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I Put the Fabric Down and Immediately Got Glue Everywhere


Personalised mermaid cake topper with layered pastel mermaid tail, seashell, starfish, coral and seahorse wreath, displayed on a pastel ocean-themed birthday cake with the name Madison.
3D Mermaid Cake topper

This week, I did something radical.

I Put the Fabric Down and Immediately Got Glue Everywhere

Not forever. Don’t be dramatic. But long enough to fall headfirst into the world of card stock, which, fun fact, I did not realise had levels. Card is not just card. Card is a system. A hierarchy. A lifestyle.

Yes. Card comes in different weights.

Actual numbers.

GSM.

Adult decisions I was not ready to make.


How Cake Toppers Ruined My Peace

This all started with cake toppers.

At first, I was living my best life making 2D toppers.

Flat.

Clean.

Obedient.

I mastered those and thought, Right. I’m clearly an expert now.

This was my first mistake.

Because once you master 2D, your brain says: “Cool. Let’s try 3D.”

No warning. No planning. Just vibes.


Personalised dinosaur cake topper featuring two smiling dinosaurs in front of a volcano, with jungle leaves and eggs, displayed on a green dinosaur-themed birthday cake with the name Bobbie.
3D Dino Cake Topper

3D Cake Toppers: A Personal Attack

3D toppers are where confidence goes to die.

Suddenly I was:

  • Layering coloured card

  • Introducing glitter card (a menace to society)

  • Trying to create depth and structure

  • Using glue like a feral raccoon in a craft shop

I got glue everywhere.

Hands. Table. Card. The wrong parts of the card. At one point I was stuck to the project both emotionally and physically.

3D is not forgiving. You don’t just stick things. You hold, hover, brace, reconsider your life choices, then stick again and pretend the glue smear is intentional texture.

Personalised football birthday cake topper made from layered cardstock in green, navy and yellow tones, featuring a soccer ball, trophy, boot, and player silhouette, with the name ‘Thomas’ and age 8, fixed on wooden sticks.
2D Football Cake Topper

The Card Stock Spiral

Some card bends if you look at it funny. Some card stands firm and judges you. Some card says, “Yes, I can be a cake topper. ”Some card says, “Absolutely not, don’t even try.”

I now have opinions about GSM that I did not ask for.

And glitter card?

Beautiful.

Sparkly.

Will still be in my house in 2037.


I Put the Fabric Down and Immediately Got Glue Everywhere

Why This Was Actually a Good Idea

Despite the glue carnage, this week mattered.

Learning card properly means:

  • Stronger cake toppers

  • Better structure

  • Less sad, floppy outcomes

  • More options when fabric isn’t the answer

More Shabby Than Chic has never been about staying in one lane. It’s about curiosity, trying new things, and occasionally creating absolute chaos in the name of creativity.

The sewing machine is still there. The fabric will forgive me. The glue… remains suspiciously everywhere.


Personalised rainbow birthday cake topper made from layered cardstock in pastel pink, lilac and yellow, featuring a rainbow arch, the number 4, floral details and the text ‘Happy Birthday Mia’, mounted on wooden sticks
2D Rainbow Cake topper

What’s Next?

More cake toppers. More card. More layers. Possibly less confidence going into 3D next time.

But honestly? I wouldn’t change it.

Except maybe using less glue.

✨ Stay tuned. This paper phase has teeth.


More Shabby Than Chic, where creativity meets chaos and, this week, glue was always involved. If you like what you read, like, share, subscribe.

 

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