How to Make Your Own Magnets

These magnets came as an idea to me when I was planning my daughter's first birthday party. I wanted to send my guests home with a little gift and I wanted it to be something that would last. So instead of making chocolates, I decided to use these chocolate molds to make my own homemade magnets.

Materials Needed:

1 cup Plaster of Paris
1/2 cup of Cold Water
A plastic bowl or a glass bowl covered with Plastic Wrap
Plastic Spoon
Chocolate Candy Mold
Acrylic Paints
Paintbrush
Magnets
Hot Glue Gun
Stick-on Diamonds or Glitter Glue

How to:
I cover a glass bowl with plastic wrap to make clean-up easier. I normally use plastic bowls but I didn't have any on hand.

 This is the type of chocolate candy mold I use. It was intended to be used for chocolate pops so I covered the stick area with hot glue and let it dry. The plastic is thick so it didn't melt the mold.

I mix the Plaster of Paris and the cold water until it reaches a smooth consistency. It settles quickly so you have to work fast! Plaster of Paris can be found in any local hardware store.

I pour the plaster a little at a time and tap it in with the spoon to take out any air bubbles and to fill in all the spaces of the mold.

I fill all the molds with plaster and tap gently so that all the air bubbles work their way to the surface.

Plaster of Paris takes 15-20 minutes to completely set. After 20 minutes I flip the mold over onto a hard surface and gently tap. If any little pieces break off, you can always glue them together with super glue or Elmer's glue. Even though they are hard to the touch, they aren't completely dry yet, so I let them dry overnight.

Now the fun part begins! I usually apply two coats of acrylic paint first. I noticed that the paint dried quickly because acrylic paint is water based, and plaster of paris loves to suck up water. After the two undercoats dried, I used different colored paints to add details. I also had some rhinestones that I glued on along with some glitter glue that I applied. If you want to go an extra step you can apply modge podge for a glossy finish.

Once the paint dries, you can add a magnet to the backs with a hot glue gun.

I find that pastels are my favorite colors to work with. For the fine details I used a toothpick. The rhinestones and glitter are what makes them super cute! :) Enjoy!

Little Mermaid Birthday Cake #1

I've always been amazed by cake creations over the years but I've never had the guts to make a three tier fondant cake. My daughter just turned 1 in April so to take advantage of the opportunity and to save a few bucks, I decided to go for it. Her birthday theme was The Little Mermaid but I didn't want to overwhelm the cake with too many bright colors. I wanted nice soft pastel colors. So this is what I ended up with. I realized I made a lot of rookie errors after I finished, like I should have shaved down the sides of the cakes first before applying buttercream. Or adding a thicker layer of buttercream. The cake itself was vanilla with a nice silky buttercream. Everyone loved the flavor! I wish I could have taken pictures of the inside but I was so busy slicing and serving. The colors inside were purple, blue, and green. Well I sure learned from this experience and can't wait to do more in the future. Someone from the party already requested me to make a cake for them. Fingers crossed! :D