How to: Flag Cupcake Toppers

If you're a regular around these parts you have seen various cupcakes with flags on top of them, like the ones up there and the ones over here. I once saw plastic versions of sports pendants on some cupcakes and realized, "Hey, I can make those cheaper than buying them, plus I can get the image I want!" 

These flags are a simple, yet fun and attractive addition to a cupcake. I am going to show you how I make them! Here's what you need:

~images printed in color
~scissors
~glue stick
~toothpicks, with pointed tips trimmed off

So, the first step is to find an image you like. (Google Images is where I search.) Copy and paste it into a Word document. Once you have pasted it, click on the image to enable size editing and drag it down to the size you want. I usually print it out just to make sure it is the size I need before I go any further. 

Once you have the size you want, copy that image, then space 7 times. (That white space in between each image will be wrapped around the toothpick and I have found that 7 spaces between them works perfectly.) Now, paste the image. Space 7 more times and paste another image. Repeat once more until you have a row of four. 

You are going to be folding two of these images around a toothpick to form the front and back of the flag. So if you have 12 cupcakes, you need 24 images. (I usually do a few extra though. Just in case I mess one up.) 

When you get your first row of images, copy that whole row and keep pasting it down the page until you get your desired number of images. (See my finished page above.) Copying and pasting by rows is much easier and less time consuming that doing one image at a time to fill the page.

Next, cut the images into pairs.

Trim the top and bottom of the images but leave the white space on the sides. Flip over and apply the glue. 

Then wrap around the toothpick, line up the images and press the white edge around the toothpick well. I use my fingernail to get it nice and tight. Also, I like to trim the pointed part off the toothpicks with scissors. I find that pointed tip makes it hard for the paper to adhere and fit as well as I like for it to. With it gone, the paper is flush with the top of the toothpick.

Finally, cut off the excess white space on the right of the flag.

And there you have it! A finished cupcake topper! These are my go-to when I just can't find the right embellishment. They are perfect for sports themed cupcakes, but would work for just about any theme. Have fun! And feel free to leave questions in the comments!

P.S. Tomorrow I will feature these in action!