This project was inspired by the romantic designs of Paloma’s Nest. Their handcrafted ceramic keepsakes are both beautiful and functional: ringbearer bowls, cufflinks, frames, and more for weddings, holidays, and baby with a fabulous hipster aesthetic.
I love the idea of an edible version that can be saved forever. Get creative with your message and write something that has special meaning to both of you.
What you’ll need (clockwise from left): Fondant rolling board, rolling pin, round cookie cutter, fondant in the color of your choice, small round piping tip, elastic ribbon, cornstarch (to prevent sticking), metal alphabet punches in the typeface of your choice. I used 1/4″ metal stamps that I purchased on etsy. The size of the stamps you use will be determined by the size of your keepsake and your message. (A lengthy message will require smaller lettering.) Be sure to practice with the letter punches and measure the spacing before you begin. (Hint: If you have trouble getting your letters to line up, try wrapping them with tape and pressing complete words rather than individual letters.)
1. Sprinkle a small amount of cornstarch on board to prevent sticking.
2. Roll out fondant thin, about 1/16th of an inch. Roll as evenly as possible. Be sure that fondant is not sticking before proceeding to next step.
3. Place cookie cutter on rolled fondant and cut out circle.
4. Remove excess fondant.
5. Your keepsake is now ready to decorate.
6. Insert small round piping tip (we used a tip 2) into fondant about 1/4″ from the edge. Press to make small round cutout.
7. Repeat previous step about 1/4″ away so that you now have two small holes punched out.
8. Select the letters you’ll need for your message.
9. Begin with first letter punch, ensuring that you press evenly. Remember that you’ll probably want to practice a few times on another piece of fondant. If you are having trouble lining letters up, wrap the punches with tape to keep them together. Allow keepsake to dry thoroughly, up to one week.
10. Allow your keepsake to dry completely (at least 48-72 hours) before proceeding to the next step.
11. Take a length of elastic ribbon and fold in half. Hold from behind keepsake and insert ends. Pull so that folded section forms a loop.
12. Insert ends through loop and pull.
12. Use a dab of royal icing to secure keepsake to cake. Tie elastic ribbon around cake. We also added a gold fondant ring around our keepsake for a little extra zing.
Creating your own edible keepsake? We would love to see what you come up with! Please email photos to erica@ericaobrien.com.
Lastly, I can’t thank Brooke Allison Sforza of Brooke Allison Photo enough for these beautiful pictures. Thanks Brooke, as always.
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