Giant birthday yard decorations are a big thing right now while many of us are sheltering in place. This means most companies are booked for weeks in advance. I knew if I wanted a yard decorations for my daughter’s birthday celebration I was going to have to make them myself.
Luckily, I love to DIY! (This project brought back memories of our giant cupcake stand we made for our wedding!)
Our giant birthday cake is easy and affordable to make. I’m going to share my tips and tricks so you can make one, too! You can download a free printable PDF in the Resource Library, or you can follow the instructions below:
How to Make Giant Birthday Yard Decorations – Big Cake
Supplies
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- Corrugated Plastic Sheets with vertical flutes (channels run up and down, not side to side)
- 36″w x 24″h*
- 24″w x 18″ h
- 12″w x 12″ h
- Utility Knife / Tape Measure / Yard Stick (optional; if you need to cut your corrugated plastic sheets to size)
- Heavy Duty Tape
- (4) Yard Stakes – 10″ x 15″ Half Stakes
- Sharpies / Paint / Custom Stickamajigger® Giant Yard Cake Decorating Set
- Optional: Cricut / Silhouette Cutting Machine + Permanent Outdoor Vinyl
- Steel fence post (optional, but additional support is highly recommended)
Assembly
You can check with your local sign supply, craft, or hardware store for the above mentioned corrugated plastic sheets. If you are unable to find the exact dimensions you can cut larger sheets down with a utility knife and ruler.
*TIP: You can use (2) 18″w x 24″ h sheets to make the bottom layer if you are unable to get the bigger size; The main thing is to be sure the flutes are vertical so you can insert the stakes properly.
Once you have your sheets cut to size, you can assemble first then decorate, or vice versa. To assemble simply add your H stakes in between sections. I used two for the very bottom to secure to the ground.
For additional support, you can see I added packing tape to the backside to join each section. This giant birthday cake yard decoration is about 4.5 feet tall (without any toppers), so I would suggest using a steel fence post behind it for support. We were in a bit of a rush, and since this was just for us we used a shovel, HA!
Decorating
If you are more artistic than I am, you can use sharpies or paint to decorate by hand. If you have a vinyl cutting machine like a Cricut or Silhouette, you can cut permanent outdoor vinyl to make your own cake decorations!
Or, you can order a set of Stickamajigger® restickables custom made to size for this cake! If you have a yard greeting business these restickable decals are nice because you can order different sticker sets, then mix & match to color coordinate your event without having to have multiple cake structures! Or, if you are making a cake for yourself you can continue to decorate for other birthdays, events and holidays.
Other Ideas
You can add different cake toppers using additional stakes. I disassembled an H-stake to make smaller individual stakes. If you can’t twist them apart, you can cut with bolt cutters.
I added a personalized sign to the front using tape. It holds up just fine for the day and is easily removable. (Use caution so you don’t damage your decorations.)
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I hope you enjoy this simple project, and I would REALLY LOVE to see photos of your creations!
WANT TO REMEMBER
HOW TO MAKE A GIANT BIRTHDAY CAKE
YARD DECORATION?
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