Jewellery Project - How to make a Cake Topper
This project is ideal to make a cake topper for a wedding cake or special party cake. Making it yourself means you can choose your bead colours to match your wedding or party theme.
Cake Topper Ingredients
- A selection of beads
- 2mm wide Crimp beads
- 0.6mm thick silver plated wire
- 0.4mm thick silver plated wire
- Chain nose pliers
- Round nose pliers
- A ruler or tape measure might be useful
If you are not sure what any of these items are please have a look through our jewellery making glossary.
This cake topper is made up of two types of wire spiral, a spiral with two beads and a spiral with a wire work heart. I will explain how to make the bead spiral first and then I'll explain the heart spiral.
Bead Spiral
Cut 30cm of 0.6mm wire and straighten it to remove most of the 'bend'.
For an effective wire straightening technique please see our straightening wire tutorial page.
On one end of the wire add a crimp bead and squash it firmly onto the wire using chain nose pliers.
Add a bead and then another crimp bead.
Squash the second crimp bead onto the wire to hold the bead in place.
Squash a third crimp bead onto the wire about 10cm from the first bead.
Add another bead and then another crimp bead to hold this second bead in place.
Wrap the section of wire between the two beads around a marker pen or a tube.
Take the wire off the tube and carefully pull out to give a gentle spiral.
Make several more of these, varying the beads for each one. We made about 10.
Heart Spiral
Cut about 33cm of 0.6mm wire and straighten it to remove most of the 'bend'.
At a point approximately 5cm from one end, of the wire, bend the wire around the tip of a pair of round nose pliers.
Take the pliers out of this small loop and place them outside the loop but resting against it. Use the widest part of the pliers this time, instead of the tip.
Bend the wire around the pliers to make one half of a heart shape.
Repeat on the other side.
Wrap the short end of the wire twice around the long piece of wire and trim.
Add a bead underneath the heart and squash another crimp bead onto the wire to keep it in place.
Starting beneath the heart, wrap the wire twice around a marker pen or bead tube.
Remove the wire from the tube and pull carefully to give a nice gentle spiral.
Make several more of these heart spirals. We made about 5.
Gather the wires together, like a bunch of flowers, and wrap a length of 0.4mm thick wire around the stems to hold them in place.
Arrange the wires to give a well spaced out, balanced effect.
For hygiene, it is a good idea to place the stem in a plastic Posy Pick before inserting it in the cake.