Party Hacks – How to throw a Unicorn Party On a Budget.

1. Unicorn Balloons

Getting Started:

Balloons: Find the Balloons in your local Party store. ( We recommend King Cake store, B-day Parties) 

Confetti : Get or make paper confetti. A nice handful per balloon. It can be found extra cheap in any China Town or simply purchase in your local party store.

Balloon Weights: For a cost effective option fill balloons with water and finish by wrapping with decorative tissue paper to make them look fancy and color themed. Alternatively your local party store or China Town will have more sophisticated options.

IMPORTANT: Only fill your balloons with helium on the day of your party.
Ask the store attendants to leave a long ribbon for you so you can add the tassels.

2) Unicorn Party Activity

3) Unicorn colored popcorn.

Candy-coated popcorn recipe with sprinkles and real cotton candy pieces!

How to make it:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the marshmallow or vanilla melts according to instructions on package.
2. Add 8 cups of popcorn to a large bowl and pour in the marshmallow coating. Stir until well coated.
3. Add the cotton candy and gently mix to distribute throughout the popcorn.
4. Spread popcorn out on lined baking sheet and add the sprinkles on top. Allow to cool.
5. In two separate bowls, melt the blue and pink candy coating.
6. Divide the remaining popcorn equally between two bowls – 2 cups in one bowl, 2 cups in the other.
7. Pour the blue coating over the popcorn in one bowl and the pink over popcorn in the other bowl.
8. Stir until well-coated and spread the popcorn out on another lined baking sheet.
9. Combine the white, pink and blue popcorn and enjoy!

4) Unicorn DIY Cupcakes

Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Special Equipment:

• Frosting points can be found in Cab Bakery
• Toothpicks
• Small heart-shaped cookie cutter less than 1 in. diameter

Instructions

Bake the cupcakes.

1. Divide batter in half, and add two drops red food coloring to one half and one drop red, one drop blue to the other half. Swirl batter into the cupcake tins, filling 2/3 of the way to the top. To swirl the batter, I did a few rounds of pouring each color of batter into its own ziplock bag with one corner sliced open.
2. Bake cupcakes according to box instructions. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool completely on cooling rack.

Build the unicorn horns and ears:

1. Take the fondant out and separate into small sections. Create one small sphere about the size of your thumbnail for each horn. As you’re working, keep any remining fondant covered with wax paper of plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
2. Roll each sphere out into a long snake-like noodle. Then, take one of your toothpicks and begin winding the fondant around the toothpick from the base to the pointed end. Set aside.
3. Do the same until you have the necessary number of horns. As the fondant dries, it will harden. Take the slightly hardened horns and roll them gently on the counter or cutting board until the coils flatten and become more uniform. Spray horns with food color spray.
4. To create the ears, take all the remaining fondant and roll it into a ball. Flatten, and then roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s a thin sheet, roughly 1/8 in. thick. Use your small heart-shaped cookie cutter to create two hearts per cupcake. Once they’re cut out, pinch the rounded tops of the hearts together to create the ears. Set aside.

Prepare the frosting.

1. Prep the tri-color coupler frosting kit according to instructions.
2. Add softened butter to a stand mixer (or a large bowl and use a hand-mixer) and beat at medium speed (using the paddle attachment) until the butter is smooth – could take 10 seconds or less.
3. Add the vanilla extract and one cup of powdered sugar, using the lowest speed. Continue adding powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, slowly increase the speed until you’re at medium to medium high. Allow to whip for a few minutes until the frosting becomes smooth and fluffy. If it seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk to help thin it out.
4. Divide the finished frosting into three sections. Add one of the three sections to a bag from the frosting kit, and put a second section into a separate bowl. In the mixer, add a drop of red food coloring to the last section of frosting and beat at medium-high speed until it turns a soft pink. Add to the second bag of the coupler. Then, clean the mixer and do the same for the blue frosting, adding it to the last bag.

Frost and decorate the cupcakes.

1. Frost each cupcake and add the unicorn horns and ears. Then, arrange sprinkles on top. Spray with color mist to add a shimmery sheen at the end.
2. Prepare yourself for many compliments on your prowess.

Recipe Notes

The lemon extract isn’t necessarily, but it adds a lightness and brightness to the cupcakes that you don’t get with only vanilla flavoring. Highly recommend this addition. For the frosting, I use clear imitation vanilla extract so it remains very white. This recipe is simplified, but you can easily make your own batter and fondant to make it even more elaborate.

Wishing you happy times hacking your next unicorn party and let us know how it goes x