DIY Balloon Garland Cake Topper — This is a super quick and easy, customizable cake topper idea for your next party!
Let’s be honest. Baking a beautiful cake from scratch is a lot of work.
The thought of creating this cute DIY Balloon Garland Cake Topper feels like even more work. But it’s surprisingly easy, I promise!
This tutorial will give you all the good DIY feels because I’ve got lots of helpful tips for how to make a balloon garland DIY cake topper.
Perhaps you are opting to go with a store-bought cake to save the stress. Or perhaps you’ve baked and frosted your own cake but don’t have much additional time for the decorating?
Whatever the situation may be I, Alana am here to help you give that plain cake a quick and easy transformation into a bright and beautiful work of art.
With a colorful balloon topper inspired by that incredible balloon arch installations you see all over Instagram, plus Sugar & Cloth’s classic white cake stand and partywares to go with it!
You’ll have a finished cake that is sure to be the center of attention at any birthday party, wedding, or baby shower.
Materials and Tools Needed to Make a DIY Balloon Garland Cake Topper and to Paint a Cake
Frosted cake — Store-bought or homemade
5-inch balloons — Assorted colors
See the step by step instructions for our balloon cake topper tutorial along with tips for painting your finished cake below!
Tips On Prepping Your Cake Before Painting On It
Note: Before you start, you’ll want to make sure your cake is chilled. The frosting needs to be firm to the touch before you begin working on it.
To achieve the most ideal cake canvas, keep the cake in the refrigerator until the moment you are ready to start working on it.
Tight on time and your cake is still not completely chilled? Place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to speed up the chilling process.
Balloon Cake Topper DIY | How to Make a DIY Balloon Garland
When creating a large balloon arch or balloon garland, people usually use something called balloon tape, balloon strip or fishing line.
Since this is a mini version of a fun balloon garland, we’re going to do ours a little differently!
Step 1 – To create the balloon topper, blow up an assortment of colorful 5-inch balloons in varying sizes of balloons for bigger and smaller balloons.
For an 8-inch round cake, you’ll need roughly 25 balloons.
When blowing up the balloons, make sure not to fill them more than halfway full to keep the balloon size proportionate to the cake.
Feel free to blow them up by mouth or with a balloon pump.
Step 2 – Knot the end of each balloon to close, just as you normally would.
Step 3 – Using a pair of heavy-duty scissors, cut a 2-foot section of floral wire.
Additionally, you’ll need to trim one of your skewers so that you have 1 x 8-inch and 1 x 12-inch skewer.
Step 4 – Wrap one end of your wire around the top of the 8-inch skewer a few times until it is secure.
Step 5 – Begin to knot the balloons onto the wire, adding one balloon at a time.
Make sure to scatter the larger balloons, so that they’re not all in one section.
Play around with the positioning of the balloons, so that they don’t all face the same direction.
Step 7 – Once you’ve added all of your balloons to the wire, wrap the open end of the wire around your 12-inch skewer until it’s secure. Trim any excess wire.
Since you’re using a thick gauged wire, you’ll be able to add some additional shape to the garland by bending or twisting the wire.
Play around with it until you’re happy with the shape.
How to Paint a Cake
Now that the balloon topper is complete, you’re ready to paint your cake.
Step 1 – For each desired color of buttercream that you want to add to your cake, add 1 drop of food coloring to a large spoonful of white buttercream frosting.
Step 2- Mix well until the color is combined.
At the bottom of the post, you’ll find our recipe for the perfect paintable royal icing recipe for this cake design!
Step 3 – To achieve the brushed buttercream look, add small dollops of colored frosting onto your chilled cake.
And gently smear each dollop using a small spatula.
For the painted dots, use a decorating brush (or an unused, food-safe paint brush) to add on small dots of frosting.
You can also use a brush to create a mini version of the brushed buttercream.
If at any point while you’re painting your cake you notice that your buttercream is softening and preventing you from being able to easily add your colored frosting, put the cake in the freezer for a few minutes to re-chill it.
Also read: DIY Abstract Watercolor Painted Cake
Now that you know these two simple buttercream tricks and can make an incredible cake topper, why stop with just one cake when you can make one with all the colors and sizes?
With the endless colors of balloons and food coloring options, the colorful, customizable party decoration possibilities are endless.
I can’t wait to see how you customize yours for party and home decor!
I love the idea of recreating this with all white balloons for a DIY wedding cake topper in lieu of the traditional bride and groom, acrylic cake toppers, or rustic wedding cake toppers out there.
What do you think?! This DIY Balloon Garland Cake Topper is a party decoration DIY that you can repurpose for lots of different occasions.
DIY Balloon Garland Cake Topper
DIY Balloon Garland Cake Topper
Equipment
- Scissors or wire cutters
- Cake stand
- Floral wire
Materials
- Classic white cake stand
- Frosted Cake (store-bought or homemade)
- 22 Gauge Floral Wire
- Heavy-duty Scissors
- 5-inch Balloons, Assorted Colors
- 12-inch Skewers
Instructions
- To create the balloon topper, blow up an assortment of colorful 5-inch balloons in a variety of sizes. For an 8-inch round cake, you’ll need roughly 25 balloons.
- When blowing up the balloons, make sure not to fill them more than halfway full to keep the balloon size proportionate to the cake. Knot the end of each balloon to close, just as you normally would.
- Using a pair of heavy-duty scissors, cut a 2-foot section of floral wire.
- Additionally, you’ll need to trim one of your skewers so that you have 1 x 8-inch and 1 x 12-inch skewer.
- Wrap one end of your wire around the top of the 8-inch skewer a few times, until it is secure. Begin to knot the balloons onto the wire, adding one balloon at a time.
- Make sure to scatter the larger balloons, so that they’re not all in one section. Play around with the positioning of the balloons, so that they don’t all face the same direction.
- Once you’ve added all of your balloons to the wire, wrap the open end of the wire around your 12-inch skewer until it’s secure. Trim any excess wire.
- Since you’re using a thick gauged wire, you’ll be able to add some additional shape to the garland by bending or twisting the wire. Play around with it until you’re happy with the shape.
HOW TO PAINT YOUR CAKE FOR ADDED DECORATION
- For each desired color of buttercream that you want to add to your cake, add 1 drop of food coloring to a large spoonful of white buttercream frosting. Mix well until the color is combined.
- To achieve the brushed buttercream look, add small dollops of colored frosting onto your chilled cake and gently smear each dollop using a small spatula.
- For the painted dots, use a decorating brush (or an unused, food-safe paint brush) to add on small dots of frosting. You can also use a brush to create a mini version of the brushed buttercream.
- If at any point while your painting your cake you notice that your buttercream is softening and preventing you from being able to easily add your colored frosting, put the cake in the freezer for a few minutes to re-chill it.
Paintable Royal Icing Recipe
Paintable Royal Icing Recipe
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp meringue powder
- 4 cup Confectioner's sugar
- 5.5 tbsp warm water
- Gel food colors in your choice of colors
Nutrition
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a mixer for 7-10 minutes or until soft peaks form in the icing.
- Divide the icing into separate bowls.
- Add in a few drops of your favorite food colors and stir to make edible paints.
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Hi there! Did you cover the cake with fondant first or is that smoothed and chilled buttercream as the base? Thanks!
Hi! It’s smoothed and chilled buttercream as the base. Hope this helps!
Is it the “mixed colors” bag of balloons? Love the colors in this post!
Yes, the colors aren’t as saturated once they are blown up!
Amazing! I missed that – thanks!
Did you ever find balloons in these colors? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! Yep, there’s a link in the post to the balloons if you want these exact colors!
Where did you find the balloons that you used? I am looking for bright colors such as yours but can only find pastels or pearl style balloons.
That’s one amazing garland! And I love the paw prints on the cake. Well Done, Ashley!
Isn’t it great?! All the credit goes to the amazing Alana!!
This is so super cute!! I love the idea of a mini balloon cake garland.
Right? As if the balloon garland couldn’t get any cooler!
Hi! I ordered 5-inch balloons, but when I try to blow them up halfway, they’re oblong-shaped because there isn’t enough air, and not like your pictures at all. Not sure what I’m doing wrong! :(
Hi Helen! How are you knotting them? You should blow up the ballon to your desired size but then squeeze them so they’re round and knot them when they are a round ball. If you only blow them halfway and knot them at the end of the balloon then it will be deflated since there’s still a lot of the ballon left. Hope this makes sense! You’ll have longer knotted “tails” but that can be trimmed and tucked within the wire.
Soooo cute and so many great tips and visuals for both the awesome balloon topper and painted buttercream cake! Cutest colours!!! Xo
I know, the colors she chose are perfect! My favorite! So glad you enjoyed it! :)