DIY - OMBRÉ HEART CANDY BUTTONS
Cute as a button! Candy Buttons are a candy classic that no one ever tires of. We came up with a Valentine's Day twist for this sweet, sugary treat, which also makes for a fantastic DIY party craft for older kids! We've also included in this post some free printable tags, templates and a piping guide to make the craft complete!
Materials
Ingredients for Royal Icing
We used this Royal Icing Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction
* Meringue Powder
* Confectioner's Sugar
* Gel Food Coloring of your choice
Materials
* Party et Cie Valentine's Heart Candy Tag Printables
* Party et Cie Heart Candy Piping Guide
* Party et Cie Heart Candy Template
* Piping Bags (We purchased ours from Holly Fox's Etsy Shop)
Other Materials Not Pictured
* Kitchenaid Mixer
* White Paper
* Printer
* Stapler or Glue Tape
* Masking Tape
Instructions
Mix the royal icing as per the recipe's instructions. This recipe is sufficient enough to pipe many candy heart buttons (trust us - you probably won't run out). We found that royal icing on the runny side worked best (but not too runny). To create an ombre color scheme, begin by placing a few spoonfuls of white royal icing in the first tipless piping bag. Add a tiny amount of your chosen gel food color to the bowl and mix well. Add a few spoonfuls to another tipless bag. Again, add a little more food color to the bowl and mix. Add a few spoonfuls to another tipless bag.
Repeat until you have 5 shades of white to pink.
Cut out all the templates and guides. You will need one tag and one template to create a set, so print and cut out as many as you need. Place the Heart Candy Template over the Heart Candy Piping Guide, and tape down onto a clean surface with masking tape at the corners (don't cover any of the hearts). You should be able to see the hearts through the Template. **Tip** If you can find a clear, flat surface like an acrylic tray or glass dish, for example, you can place your phone light underneath, shining the light up under the template to make the hearts more visible.
Snip the tips off the bags and you are ready to pipe!
Beginning with white icing at the top, pipe a row of hearts. On the next row, pipe the next shade, and so on.
Finish with the darkest color at the bottom. Allow a couple of hours to try, but ideally, overnight is best.
Cut out the Valentine's Heart Candy Tags and fold in half.
Using glue tape, apply glue to inside top and bottom edges.
Press down the Candy Hearts, keeping the template centered and straight. If using a stapler, fold the Tags and place the template in between and staple at the bottom edge.
Optionally place the candy hearts in a vellum bag! Give out to your Valentines for a sweet sugary surprise!
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