Displaying Your Cake Pops

Styrofoam blocks: Used as a place to allow your cake pops to dry, they can also be covered in scrapbook paper for a pretty, easy, and inexpensive display. Measure your Styrofoam and cut a piece of paper to match the length and width of the block. Use plain paper for this, not decorative paper; it will serve as a template. Placing them 2 inches apart, make marks on the paper where the holes will be, using a pencil. Place the paper over the Styrofoam and poke through the paper at the marks with the tip of a pencil. Then mark each spot on the Styrofoam with a marker. Remove the paper and use a paper lollipop stick to poke holes into the Styrofoam. Try to insert the stick as straight into the Styrofoam as possible, without poking all the way through it. Wrap the Styrofoam block in decorative paper. Place the paper template on top of the wrapped Styrofoam and mark the hole locations with a pencil. This time, make a few tiny holes with the end of a needle, so you’ll be able to insert the lollipop stick through without ripping the decorative paper. Be careful when removing cake pops from a Styrofoam block. If all the cake pops are removed from one side, the weight of the pops on the other side can cause the Styrofoam to tip over.

Glassware: Glass dishes filled with sugar make an eye-pleasing display for cake pops. The sugar should be deep enough to keep the sticks standing upright. You can also fill deep glass dishes with gumballs, M&M’s, or even marbles for a decorative approach. Glass candy dishes with lids are also a pretty way to display and store cake balls.

Bouquets: You can use a flowerpot or basket to display cake pops. Place a Styrofoam ball or block inside the basket so that it’s secure. Then arrange the cake pops in the Styrofoam. You can disguise the Styrofoam ball by filling in around the sticks with paper confetti, ribbon, streamers, or some other fun decoration.

Painted wood displays: You’ll need a drill and a ruler for this one. Mark holes 2 inches apart on a piece of wood that is about 2 inches thick. Make a mark on the drill bit about 1¾ inches from the tip, so that you don’t drill all the way through the wood. Drill a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the lollipop sticks you have chosen for a secure fit. Lighter wood with less grain will look the best. Use a drill bit slightly larger than the thickness of your lollipop stick.

Lollipop stands: Super-cute premade displays are a great way to go if you’re in a hurry. They’re also called lollipop trees or sucker displays. Wilton.com carries a convenient lollipop and treat stand, and if you’re feeling crafty you can make one (go to www.martha stewartweddings.com/article/lollipop-stand-how-to).

Gift tags, treat bags, and ribbon: Individual cake pops make a great impression when given as gifts. Simply wrap each cake pop in a small plastic treat bag, and tie with decorative ribbon. You can make them even more special by including a sweet note. Use a 2- to 3-inch-wide paper punch, available in craft stores, and punch shapes out of heavyweight card stock. Then use a regular hole punch to make two holes on either side of the shape. Add a handwritten note, and slide the tag onto the lollipop stick. Or use a computer to typeset the message you want on card stock and use a large paper punch to punch around it. Or skip all of that and visit www.bakerella.com/tags for a few downloadable designs.

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 626