How to Frost a Cake with a Paper Towel and make it look like Fondant!

FOR EVERYONE AWAITING AN UPDATE! THE SITE/LINK TO THE RECIPE AND TUTORIAL IS BACK UP AND RUNNING!!!


If there was an award for World's Worst Baker, I would have a shelf full of trophies! Some people are born with the gene, but I didn't manage to get it. Ha! I can burn a batch of cookies with no effort and ruin bread before it even has the chance to rise. I consider myself a fairly decent cook when it comes to meals, but over the last few years have tried to challenge my lack of baking skills. Not sure I am winning the war... hehe.

I stumbled upon this great blog through a Pin on Pinterest. She has all sorts of tutorials, and one of them is how to frost a cake using a paper towel to make it look like fondant. I have never been a fan of fondant(it tastes funny to me), but its so dang pretty on cakes. My daughter's birthday was approaching and I decided for her birthday cake to give it a whirl. Worst case scenario, I would find a bakery to save the day!

Not to toot my own horn, but I am beyond pleased with myself. Ha! Not only did I not burn the cake, but it turned out pretty dang close to the way it should. That's a major feat, you have no idea! I used her frosting recipe and the paper towel technique and I will never go back to store bought again! Its not any more effort and it turns out looking so cute and is so yummy. We actually looked forward to the left overs after the party. Ha!

The Original Pin:

http://thelittledelightsinlife.blogspot.com/2012/07/classic-white-frosting-recipe.html

The link above is to the frosting recipe. The below link is to her YouTube tutorial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG0D6pYSbUw&feature=plcp&context=C46b309dVDvjVQa1PpcFP9MDW26yeyinvM85Nw1VJfq1ll6u8wQAc%3D

If you couldn't tell it was a Hello Kitty party and while its not as perfect as the Original Pin(at least it wasn't a fail!), it turned out quite smooth. A few more tries and maybe I will be on my way to having at least 1 baking skill! Ha!

Her recipe is for White frosting, so I just put 2 drops in of light blue food coloring for the sky blue I achieved. I used a regular non-edible ribbon at the bottom, and then used a star shaped attachment with a pastry bag along the outside of the ribbon. I sprinkled some sugar pearls on top, and using lollipop sticks, stuck the Hello Kitty toppers on. For the Hello Kitty toppers, I just used scrapbook paper, and stickers from Michael's. And of course a #7 candle to finish it off! 

Visit her site for the video tutorial and all sorts of other great tips and tricks! I followed her recipe and instructions to the T.  I think I may eventually get one of those cool frosting spatulas she uses, but I was very happy with how it turned out. I am still thinking about....cake! 

Happy Baking, and Happy Pinning!

How to Refinish Laminate Furniture. No sanding!

Over the summer I found this cabinet at Goodwill for $19 and saw its potential. It was an old 70's style TV stand (when TV's were square. Ha!), and thought with a fun make-over it could become best friends with my recently revamped dining table. I am one of those people who love a good "Before and After." I find it kind of addicting. There is something in the result that is so satisfying! Even more gratifying, no sanding! I have refinished several pieces of furniture, and anything that takes out a step(especially one of the hardest) is always a welcome treat!

With an additional $20 in paint and primer, I happily transformed the old retro cabinet into a fun colorful piece of furniture. I confess I am a chevron nut! Hence the design I chose for the backing. But it turned out to be quite a simple project. Because it was made of fiberboard and laminate coating, I did have a small fear it would drive me to swearing, muttering to myself, and eventual insanity. Ha! But to my pleasant surprise, Pinterest offered me a solution. I think its safe to say it was a success! My results below:

The original Pin(over 500 pins!) and my inspiration:

http://thepeartreecottage.blogspot.com/2011/07/painting-particle-board-laminate.html?m=1

Here's how I did it:

Step 1:

Remove all hardware, shelves, doors, and hinges.

Step 2:

Wipe down all the pieces you intend to paint so they are nice and clean. (I had to fill in the cable hole as well.)

Step 3:

Prime every area you intend to paint. This step doesn't have to be perfect or pretty. It just needs a good coating or two of the primer. I painted several coats on the backing as I intended part of the white to be seen in the design. Then let it all dry completely.

Step 4:

Paint! I only had to use 2 coats.

Step 5:

When it was completely dry, I taped my design onto the back using Blue Painters tape and a measuring tape. I spaced the stripes out 1 and 1/2 inches apart and used a leveler to make sure I was keeping them at the right angle. Was really easy! Then I used some left over paint from my dining table project and filled in the taped lines.

After a few hours I pulled the tape off and Ta Da! Chevron stripes and a completed project!

Products I used:

1) Zinsser brand 123 Primer for All Surfaces in White from Walmart.(This is water based with no odor and went on so smooth.)

2) Colorplace Interior Semi-Gloss paint in Pistachio Ice Cream from Walmart. This also rolled on smooth.

3) Minwax Brand Polycrylic clear top coat. I love this top coat because it is water-based and doesn't smell and when it dries is a great protection. It also dries crystal clear unlike some of the others that have a yellowish tint. I have used this on several projects and already had this on hand. It is sold at Lowes.

4) Ultra smooth mini roller

5) Blue Painter's Tape

6) Measuring tape

7) Leveler

Hope this helps someone out with their next project! I found this easy, and if I dare say it, enjoyable!

If you liked this, you may also like How to Refinish a Dining Table, No Sanding! Here:
http://pinterestandthepauper.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-refinish-table-no-sanding.html