I have loved food crafting over the years.   It is fun to make something special, and creative once in a while. Yes I enjoy food crafting and since I’ve had kids I realize how fun these projects are to make with kids!  Kids love hands on projects and they are great for birthday parties, after school activities, or unit studies in school and homeschool.  So, once in a while I share mini fun food ideas to create yourself or if you need something for the kids, join in and get creative with them!

We made mini rainbow cupcakes again for St. Patrick’s Day this year, only with a new twist.  They are still simple and quick, perfect for anyone young or old!

The original inspiration last year was this awesome rainbow striped Air Head Xtremes candy! (More about this year’s new twist and creative inspiration in a moment…:) )

Before we go on, I want to mention I’m also sharing a printable pattern for the mini cupcake wrappers.  Decorative wrappers are a fun way to dress up your cupcake!  It’s easy to make your own with the look you want, and it’s inexpensive too!

Now back to the creative inspiration journey! 🙂  This is a little behind-the-scenes as to how ideas evolve and new versions are born with creative inspiration!

Here are the rainbow cupcakes from last year.  A candy rainbow sitting on a cloud. (And that gold wrapper was so fitting for St. Patrick’s Day!)  A plain cupcake made a little more fun with a piece of candy!

That little cupcake idea completely came to me when I spied Air Head Xtremes on the candy isle.

The strips of rainbow candy seemed to be made for cupcakes!

There is something fun and amazing about ideas.  Other’s think the same thing, and with the internet especially, we can see many versions of an idea.

And frankly it is amazing to see another’s spin on it!

So, when I was in line to check-out at the grocery store a few weeks ago and saw this magazine, I recognized the candy rainbows.  Oh yes, those are definitely Air Head Xtremes!  I was also instantly loving the marshmallow clouds!!  Wow!  Just lovely!  My next thought was, wouldn’t they be fun in mini size using mini freeze dried marshmallows for clouds?

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I knew I wanted to make the mini version with the kids and share that version with you!  So this year our rainbow cupcakes have a new spin and I am loving them and all their mini-ness!

Let’s look at everything we’ll need.

Supplies:

• mini cupcakes
• Air Head Xtremes
• Mallow Bits (freeze dried mini marshmallows)
• blue icing (store bought or homemade)
• white icing in a can (or in an icing bag with a decorative tip)
• knife
• Mini Cupcake Wrapper Printable PDF
• paper
• pen
• tape or glue

Let’s put together our decorative cupcake wrapper.

Print the Mini Cupcake Wrapper Printable PDF on the back of patterned paper.  You can also print it on plain paper and trace the shape onto the back of patterned paper.  Be sure to cut off the black line.  It is a better fit and you don’t have to worry about seeing the black line.

Before we join the two ends together, I want to show you how they overlap.  I shaded the area that overlaps.  It’s a small little wedge shape.  Basically if you line up the top edge of the wrapper and keep the overlap small, you will be overlapping it in this wedge shape.  I made the wrappers snug, but they worked perfectly for me.  I may add a slightly longer version sometime, if there is interest.  For me this worked, so I just went with it!

Tape the two ends together or use a little glue.  Try the wrapper on an unfrosted cupcake to test the fit and make any adjustment before you make any more.

Now let’s decorate!

Generously frost the cupcake with blue frosting.  I am using blue icing out of a tub.  It’s flavored blue raspberry and It’s pretty good.  Of course, you could easily make your favorite buttercream icing recipe and add the blue coloring.

Set the cupcake into the wrapper.

Now let’s add two little white clouds.  Use the can icing to add the fluffy clouds or place some icing in an icing bag with a tip and pipe it on.

These are mini cupcakes so keep those clouds small!

The rainbows are made with Air Head Xtremes.  They are bright and fun!

For the mini cupcakes divide the candy in half.

Stick each side of the candy into each icing cloud.  I love the look of the clouds made with only icing and could be tempted to leave it just like that!.

This time I want to add a little more dimension and texture with mini freeze dried marshmallows.  They sell this jar of freeze dried marshmallows near the hot chocolate in the grocery store.

You may recognize these mini marshmallows as the same little marshmallows that come in powdered hot chocolate mixes.  If your local grocery store doesn’t sell these marshmallows separate, you could always send your powdered hot chocolate with marshmallows mix through a sieve and pull out the marshmallows for this project.

Place the marshmallows into the white icing and you are done!

These are fun and easy to make for everyone!

Mini rainbows are fun for St. Patrick’s Day but they would be great any time of year!  Maybe for a unit study on weather.  How about for a birthday party craft?

As for ideas and inspiration, it is fun to look at the world, put your own spin on things, and create!  That is what is at the heart of creating and being creative!

And as for the mini cupcake wrapper, I’m definitely making these again!  I hope you have success with them and see how quick and easy they are to make.  Maybe you even have  a stash of patterned paper like me, that will make some fun cupcake wrappers!

-Anna