Kids cakes you can afford – Fake Cakes

Most of us want to give our kids the best for their Birthdays and an OTT (Over The Top) Birthday cake has suddenly become the normal requirement.

Even if I could afford to buy a 4 tier OTT $800 cake for my child’s first birthday does it really mean I want to ?

Heck NO !

I can think of many other things to spend the money on including a good bottle of wine that I will need to drink after the 20+ kids run riot through my house.

So why not fake it and fool everyone that you are indeed a “time savvy organized rich mother “.

I must admit faking cakes is nothing new to me, many times I have had to put a fake base on a homemade creation just so it doesn’t topple over but that was more out of necessity them affordability.

So what about the real cake? Well you have 2 options – make 1 tier real (make sure you cut from this tier) or take the cake back into the kitchen and serve up a sheet cake. Everyone will be none the wiser.

IMPORTANT TIP: If your fake cake is colored e.g, blue, make sure the real cake that you a slicing from also has a sheet of the same icing otherwise your cover will be blown.

Here are some bases around $50 a set at Sugarcraft.

Here are a couple of videos to help you with techniques.

Mark Ballard has some great techniques http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT2pWtOlmEk

Donna shows us how to cover a polystyrene Dummy tiers with icing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKILPEC3q3Y

Rather fake some cake pops? then check out this post of Faking them too. Faking it doesn’t just start when you get married it can start at the reception too with this article about fake wedding cakes.

I am a little bit in love with these kinds of stick and stitch embroidery designs, because they are exactly the sort of project that gets you started straight away instead of sitting in a pile while you overthink thread colours and transfers for three weeks. The Christmas Stick and Stitch Embroidery Pattern from HoopArtStitch is a water-soluble peel-and-stick hand embroidery transfer, not a machine embroidery file, and Etsy lists it under craft supplies with fabric stabilizer and ink as the materials.

What makes this set especially appealing is how approachable it looks. The listing images show a pack of 12 Christmas-themed designs including a tree, ornaments, mug, pudding, reindeer, presents, mittens, mistletoe, bells, a poinsettia, and a car with presents on top, with the motifs shown at around 1.5 to 3 inches. That size feels very manageable, which is often exactly what helps people stay motivated. You can actually finish one, feel clever, and then want to do another instead of burning out halfway through some giant “character building” hoop.

I also think these are a great option for beginners because the hard part of getting the design onto the fabric is already sorted. You just peel, stick, stitch, and wash it away when you are done. That simple setup is a big part of why stick-and-stitch packs are so satisfying. They remove a lot of the fuss, which means you get to the fun part faster, and that alone can make hand embroidery feel much less intimidating. This is an inference based on the product format shown in the listing.

The shop side looks reassuring too. HoopArtStitch is marked as a Star Seller, which Etsy says means the shop consistently earns 5-star reviews, dispatches on time, and replies quickly to messages. The item reviews shown on the page are also very encouraging, with buyers calling it “very easy to apply, good designs for a first timer,” “exactly what I needed and excellent quality,” and “I really love this product.”

Another nice little sign that people are genuinely drawn to it is that the listing was posted on 15 January 2026 and already has 1,585 favourites, which is a pretty good indication that this style of project is resonating with hand stitchers.

Overall, this feels like one of those easy Christmas embroidery projects for beginners that is genuinely motivating rather than aspirational in a stressful way. It is cute, practical, and has that instant-start appeal that makes you actually want to sit down and stitch. And honestly, I completely get why you are in love with them. Sometimes the best craft supplies are the ones that make it easier to begin.

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