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How to use coordinating pieces to decorate for a baby shower. Ideas to make it look good. Ideas to save money.

If you are hosting a baby shower, one of the nicest ways to make it pretty, elegant and memorable is to have a baby shower theme to decorate with. When all of the features of the shower are tied together, everything looks beautiful and put together. Of course, budget will play a role in deciding what the theme will be and how much it can be carried through to each element. The number of guests is also a determining factor. With a small baby shower, for example, you may be able to buy lovely pink and blue linen napkins, but if you have a big guest list, you will have to go for paper.

How much do you, as the hostess of the shower, want to decorate for the shower? This is not an easy question to answer. The theme of the party may determine how many coordinating items you want. For instance, if you want little baby bottles as favors and on napkins, that may look too busy if you carry it over to tablecloths and centerpieces. You may want to incorporate something coordinating but simpler, such as solid color tablecloths. Where you hold the shower may also dictate how much you decorate. Bright curtains in the restaurant may not look right with a pastel theme and you may want to complement them with bright primary colors. You either have to pick the restaurant and work around their scheme, or decide on your baby shower theme and shop around for the restaurant.

Wherever you hold the shower, there are a few universal ideas that you can use for a baby shower. Make a balloon bouquet in the colors of your baby shower theme at the entrance so the guests know where the action is. You could also make or rent a sign to put at the entrance. Again, the kind would depend on the theme, but a stork is unmistakable for a baby shower.

One of the biggest cost items for a baby shower, outside of food, are the paper goods. The kind of food and drinks you will be serving must be considered. It is very pretty to have all of the plates, napkins, coffee cups and utensils theme- and color- coordinated. If you are serving hot foods, you will have to have heavy plates, but you can use lightweight for the cake. If you serve wine, you may want to consider stem glasses instead of plastic cups. Tablecloths, streamers,banners and favors can all be made or purchased to match the theme of the shower to make it pretty and festive.

You can put a centerpiece at each table at the shower, but to save money, how about using the cake as the center piece? Fresh flowers, place cards and candles will add a sophisticated touch, but that may depend upon the budget of the shower.

Plenty of advanced planning will make decorating for the baby shower easier, even though you may not be able to decorate until the day before or the day of the shower. If you plan and buy in advance, you may be able to watch for items to go on sale. Balloons, of course, will have to be bought the day of the shower, but the more you do in advance, the smoother everything will go.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/interior-decorating-and-baby-showers-111058.html

Wedding cake is a central element of most wedding receptions. A beautiful wedding cake can make a huge impact on the overall elegance of the reception. Unfortunately, wedding cakes can be among the most important accessories of your wedding reception.

You should have a budget for your wedding cake and stick to it. It is much better to start looking for your cake after you have set you budget. The most expensive part of a cake is the decoration. Therefore, an inexpensive cake can taste just as good as an expensive one. You don’t have to compromise taste when you opt for a lower budget wedding cake.

Many wedding cakes have different filling for each layer. The variety gives you and your guests more variety to choose from. There is no limit to the variety of different fillings available for cakes. Your cake professional should be able to offer many different flavors and textures for your cake. Fresh flowers and other exciting decorations are not at all unusual anymore.

Wedding cake price is normally charged by how many guest it will serve. If you have a wedding with 150 guests, you need a cake that will serve 150. The minimum cost per slice is about $2.00 but can go up to about $12.00 per slice and it doesn’t stop there. A standard three-tier cake will feed about 150 people. So at $2.00 per slice that’s $300.00 and at $12.00 per slice that’s $1,800.00. Now, you see how wedding cakes can get so expensive.

Don’t make a decision about who to hire before you meet at least three pastry chefs. Even if you really like the first or second professional, do yourself a favor, interview at least three. See the quality of work at their business locations, and ask to see pictures. Taste the cake varieties, and take some friends with you to make it more fun.

Ask for references, and follow up. Once you have hired the person to do your wedding cake put everything in writing. A written contract is an absolute must. It protects you and the vendor. Make sure you include all the details about date and time of delivery, flavors, serving size, etc.

George Meszaros
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/wedding-cake-tips-61855.html

The suggestion of Disney characters….very much in violation of copy right laws. You cannot make any copy righted design, attach it to a cake…then sell the cake.

To be on the safe side, I would check on the laws before doing anything.

You can still learn to decorate though it is a lot of fun.
Decorated cakes are priced by the quality of ingredients you use, the amount of time spent on each cake, how well known your name is, the uniqueness of your work and the area you live in.

If you want to get the feel of decorating I would suggest you check on youtube. They have clips on buttercream, fondant, roses, borders, stacking cakes, drawings, airbrush, sculpture, ………..

I have been decorating professionally for over 30 years and love it.

Duration : 0:9:20

Technorati Tags: BUTTERCREAM, cake, decorating, eating, Flowers, fondant, leaves, pipping, roses, Wilton

Blue jeans birthday cake decorating ideas – How to make a cake

Want the kids to appreciate what a hip Mom you are? This blue jeans birthday cake decorating idea is perfect for your popstar diva’s next birthday party. Professional baker Liv Hansen shows you how, with a cake by the Betty Crocker Kitchens.

Keywords:
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Duration : 0:6:33

Technorati Tags: bake, baking, betty crocker, Birthday, cake, Decorate, decorating, Design:, diva, how to, howdini, Ideas, jeans, liv hansen, Make:, making, pants, popstar, recipe, yt:quality=high

Dinosaur birthday cake decorating ideas – How to make a cake

If you’re having a dino-themed party, celebrate with this easy Edible Rex dinosaur birthday cake decorating idea developed by professional baker and cookbook author Liv Hansen for the Betty Crocker Kitchens.

**Click here to download a template http://www.bettycrocker.com/~/media/Files/PDF/Cake-Templates/dinosaur_cake_template.ashx **

How to make a dinosaur birthday cake

Assembling the dinosaur cake
1. On the first cake layer, cut a slice off of one side. Then in the middle of the flat side of the cake layer, cut a U-shaped piece out to create the dinosaurs belly and legs. Place the layer on a serving platter.

2. Using paper templates, cut a head and tail out of the second cake layer (cut the dome off the top first so its flat). Place head and tail on the serving platter, joining the pieces to the dinosaurs body. Glue the cake to the platter by placing some frosting underneath each piece of cake. Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of green frosting.

3. Freeze the cake for 30 minutes.

Decorate the dinosaur cake
1. Frost the entire cake with another layer of green frosting. Smooth frosting on sides of cake using an offset spatula. Smooth the top of the cake, working from the outside to the middle. Have hot water on hand to clean the spatula as you are smoothing frosting. Dry spatula each time you clean it before continuing to frost the cake.

2. Place flat chocolate disks on the cake to make spots on the dinosaur.

3. Use smaller chocolate candies for eyes and toes.

4. Use pointy candies across the top to create spikes along the dinosaurs head, back and tail.

5. Using white frosting in a pastry bag, make white dots in the center of each chocolate eye.

6. Using white frosting in a pastry bag, draw on a smile. Or, for a scary dino, make teeth by holding the pastry bag in place, squeezing to form a dot and then pulling up to create a point.

Keywords:
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Duration : 0:4:43

Technorati Tags: betty crocker, Birthday, cake, cake decorating, cakes, Decorate, decorating, Design:, Dinosaur, homemade, how to, how to make a cake, howdini, Ideas, Instructions, liv hansen, Make:, Pattern, Patterns, Shape, theme, yt:quality=high

Cake Moistness
Overall Taste
Appearance
Creativity

Any more ideas?

cake texture or crumb
flavor
height of the layers
smoothness of base icing
difficulty of decorations
neatness
color combination
unique idea

OVER 60 CAKE DECORATING & ENTERTAINMENT VIDEOS NOW SHOWING ON THE CAKINCRAZY CHANNEL

Duration : 0:8:28

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