blackboards are a wonderful addition for any party, wedding or celebration.  They get the message across in a fun way.

Blackboard images above via Primadonna Bride.

The new miniature blackboard decorations at Pink Frosting make me very happy indeed!  I love how versatile they are – especially for presenting a candy buffet, lolly table, selection of desserts, wedding favours and so much more. 

Just don’t run your nails down them!  That could really kill the party mood.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Niki from Candy Soiree’s (0409 965 914) is one of Pink Frosting’s party planner customers and she sent me these stunning photos of a combined Christening and First Birthday party reception she styled recently for baby Sundae.  Photos are all by Ba Ba Bambini Photography.  I hope they inspire you as much as they delighted me!

The contrasting colours of yellow and black really work for this Christening.  Although I love this colour combination for weddings, I had never before contemplated the hues for a Christening or children’s party – but don’t they look sensational?  Because of the whimsical polka dots and feminine use of butterfly motifs, the stark colours look sweet.  I love the way Niki and her team have used the budget-conscious Pink Frosting paper lanterns and made them really unique by embellishing them with butterfly cutouts – genius.

The candy bar is a delectable display of bananas, jelly beans, personalised chocolate bars and traditional lemon sweets.  Perfect for a Christening and first birthday celebration.

The Christening bombonieres were silver butterfly bookmark favours from Pink Frosting’s online bomboniere shop.  Niki personalised the bonbonieres by decorating simple white favour boxes with polka dot paper, white satin ribbon and the silver butterflies tied on top.

I think we’ll all be inspired to decorate Christenings with unique and personal themes.  Thank you Niki!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn