DIY Three Tiered Party Cake Only Needs to Cost a Few Dollars

This is an impressive three tiered cake idea that just about ANYONE could throw together in minutes. And cheap, yep I believe so.

Here is what to do.................

1. Get the best cook in the house to cook up a few sponge cakes of different sizes or
2. Grab them from from the local cake shop or
3. The least appealing........ straight off your supermarket shelf.

Sponge cake freezes really well for a week or two which makes this party cake even more appealing. Make sure that your cake is at room temperature when you decorate it or the colors from the sprinkles will bleed.

Once you have your sponges you will need:

• whipped cream
• jam
• loads of sprinkles
• bamboo skewers

1. Cut your sponges through their middles and sandwich them together with cream and the jam.
2. Grab a spatula and fully cover  the tops and sides with a thin layer of cream also. Go light on the cream in the middle of the cakes so it is not too hard to cut when you are serving. 
3. Pour your sprinkles into a tray that has sides so that the little guys don't roll too far away.
4. Laying the smallest sponge, top down, into the sprinkles and then remove. 
5. Do the same with the other two sponges and then roll all three sponge sides in the sprinkles. 
7. Secure with the skewers through the middle of the cakes to keep it all stable.

Sugar Coat It with Newspaper; How to Effectively Wrap a Gift in Newspaper

 So I've seen it used at stylish weddings, as creative invites, to wrap the outer layer of fish and chips. It cleans windows like a treat with a little metho and water and helps light fires. Not to mention its original purpose.........
so newspaper is useful............
How about using it creatively on those gifts. Wrapping paper can be pricey for what it is. It will almost certainly be hitting the bin within minutes once the gift is unwrapped. So the dollars that you've spent sugar coating your gift you will watch being ripped up and thrown away. A 'novel' idea would be to wrap your gift in newspaper and then make a flower for the top. Other papers can be used in the same way although stiff papers will be harder to handle and the flower will not look as effective, so this is what you do...............

1.Cut several strips of newspaper, some about 15cm wide, some a little narrower.
2.Fold one strip in half length ways and make a series of cuts along its fold as shown in the picture. 3.When you’ve cut along the whole length, roll up the looped fringe and secure it with some tape.
4.Fluff out the ‘petals’ of the flower.
5.Use up all the strips of paper in the same way.
6.Gather all the sections together with the smaller ones on the outside.
7.Join them with tape and leave the ends unstuck and use these to attach the flower to the gift.
Double sided tape is really useful when attaching the flower.

Source: craftdiscoveries.tumblr.com via Michael on Pinterest

Budget Party Setting

Creating a stunning party setting can be so much fun. There is no need to over spend to get a creative, festive and colourful display. This is what the 2 dollar shops are great for. They have the cheapest ribbon usually with a great range of colours sold on spools. If you have a friend , neighbour, cousin, second cousin, whoever, who has great flowers or foliage, approach them for a favour. Flowers can be hugely expensive so if there is nobody that can help you out with the flowers, don't panic, use the foliage you have available. This will determine your colour scheme. So if all you have are shades of green then this is the ribbon colour selection that you need to purchase plus maybe creams or whites. Don't forget you can use twigs and branches in amongst your centre piece. Open backed chairs are the preferred chair option for this look................

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Sue on Pinterest

To make a runner use a few meters of fabric in a complementary colour to your setting, allow for overhang on the ends and hem the ends if you can, but if you can't, you can't, so not to worry. The table setting above has used natural hessian. Another cheap and easy idea would be to use a roll of brown craft paper from the supermarket or newsagents and use this for the runner. It would be wise to use double sided tape in random spots to hold the ribbon in place. Place ribbon strips down the full length of the runner and then across the table creating a cross over effect. Place tea lights in shot glasses. Try to find a wooden box or two for your flowers and place any old jars filled with water inside the crate. Make flag toppers for macaroons and heart toppers for cupcakes. You can use cut down skewers or tooth picks for the sticks and scrap paper in coordinating colours for hearts and flags stuck together with double sided tape. A pack of paper doilies from the supermarket and paper napkins. A simple, cheap setting that will look very cheerful. Make sure to keep all ribbons for gift wrapping in the future. If you want ornaments on the table like the pictures above have, then thrift stores or 2 dollar shops, a can of spray paint and spray them the same block colour.