Cake Flags!

I've been inspired by a big collection of vintage party supplies I picked up at a recent estate sale.  And it made me wonder... why don't we see any cute little cake flag picks sold in stores any more?  And after making some flag picks, I thought, why not make a banner?  A cake flag banner.

Cut strips of cute paper.

Cut strips into rectangles.

Fold rectangles in half.

Cut into pointy little flags, or any other shape you prefer.  Leaving them as rectangles is cute too!

After I cut the first flag, I found it useful to use it as a pattern for the rest.

Next, cut a piece of string or baker's twine, a few inches longer than the width of the cake.

Tie ends to wooden skewers.  (Toothpicks are shown here, but I discovered they were too small for this project).  You'll need to break the skewers in half.  Clean up the jagged skewer edges with a pair of junky old scissors or garden snippers.

Arrange the flags, sandwiched over the string, in a pattern you love and then glue into place.

Place into your cake.  Isn't it so cute?  Do you still want to add more?

Okay! Here goes... add little individual ones, made with toothpicks, onto the sides!

So sweet.  But do we need a little more still?

Sprinkles! That's the ticket!

Now you're all complete.

Post Edit:

Special thanks to blog reader, Rachel, who pointed out some very similar (but much cuter) cake flags on etsy.  (They call them Cake Buntings).  You can find them here.  I LOVE them and think the multiple layers are amazing!  Thank you for the tip, Rachel!

Post Edit #2: The cake plate is from Rosanna, Inc.

Comments

[Emma]

How cute!! A lovely, effective way to jazz up a cake that just needs to speak for itself!

I see this on the horizon for any grown-up cakes I might bake, who don't fancy a Rapunzel/Dinosaur/Gruffalo butter cream creation!

Thanks for sharing

[fara]

Thank you so very much for posting instructions. The banner is lovely!

[Andrea]

awesome and so very cute!

[Rachel Sandall]

What a great idea, it would be perfect for a wedding cake or cupcakes!

[Holly]

Fun idea and cute, too! ♥

[laura]

I love what you did... you can even add a name etc..thanks for sharing.

[Flos caeli]

So sweet and it looks so yummy :D The plate really is very beautiful and I really like the idea with the flags.So cute papers we don't have like these in my country... :(

[Amy Holloway]

This is sooo cute. I can't wait to try it.
You can do so many different things with this. :)

Amy H.

[tasha]

that's the cutest little thing ever!

[naomig]

That is way too cute. :-) I love it! I drove by Spokane last weekend. I used every wile I've got, and it was not enough to convince my husband I needed to visit your store. I shall have to make a girls trip there sometime soon. :-)

[Hollie Eastman]

now how cute is that!! love the pictures and the adorable banner...hmmm....2 year old's birthday coming soon!=)
Love
Hollie
funky junk antique show

[Genie Robinson]

Great little tutorial. The banner turned out perfectly...greet job. Loved the post.

Hugs,
Genie @ Buttons for Baga

[Emilee]

I can just see a child's name spelled out on each flag for a fun birthday party cake! :) Way cute idea! Will probably use it in the future! :)

[elyse]

omg, serena! you have added the sweetest+coolest items to your online shop. the pillowcases could not be cuter.

rock on, you inspiration, you!

xo
elyse

[elyse]

love the cake bunting idea and your papers are wonderful. hooray for pink + red + green!

xo
elyse

[Andrea]

Love it!!! The cake looks fabulous, the stand wonderful and the toppers "take the cake." Great job.

[Jessica]

I think they are adorable! It really doesn't matter who had the original idea. The fun of crafting is sharing the ideas among friends!

Jess
http://www.ourlifeinhisgrace.tumblr.com

[Serena]

Susan,
How very mean spirited of you. I make a business by creating my own original ideas and would never in a million years copy something someone else had already done. I've used flags and buntings for years in my little business and proudly came up with this idea on my own. Had I known someone else or others had done this before, I never would have.
I will spend my time continuing to do what I love and trying in any way I can to help others do the same.
Sincerely,
Serena

[Christene from WhipperBerry.com]

Love your homemade cake bunting, and thanks for telling us where to find that lovely cake syand. I was just admiring it!

[crystal]

I love it! I did a similar cake topper for a baby shower. Instead of the banner pennants I hung paper cut outs of babyclothes and made it into a clothes line. =)

[Susan Mckgee]

It's too bad your idea was not original.
The cake bunting has been featured on Design Sponge and
Oh Hello Friend, so I am truly sorry to see you try and
re create it.

[Lisa Hilderbrand]

Looks good enough to EAT!
xxoo

[Nancy @ The Wife of a Dairyman]

Adorable cake flag you've created! And so glad you let us know where you found the cake platter...beautiful!

[Teri Allen]

Very fun idea. And I'm sure a bit time consuming (so I understand the etsy price) but like most of us, we love your idea of making them and also love the idea we can now make them with two or three layers. Also love the idea of adding letters to spell someones name or a message. And.....I also LOVE Rosanna dishes! Keep the great ideas coming :)

[Jennifer]

Very cute and you could add letter stickers to spell out a name or greeting! Love it!

[Sarah]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE CAKE PLATE!!! Where in the world did you get it?!

[Malinda]

That looks so yummy!

[Brianna]

Ok, yeah. I totally dig that cake.

[Rachel]

I love the idea, but I have seen a few on etsy lately. http://www.etsy.com/shop/KikiLaRu (this is not my shop!)

[MadHenMama]

Adorable! I love the cake stand, too.

[Shari Besser]

I love this! Banners are so cute. I made a flag banner out of material for my grandson's room. They are easy and fun and this couldn't be easier. Do you have the dimensions of the flags you made?

[Joni]

Oh, how adorable! I don't know why the market didn't keep supporting the cuteness of the vintage banners, flags and cute stuff and instead went to the packaged sugar decorations which are rarely cute anymore. I love these, thanks for the ideas!
XOXO
Joni
PS: LOVE the cake plate!!

[Natalie V2]

Darling!

[Ainsley]

How cute is that!! What a great way to use up some of my scrapbooking scraps!

[Mermaid Debbie]

Serena, that is just too darn cute! Love it. Thanks for sharing your fun idea!

[Alisa Lewis]

Love it! Great idea! I think I will do this sometime soon!

[Beki - TheRustedChain]

Cutest. Cake. Ever.