My friend Gray Malin’s adorable children’s book about wildlife checking into the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs, Be Our Guest, inspired this paper elephant cake topper that invites party guests to let out their inner party animal. This version looks just like the cover, with a backdrop “screen” that mimics the façade of the resort, and a paper elephant holding a bunch of small balloons. When his picture book launched, we toasted him with this cake (and champagne!) for an impromptu celebration–and he even took this photograph!
But there’s lots of ways to show animal magnetism! Print a herd of elephants marching across a cake (or mini ones to sit on cupcakes), top dessert with a menagerie of animal figures, or make the backdrop a circus, safari, or jungle scene for a birthday party.
Full instructions for this version are below, but feel free to go wild—and dream up your own.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Elephant, Door, Background Façade Template
- Cardstock
- Scissors
- Toothpicks
- Tape
- Six water balloons
- Monofilament
- Baker’s twine or other string
- Cake dowel or other long slim stick (like a long lollipop stick or skinny straw)
HOW TO:
Step 1 Download Elephant and Door Templates, print onto cardstock, and cut out. Download Background Façade Template and print. (I cut out mine using a Cricut machine, but with this template, there’s no cutting necessary.) Tape one toothpick to the back of the Elephant and another to the back of the Door.
Step 2 Blow water balloons up partially, then tie off the ends. Take three balloons and tie their ends together by wrapping monofilament tightly around their tails and knotting. Repeat with the other three balloons to create two bunches.
Step 3: Tie each bunch onto the cake dowel (or long lollipop stick or skinny straw) so that the balloons are sitting on top of the dowel.
Step 4: Cut four pieces of baker’s twine about 12” in length. Drape them over the monofilament knot that joins the two bunches of balloons, so that two 6” ends hang down on either side. Cut a 6” piece of twine and tie a bow around the middle of the stick.
Step 5: Arrange elephant and door cut-outs on your cake. Place the balloon bunch on the cake in front of the elephant. Tape the background façade to the edge of the cake stand or to the wall behind it, or, tape it to two toothpicks and stick into the cake. Then, let the wild rumpus begin.
