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How to Make A Cardboard Cake

Many cakes that have elaborate theme-based shapes are made in part of other materials besides actual cake. Some portions of the cake are a prop to create the desired shape. One way to achieve this is to sculpt one or more layers of the cake using cardboard. Here is a creative and decorative way to make a standard circle-shaped layer of cardboard cake that is made up of individual slices.

Things You'll Need

  • Pencil
  • 8 1/2-by-11-inch printing paper
  • Ruler
  • 8 8-by-10-inch cardboard pieces
  • 1 11-by-14-inch cardboard piece
  • Heavy duty scissors
  • Clear gel glue
  • Colored spray paints
  • Craft decorations
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Instructions

  1. Create Individual Cake Slice Pattern

    • 1

      With the blank printing paper in the portrait position, start about 2 inches to the left of the upper right corner and draw an 8-inch line downward diagonally toward the left side of the paper, ending 4 1/2 inches from the bottom of the page. This will form one long side of a rectangle. From your starting position 2 inches to the left of the upper right corner, draw a 2 1/4-inch line downward diagonally toward the right side of the paper, ending about 2 1/2 inches from the top of the page. This will form one short side of a rectangle. From that spot 2 1/2 inches down on the right side of the page,draw an 8-inch line downward diagonally and parallel to the first long line. Close the rectangle at the bottom with another 2 inch line.

    • 2

      Position triangles on both sides of the rectangle. To do so, measure up 4 1/2 inches from the bottom left corner and the bottom right corner of the rectangle. These marks represent the place where the triangles will close.

      From the bottom left corner of the rectangle, draw a line straight up the edge of the paper 4 1/2 inches. Do the same horizontally from the bottom right corner of the rectangle. Close the triangles on each side with a line that curves with a slight arch.

    • 3

      From the bottom right corner of the rectangle (a point also shared with the lower triangle), draw a line straight down 2 1/4 inches. Do the same from the bottom right corner of the triangle. Connect the two lines with a line 4 1/2 inches wide that runs parallel to the bottom edge of the triangle. All pieces of your pattern, the rectangles and the triangles, should touch one another, with shared sides.

    • 4

      On the top portion of the first rectangle you made, draw folding flaps. To do this, draw a line parallel to the upper side of the rectangle about 1/3 inch distance from it. Join the two parallel lines with diagonal lines at each end. Do this on both sides and on the top of the rectangle.

      Draw the same folding flaps on the left side and bottom side of the rectangle below the triangles. The outline of the flaps line should look like this: \-------------------------------------/

      You will use these flaps later to construct the slice.

    Construct the Slices

    • 5

      Cut out the drawing and use a pattern to prepare the cardboard pieces. Trace this pattern onto each cardboard piece remember to draw the folding flaps on all of the rectangle portions the same as drawn on the paper. Cut out each cardboard pattern including the folding flaps. The end result should yield eight cardboard slices to construct.

    • 6

      Fold each cardboard pattern into an individual slice. Fold inward diagonal sides of each triangle.

    • 7

      Fold the second rectangle over the diagonal parts of the triangles and apply pressure so the cardboard will somewhat hold the shape.

    • 8

      Place a thin line of gel glue within the fold area of the flaps, then fold the folding flaps over the sides of the arch of the triangles on both sides. Apply pressure to partially secure the shape of the slice.

    • 9

      Fold the second rectangle over the diagonal parts of the triangles and apply pressure so the cardboard will somewhat hold the shape.

    • 10

      Place a thin line of gel glue within the fold area of the flap on both the right side and the bottom of the rectangle, then fold the folding flap over both the diagonal side of the triangle and the bottom of the long rectangle. Apply pressure to fully secure the shape of the slice. The end result should yield a cake slice in the form of a 3-D triangle.

    Make and Decorate the Cake Layer

    • 11

      Choose one or several colors to spray paint the slices, then use other craft decorations to achieve the look your want. Set decorated slices aside to dry for 2 to 3 hours.

    • 12

      Prepare a cardboard base to serve as a cake plate. Draw a circle about 10 to 12 inches in diameter onto an 11-by-14-inch piece of cardboard and cut out.

    • 13

      Decorate the cardboard base. Choose a color to spray paint the cardboard base, then use other craft decorations to achieve the look your want. Place the decorated cardboard cake plate on a flat surface and let dry for 2 to 3 hours.

    • 14

      Put the cardboard cake slices on the decorative cardboard cake plate side by side.

    • 15

      Push the slices toward the center to mold them into a perfect cake layer.

Sculpture

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