Cupcake tower tutorial

I get asked many times how I make my custom cupcake towers so decided to do a mini tutorial for you. Here it is :-))


Step 1: Gather your equipment, you will need


- Masonite cakeboards (I usually have the sizes 6" inches for the top tier where the cake sits on top, 8" inches for the 2nd tier, 10" inches for the 3rd tier and 12"inches for the bottom tier.)

- 4 x dummy cakes (foam dummies) (mine are usually 5" inches for the top, 6" inches for the 2nd tier support, 8" inches for the 3rd tier support and 10" inches for the bottom tier)

- Scissors

- Pencil

- Fabric

- Glue (I use glue stick and craft glue

- Tape measure

- Trim/ribbon for each board


Step 2: Iron your cakeboard fabric (mine is white) and take your 1st board and trace onto the back of the fabric lightly using a pencil. Cut around the traced line leaving about 1 inch gap (see step 2 photo)

Step 3: Using your scissors cut about 1inch slits right around your fabric circle till it looks like the photo in Step 3. This is to make it easier for you to glue the fabric around the circular shaped board without the fabric pukering up. Lay your cakeboard shiny side down onto the back of your fabric lining it up with your traced pencil lines. Glue the slitted fabric using your craft glue to the cakeboard, gently pull the fabric tight as you keep gluing it around but take care not to move the board out of the traced pencil line or your fabric will be glued unevenly to the board. I find if you start on one end of the board, then move to the opposite side, glueing as you go will prevent the board from slipping.

Step 4: Iron your next piece of fabric to be used around the dummies. Using your measuring tape, measure the circumfrence of the foam dummy making sure you add an extra 1 inch so the fabric overlaps when you wrap it around the dummy. Now measure the hight adding about 1/2 an inch to both top and bottom. Transfer the measurements onto the BACK of your patterned fabric with a pencil making sure its accurate. I draw some light lines with my pencil as a guide before cutting my fabric (see Step 4 photo). Cut out your fabric and iron it flat again.


Step 5: Now iron your fabric, 1/2 an inch in from the top and bottom creating a ironed seam on both top and bottom.

Step 6: Using your glue stick, cover the surface of the foam dummy (don't use very strong glue for this or it will MELT your foam) Now place one end of the fabric on your foam dummy and gently wrap the fabric around the dummy. Smooth the fabric out but don't tug too hard or you'll warp the fabric too much causing lots of puckering and wrinkeling.

Step 7: using your liquid craft glue, stick the dummy cake to the bottom of your covered cake board (obviously the NOT on the fabric side, but on the masoniteboard side lol) Pop a heavy book on top and leave overnight to dry.

Step 8: Using your glue stick smear some glue around the edge of your cakeboard, now glue on some trim or ribbon. I find trim is better as it does not stain like ribbon does from the glue.

Repeat the above process with each cakeboard you want to be part of your tower. The finished product can be viewed in action above for the Spring birdy Christening cupcake tower.