Put on your Martha Stewart hat, it’s time to make a DIY cupcake bouquet

Cupcake bouquets are now a thing, and the best part is they’re actually really easy to make.

Even if you don’t consider yourself crafty, don’t shy away from this one. It’s as easy as… cupcakes?

For this cupcake bouquet, start by making cupcakes. I made an assortment of miniature and regular-sized cupcakes. (Try not to overfill the cups of the pan with batter, so that when the cupcakes are baked, they won’t rise too high, which will make them harder to frost.)

I used a cake mix for these cupcakes, but you could also use a homemade cake and switch to whatever flavor you want.

While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the base for the bouquet. I used a bucket I found at a craft store, but a vase or flowerpot would work as well. You’ll also need some tissue paper, ribbon and craft foam.

You might have to cut down the craft foam to fit into the bucket. First, fill the bucket with tissue paper. Then press the craft foam securely into the bucket. Finish off the bucket by tying some pretty ribbon around it.

Next, fit a frosting bag with a star tip, and fill the bag with vanilla frosting. Make sure the cupcakes have completely cooled before frosting them.

Frost the miniature cupcakes in a compressed swirl by pressing down the frosting and quickly swirling it from the inside out. Insert a skewer into the bottom of the cupcake, being careful to not poke the skewer all the way through.

Next, fit the regular-sized cupcakes into the cupcake bouquet by evenly placing them to cover up the foam. You can then frost those cupcakes.

Into all the empty or bare spots, fit in the frosted miniature cupcakes.

If desired, you can decorate the cupcakes for a special occasion or for a particular person. I added sprinkles to these cupcakes and used different colors of frosting to give them some more pizzazz.

To change the frosting colors, simply dye some of the frosting, and pipe it on.

For the sprinkles, either dip the frosted cupcake into a shallow bowl filled with sprinkles, or spread a few onto the cupcakes by sprinkling them over the barely frosted cakes.

I used assorted sprinkle jimmies and pearl sprinkles. Whatever you choose to use, the sprinkles add a lot of character and fun to this bouquet.

And now you are ready to enjoy the cupcakes yourself or to give this bouquet to someone special.

DIY decorative cupcake bouquet recipe

Ingredients and supplies:

• 1 craft bucket or flowerpot
• Tissue paper
• Ribbon (optional)
• Craft foam
• 1 cake mix plus the ingredients called for
• Assorted colored cupcake liners
• 1 (16 ounce) tub vanilla frosting
• 1 frosting bag
• 1 star tip
• Food coloring, if desired
• Skewers
• Assorted sprinkles (I used jimmies and pearl sprinkles)

Directions:

1. Prepare the bucket or flowerpot by filling it with tissue paper and craft foam (you might have to cut down the foam to help it fit) and then tying a ribbon around the outside of it.
2. Prepare the cupcakes according to the package directions, making some large and some small cupcakes.
3. Bake according to the directions, and then allow the cupcakes to completely cool before frosting them.
4. Fit a frosting bag with a star tip, and pipe the frosting onto the small cupcakes.
5. If desired, dye the frosting different colors.
6. Fit a skewer into the bottom of each cupcake, and then evenly arrange the large cupcakes into the craft foam by pressing them in and trying to fill the space.
7. Fill in any remaining empty space with the miniature cupcakes.
8. Pipe the frosting over the large cupcakes.
9. If desired, decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles.

More cupcake recipes

Lavender cupcakes with Earl Grey icing
Very vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting
Milk-and-cookies cupcakes