How to Make A Cardboard Valentine Cake

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! And, I’m reminded of the wonderful words of my grandpa… “Ain’t love GRAND!” As newlyweds, my grandpa would ALWAYS shout that out to me and my hubby every time we entered his house!  Oh, it’s so true! Nothing is more grand than being in love!  And, nothing is better than showing your loved one how special they are by making a handmade card loaded with glitter and sentiment.   Cards are great, but why not go a step beyond and make a 3D expression of love?  So, let me show you how to make a cardboard valentine cake.

I have a great fondness for vintage cards… but there is something very special about ones that are handmade.  This year I thought I would combine the two and make a vintage-inspired card with a twist.  I’m going to make a 3D card. A miniature sparkly (9 inch tall), three-tier cardboard cake with vintage-style embellishments.

Materials Needed

• Thin cardboard ( a shirt box or cereal box works nicely)
• Clear glitter
• Craft paint
• White tissue paper
• Hot glue gun, and glue sticks
• Mod Podge or Elmer’s Glue
• Scissors
• Pencil

STEP-BY-STEp Directions

STEP #1. Start off by measuring three strips of cardboard… these will be the sides of each tier of the cake. My dimensions were: large tier 16 1/2 inches, medium tier 12 1/2 inches, and small tier 8 1/2 inches. The width for all the strips is 1 3/4 inches. Cut out each strip.

STEP #2. Hot glue the large strip from end to end to make a ring. This will make the side of the large tier. Repeat for the medium and small strips. * I attached an extra small piece of cardboard to one end of each strip to make it easier to attach to itself (see photo).

STEP #3. Next, make the tops for each tier of cake. I placed each ring on a piece of cardboard and traced them. BUT make sure the circles you make are a little bit bigger than the rings. In other words, each cake top has to be slightly larger than the cake bottoms. Cut out the circles. * You can use a compass to be more precise.

STEP #4. Now, hot glue each cake top to its cake bottom.

STEP #5. The 3 tiers of cake are assembled… it’s time to stack them and hot glue them together.

STEP #6. Using the Mod Podge glue and tissue paper it’s time to add a slight texture to the outside of the cake. This will give an illusion of icing and makes the structure stronger. Just brush on the glue to the sides of the cake. Then add pieces of white tissue paper and brush one more coat of Mod Podge to the top of the tissue. Let dry.

ALMOST FINISHED… TIME FOR THE MAGIC

STEP #7. GLITTER time! Brush on a thin layer of Mod Podge over the whole cake. Then shake clear glitter to coat the cake sides. * I chose not to glitter the tops of each cake in order to have a little a contrast between layers.

STEP #8. This is the time for embellishments, be creative! For my cake topper, I cut out a cardboard heart. I painted it pink and added a coating of clear glitter. I let it dry. Then, I hot glued it to the top along with some white toule and a few pink vintage faux flowers.

What could be more thrilling than seeing the look on that special someone’s face when you unveil this beautiful 3D card that was crafted and made with love?   The best part is when you spend the time to create this wonderful cardboard valentine cake… it really shows that you care! And, it can be a keepsake for years to come!! It can be saved and cherished, and even become a piece of your annual Valentine’s Day decor.  So, before you go out to find a store-bought card this year, think about making a cute handmade creation instead.  It’s a ton of fun and looks AMAZING!  So let’s get crafty! Let’s show the ones we love how much we care… and as always, let’s get HOMEY!!

• Amazon has all the supplies you need, including a glue gun,  craft paper, scissors, Mod Podge, and tissue paper (paid links).
• If you enjoyed this article, please see my winter craft post, “How to Make Retro Cardboard Christmas Houses.”