Don’t you hate it when wax drips all over your birthday cake? Here’s a pretty way to avoid that – flower bobèches made out of paper straws and cupcake liners. Pretty and practical, and perfect for any little girl’s party. (PS – A vellum flower cake!)

Materials needed: Cupcake liners, decorative paper straws, birthday candles (slightly larger than the diameter of the straw), hole punch, scissors, glue

Step 1: Fold a cupcake liner in fourths or eighths.
Step 2: With scissors, round the corners of the folded liner to make petals. Unfold.
Step 3: Punch a hole in the center. Repeat with two liners per candle. (Make the top flower slightly smaller than the bottom flower).
Step 4: Gently twist the candle into the top of the straw. (I found that the top colored layer of wax came off quite easily, leaving a half inch of white wax that secured the candle in the straw.)
Step 5: Brush off any extra wax.
Step 6: With the candle inserted into the straw, place two liner ‘flowers’ over the candle, stopping at the start of the straw. Use a tiny dab of glue to hold the liners to the straw.