Our first DIY tip is written by Disneymooner Laura, who just had a fabulous vow renewal aboard a Disney Alaskan Cruise. To read more about her wedding, vow renewal and read her recaps, please join our private forums.

Whether you are looking to save money, want a custom design, or are just really crafty, making your own monogram cake topper is probably easier than you think.

The first step is to choose or create a design.  It’s best if you can create it as an image file, but even a drawing might be doable.  Try to minimize really thin lines or small holes, as these will be hard to cut.  This was the design we created for our vow renewal cake topper:

Once you have your design, you need to decide what material you want your topper to be made of.  We went with stainless steel, but you can use other metals or even acrylic.  You’ll have to choose the thickness you want (1/8”, 3/16” and 1/4” are standard for metals) and whether you want the rods to be welded to the bottom or inserted into pre-drilled holes.  You’ll also have to figure out how big you want it to be.  It’s a good idea to check with your baker beforehand to get any necessary dimensions and weight limits.

With all these decisions made, it’s time to contact a metal cutter.  I started with a web search and looked for companies who made cake toppers or had examples of their work online.  After talking with and getting quotes from a few different people, I went with the one I felt most comfortable with.  About a week later we received our metal topper.

If your topper came with pre-drilled holes but no rods, you can purchase metal rods online or at a home improvement store.  You can also use wooden dowels or skewers.

You have a few options for decorating your topper: leave it as is, paint it, or add crystals.  If you’re going to use crystals, decide what color(s) and size(s) you want.  The more sizes you have, the better the coverage will be.  Crystals can be purchased online or at a craft store.  You’ll also have to decide how to attach them.  If you purchase hotfix crystals, you can try using a hotfix applicator.  With both flat back and hotfix crystals you can use an adhesive.  If you have trouble getting them to stick to metal, try scuffing up the surface.

Lastly, plan out your crystal pattern and attach them. I found it easiest to plan a small section and then glue it down.  It’s best to start at a corner or edge and work your way across, as it can be hard to make the crystals fit in a way you like when two sections meet.  However, you can pull the crystals back up if you need to redo an area.

Make sure you have extra crystals and glue with you (especially if you’re travelling to your wedding) just in case anything happens.

Here is our finished topper: