That's beautiful, Hummingbird!!
And, welcome to CC, cab333!

Oh I like the cup idea!!

Oh wow!! Awesome pics and advice! I can't wait to try this!!

Thanks so much for all the great advice on this thread!! I just love CC, I learn so much. I made one of these today and love the way it turned out

I love these, and was planning to try them for the first time in September. I'm supposed to make cupcakes for my church group's gathering, so I thought I'd do these as table centerpieces with the cupcakes decorated like mums.

But, here's my question: How would the women get them out of the little cups without getting frosting all over their hands? I don't want it to be so messy that they end up mad at me!

You can see in my picture above that the cupcakes actually sit up a bit. I didn't frost mine all the way to the edge so they were very easy to remove. You can see more cupcake this way but that did not bother me

I did mine to the edges and I didn't find it to be a problem. I removed two of mine to re-do them because I wasn't happy with them and they removed without a problem. I would go on what look you like better.

Thanks for the quick answers! I'm relieved to hear it'll work, so now I can start buying one flower pot a week from now till then with my 40% off Michael's coupons.

I was watching one of the DC cupcake episodes and they seem to have baked a cake in the clay pot and then just skewered the cupcakes on to that. I say seemed because the camera just flashed across the pot before they started adding cupcakes. They also used fondant leaves to fill in between (really like this idea). Is there any way this would be an advantage? I can't see how it could be solid enough to hold them in place.

When I made mine I actually didn't use anything to secure it to the pot. The weight of the cupcakes held it in place. Now that was the only 1 I made and I delivered it to a friend. I am not sure I would trust that if I was making a bunch for a customer. HTH

DC cupcakes used a foam ball. I think they coated it with buttercream and crushed up oreos to make it look like dirt.

I hot glue my cups to the pot because I'm paranoid that it would shift or something while driving.

This post helped me so much (thanks OP for posting your disaster so that KHalstead posted her tutorial!) THANK YOU Khalstead for your wonderful tutorial! I made some this week for my sister in law having my new nephew and for a friend! They turned out Great!!

Thrilled to have read all of this great advice and anxious to try making a cc bouquet. One question...some of the photos look like the "leaves" are tissue paper. If so, how do you keep it from getting greasy? Thanks!

Have you've ever since DC Georgetown Cupcakes on TV well they did something similar to what you did and they started off with pouring chocolate ganache over foam ball then let it dry place in pot, and add mini cupcakes to top with toothpicks or maybe use sharped end wooden dowels. that I hope helps you.

Thanks Khalstead and everybody for all the lovely ideas. Can't wait to try them.

KHalstead thanks for posting those pictures. That really helps.

this is a great thread.....

I've only made two bouquets, both with full size cupcakes. I got my pots at the 99 cent store and used a plastic wrapped cabbage instead of the expensive styrofoam balls. I got the pot, walked over to the cabbages, poked the cabbage in the pot, and if it fit, I bought them both.

The cabbage provides the weight in the pot, and only half sticks out above the pot's top edge. The toothpicks stay really well in the cabbage. I wrapped the cabbage as-is in green tissue paper & jammed it down into the pot. I used two toothpicks for each cupcake and cut little triangles of green tissue paper and poked between each cupcake.

I did have some of the wrappers start to detach from the cakes, but I just pushed in more green tissue paper. I didn't know how to use the 1M tip then (newbie), so next time I'll frost the cupcakes AFTER I poke them onto the toothpicks. You still have to be careful because it is top-heavy.

Apti, a real cabbage?

i made a mini cupcake bouquet (will get a pic up soon) and i managed to get 50 on there. i took all the great ideas that everyone suggested and it turned out not bad for my first time but the very bottom row cupcakes had a hard time staying in. i used toothpicks to hold them in but would there be something else i could do to secure them in better? i would like to be able to transport it without having a heart attack seeing them fall out. i used 1 ounce cups.

I have never made a cupcake bouquet, but from a physics point of view, here's how to keep the cupcakes on. You need to control the arc of the bouquet, or how round it is. Don't make it so round that the bottom row is facing "icing down". On that great tutorial on CC and in other pictures of successful bouquets, notice that the bottom row cupcakes are still "icing up". The ones with the cups stapled are also this way.

I can't thank KHalstead enough for her wonderful instructions and photos. I successfully made 6 dessert centerpieces for a women's luncheon at church tomorrow. I'm thrilled with the way they turned out!!!!!

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1818675

JGMB, very nice! What size cup did you use?

Thanks! They're 2 oz. cups.

Thanks JGMB. As I mentioned, I haven't made one, just studied the pros alot. That happens to be the only size cup I have so I got lucky.

great pictures