Back to School Pencil Cupcakes
Yesterday started out just like any other day.
I woke my son up as annoyingly and obnoxiously as possible. Blinking overhead light? Check. Armpit tickle? Check Check. Yank off his covers? Don’t mind if I do.
I had a Pop Tart and Diet Coke for breakfast.
I did computery things and cleaned the house.
Then came time to pick my son up from school. And as I stood outside the school waiting…I started hearing those words that every parent dreads.
“Blah blah…running late…blah blah….FUNDRAISER ASSEMBLY”.
(Insert sobbing and contemplating running away from the school without my son)
Fundraiser assembly day is like my least favorite after school day EVER. Because it’s the day they get my kid all pumped up about PRIZES! that he can WIN! if HIS MOM AND DAD! sells 500 of these REALLY COOL! things.
First off, when I was a kid I had to tromp around and sell the mess myself. And I know that’s not safe anymore (thanks, freaks and weirdos of the land for THAT) so the school says to have Mom! and Dad! sell it for you. Which is why I am wondering… why are the prizes neon frisbees and fake ATM machines?
What about…a spa certificate? Maid service for a day? A lifetime supply of Sour Patch kids?
Do you really mean to tell me that my motivation in asking “friends, co-workers and church members” to buy this stuff is that my son could win a pretend electric guitar?
So basically, they want to PUNISH me for helping my kid sell stuff.
No thank you.
And I realize that schools need money. Trust me, I am willing to pay it. Just don’ t make me sell anything.
Please. Anything but that.
Also, you should know that my son took his Fundraiser Prize Sheet to bed with him last night.
I don’t stand a chance, do I?
I’m a little late on the Back to School Treat train, but inspiration struck kind of late (hello…I’m an ARTIST, I have no control over my gift) and I know that some parts of the land haven’t started school yet, so there’s hope yet.
So how about Pencil Cupcakes??
These aren’t the fanciest, but they are super duper easy. There are a few different ways of doing the “pencil” liner part:
1. I only had white liners on hand, so I baked the cupcakes in white liners, then made pink and yellow wrappers from THIS TEMPLATE that you can print, and some pink and yellow scrapbook paper. I wrapped the pink first, then the yellow over it so just a bit of the pink showed underneath. I then cut strips of foil and taped it on where the pink and yellow overlapped.
2. You could also bake the cupcakes in pink liners, make a yellow wrap to go around (leaving some pink exposed at the bottom) and fasten a strip of foil or tie a silver ribbon where they overlap. Or just forget the silver all together.
2. You could bake the cupcakes in yellow wrappers and cut the top 2/3 off of pink cupcake liners. Set the yellow lined cupcakes in the pink, and tape silver tape around where they meet (this is probably how I would have done it if I was more prepared and not too lazy to run to the craft store).
Then make your buttercream (for 24 cupcakes, you will need to make 2-3 batches of this):
(click here for printable recipe)
Buttercream Recipe:
2 sticks butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups powdered sugar
In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, vanilla and milk on medium until smooth and well blended. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat on medium-low until just mixed. Increase speed to high and beat for two minutes.
Set aside a very small amount of frosting and color it black. To the rest, add a drop of pink and a drop of tan, or any beige-ey color.
Using a large open star tip, pipe the beige/tan frosting, spiraling it around a few times. Using a round tip (I used #5) pipe a sharp tip in black (Hold your piping bag at a 90 degree angle…squeeze a good dab of frosting then slowly pull up as you continue piping. When it gets to desired height, stop piping FIRST, then lift tip up)
That’s it!! Easy peasy.
(Do you live in the Fort Smith, Arkansas area? Are you interested in purchasing a super awesome School Partners discount card, worth at least TEN TIMES it’s weight in gold?? Please email me at cookbookqueenblog(at)gmail(dot)com for all the fabulous details. Also, you should know that this will further my son along in his goal to win a pretend ATM machine that I will probably have to fill with money myself).
Thanks so much for stopping by!! I hope you have a fabulous day!!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I realize you could be doing more important things with your time. Like watching the news or washing socks. I hope you stay awhile. Much more fun than socks, I promise. 
These are so, so clever!!! Kristan! Seriously brilliant!
And I am SO with you on those fundraiser prizes!!! Have you ever BEEN to one of those assemblies? Ugh. I think they should be outlawed.
I totally remember doing those!! I would get all excited when they would show the prizes at assembly, they quickly lose steam once I realized I had to work. ;)
Ha ha ha ha ha! My son starts PRESCHOOL next week, and we’ve already received a flyer about getting ready for the candle fundraiser. Seriously, they are not asking 4-year olds to sell this stuff, they are asking ME. PLEASE tell me I can just make a donation to the school on the sly and call it good.
On the other hand, these cupcakes are brilliant.
I am awful, I don’t let my kids participate in school fundraisers. I have 5 children and three of them are in a school right now, plus Scouts and stuff. That is a lot of fundraising. And I can’t afford to buy from each kid myself, and if I don’t feel like I can do that, I really can’t ask others to do that either. Unless it is one of those discount cards or Entertainment books (bcs I can use those) we just don’t even try. I am a horrible parent. Or a genius, I can’t decide which. lol ;)
You’re not a horrible parent, you’re a considerate person. I cringe when I am bombarded by all my friends “expecting” me to buy things that I don’t need and frankly, I can’t afford!! We are a homeschool family of 5 with only one income coming in and all of my friends are 2 income families coming to me asking for money to buy something I don’t need for something their kids don’t need and I am the bad guy if I say “Sorry, I can’t afford it right now.” So, on behalf of all of us folks who are just getting by, THANKS SO MUCH :)
Genius. And I bet your friends thank you for it!!
I used to LOVE those fundraiser thing when I was in grammer school.. but then when I had to do it in high school I was so over it. I was way to cool for a bright green pencil w/ orange polka dots if i sold $250.00.and forget it If I sold 500 I would get a 4 inch school mascot stuffed tiger.. wow!!. My 4 yr old starts preK on the 12th and they have already started sending emails telling me to get ready… oh joy… let the games begin… I guess.
These are too cute. Wish I would have thought of something this cute when my kids were in school. But that was like, a thousand years ago.
Thanks for sharing all your cleverness!
These are too cute!!!!!!!!!!! I am heading to the store this morning to get stuff for you brownies you posted yesterday and your cherry limeade pies, but this might be my project next week:) I just started reading your blog yesterday and I am completely hooked. Thanks for giving me and my neighbor a reason to bake all day and have an ending product completely worth showing off!!!
*LOVE* these! You are a clever, clever girl you are!
It is quite strange. When I hear your rants, I think you are copying my thoughts exactly. Glad to know I am not the only one!
you. crack. me. up. i also hate school fundraisers. my daughter is too young for them, but my niece hit me up for one of those entertainment books valid for HER city. (please note: we live in different cities.) when i offered to just donate some money, my sister said, “well, she really just wants the prize, sooooo…” what the???? when did CASH MONEY become unacceptable?
also, when i saw the thumbnail of these, i thought the “lead” was a chocolate chip. that sounds easier, AND I AM LAZY. anyway, just an idea :).
Why didn’t I think of that?! Great idea :)
LOVE these cupcakes~we may make them for the first day of {home}school next week! We’re crazy about cupcakes around here:)
And if I still lived in the Fort I’d be happy to help you out with your fundraiser. That’s where we’re from! We just moved to KY this month.
I just died of laughter and cuteness overload.
OMG!!! Something new I’m going to stress about. Last night my son, who is in 3rd grade asked me if I could join the PTA because the class that has 100% of their parents join will win (drumroll please!)……..a POPCORN PARTY! Anyhow, I LOVE your blog, I am a stay at home mom now but former school nurse at an elementary. I have an 8, 6, and a 4 yr old (the youngest stays home with me). I LOVE baking and go crazy about your ideas and recipes! But this morning I felt like one of those weirdos and freaks you mentioned on your blog. Yesterday, I baked red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for my husband’s birthday and since our family and friends are 10 hrs away (car distance). I had like 20 left. So I decided to share some with the school staff, and they looked at me like I was trying to poison them when I offered a free cupcake (except my kids teachers). One lady even asked me why I made them, so I replied for my husband’s birthday and THEN she asked for his name. I never had this problem when I baked at the school where i worked….they would disappear in seconds. I want to continue baking but need portions for 5! :) Imagine trying to sell stuff to complete strangers!! And my kids will want to drop out of school if they don’t WIN! Happy school year everyone!
i just love how creative you are….the cupcakes look gorgeous :-)
So uber clever. How smart! Love ‘em. My poor kid crying at drop off, clinging to her teary eyed mom, could’ve used one of these this morning. I’ll post a link on EdibleCrafts.CRaft.Gossip.com! :)
Hahahaha! These are fantastically hilarious (in a good way)!!! I love them!
I feel ya with the fundraisers too…we did chocolate bars when I was a kid, and my parents would inevitably ground us for eating at least 2/3 of the candy ourselves. :)
I love this post and the cupcakes, too!
I am with every single one of you about the fundraisers, too. In our school system, someone finally figured out that some parents would much rather just make a flat donation. The recommended donation is $20, which I believe is a steal in place of my time! I always tell my daughter that even Wally World sells better stuff than the incentives offered.
My daughter hasn’t started yet!!!! Her first day of Kindergarden is next Tuesday (sob….sigh) and she will LOVE these cupcakes!
And for her cheer squad fundraiser, we were given the option to sell two boxes of candy for 120$ or “buy out” for 60$. Of course, my husband decided to sell the two boxes, so you know what that means. We’ll be “buying out” for 120$ while eating 120$ worth of candy ourselves. (So recipes involving peanut butter cups, Hershey with almonds, kit kats, and twizzlers will be much appreciated, LOL!!!)
Super cute cupcakes! Luv them!!
Our school does a year long fundraiser. We sell gift cards….way easier to sell than wrapping paper and etc. I usually buy the gift cards myself (our local grocery store is part of the program) and I stock up on Christmas/Birthday, etc. gifts!
Kristan,
I realized I posted this just now under yesterday’s rocky road brownie entry, so I wanted to move it here where it belongs! You captured mine and my husband’s thoughts on fundraisers perfectly (except girl scout cookies and cub/boy scout popcorn which we fully support). It’s those parties with inflatable slides and bounce houses and Jammin’ music that they bring to the school for those who sell 10 items that steam me. My poor kids have NEVER participated in those. Yeah, I’m sure I’ve done irreparable damage and they will someday blog about me…
I do have one techie question for you. Did you know that the pictures of your desserts (which suck me in every time) don’t show up on your home page anymore? You have to click the partial blog entry to go to the full blog entry with the dessert picture. Not sure if that was by design or still in the web-master-lady-fiasco you suffered through recently. Either way, I’m gonna click because I know it’s worth it.
Pop Tarts and diet coke – the breakfast of champion moms! One of my favorite s!
Forget the fundraisers- I learned several years ago just to send a check-the school , band, cheerleaders, etc gets 100% of the money and everyone is happy and you don’t end up with a bunch of junck because you had to buy it yourself.
So cute and clever as always Kristan!!
OMG, I sooooo feel your pain and I think your hilarious and this post was the best!!! I’m definitely a fan and follower now. LOVE the cuppies!!
Super cute cupcakes!
We are knee deep in the selling of the junk over here, luckily they have reduced the options to cookie dough and magazines. If my son mentions one more time he gets a rubber duck for selling to another person and how he can trade it in for candy……I may just have to stick a cupcake in his mouth to quite him :)
In addition to all the junk selling they also want you to donate cash….they don’t hide it…it’s now called the stay at home fundraiser, oddly enough they both come home the same week, the week after school starts and why haven’t they realized parents are out of money by then and wait a month.
when my son was younger he won the fake atm at the assembly…he still loves it :) and he is hoping to sell the max and get the ipad….something tells me this is not going to happen for him.
Kristan, these are some of the cutest cupcakes ever! Such a smart idea. Love em!
School fundraisers are my nemesis!! And your school has an AFTER school assembly for the fundraiser? Oh my…
Good luck selling all of those super great things no one can live without!
These are so darn cute! So simple to make and such a great idea. I want to make these for my daughter’s class. I love your photos too. :)
Thank you so much Dorothy!!
I totally agree with not liking the fundraising. I finally got to the point, I would just say how much can I give not to sell the “stuff”. I would tell the kids I would buy them something @ the store the next time we went. I became so tired of selling gift wrap, popcorn, pizzas, pies, & whatever else.
Those fundraiser guys are crazy! I hated doing them as a kid, yet they somehow managed to get me pumped every year…… brainwashing…..
These are awesome! Perfect for back to school!
Thanks, girl!! :)
so with you on the fundraisers, I’m having to sell the crappy cookie dough that tastes like drywall. My daughter wants to win the limo ride. Already found all the kind people (suckers) we could to buy it but still need 6 more. Hoping, praying for a few more innocent bystanders to be around when she puts on her pitiful face and says “please won’t you buy some of this delicious (cough) cookie dough”. To find a bright side on this, I will be posting an ice cream pie using this crappy cooking dough when it comes in!
Dear Kristan,
I am a 22 year old college student. I don’t have time to bake or cook or have a sane life outside of school and shiz-faced partying. However, one of the BEST parts of my day includes reading your FUNNY-AS-HE-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS blog and looking at your VERY cute sugary creations.
Keep it up. :-)
Sincerely,
The Cookbook Queen’s Admirer
You make me happy. The End.
Ha, we had a no fundraiser policy ar work…loved it. Didn’t have to sell, didn’t have to buy! I feel the same way about home demonstration parties… I don’t have them so I don’t feel obligated to attend and buy stuff I don’t want or need.
Very cute and creative! Hey, you could try homeschooling…. you get to pay for EVERYTHING yourself… and your kids never leave!! Oh the joy! =)
Wow! I love the idea! Where were you when I was PTO president and then Volunteer Coordinator?You are do right…you are an artist, an amazing artist! They are sooooooo cute! I’m sure the school will live them and of they are smart they will stay on your good side so you will continue to bring awesomeness like this.
Pretty sure I’ll hate that fundraiser stuff as much as you do. These cupcakes are adorable!
Oh yeah, I remember those days. Luckily I still have some of that wonderful $5/roll wrapping paper I bought when my son was in 1st grade 12 years ago. It did hold up I have to say:)
I think the only fundraiser I don’t roll my eyes at when I’m approached about buying something is Girl Scout Cookies. Those are totally worth it! ;)
If it’s chocolate, take it to a weight watchers meeting. Make sure you don’t know anyone. Tell them it’s diet chocolate. It will sell. Trust me. This may or may not have happened to me!
Best. Idea. Ever.
Great cupcakes as always Kristan! Love your ability to get to the heart of an issue with your sense of humour and tongue-in-cheek- wit while still get your very valid points across.
My kids are long out of school, we didn’t have fund-raising assemblies but we did have fund-raisers and my grand-kids are still doing them at their schools. I’m not a fan of having the kids sell the stuff and rewarding their (parent’s mostly) efforts with junk. I understand the need (given all the budget cut-backs to education etc.) but if you are going to reward (bribe the fundraising individual) why not give them something more useful and educational, like books as a prize to strive for? Seems to me that the very system that is educating our kids should know better.
And that is my soap box stance for the day.
Exactly. You are a smart girl, Paula.
Thanks for visiting me :)
Kristan,
We started brain washing our kids when they started school on how cheap the prized were after their first fundraiser and they “won” a great prize and it broke the first day. We explained that the school only get 1/2 of the money that they sell and if we wrote the school a check they would get 100% of the money. In turn we would take them and buy them a good prize that would not break the first day. Nothing major but something comparable with the level we were willing to donate. They were happy they were getting a prize! We were not getting sucked into beating our church friends and family down for the next 12 years and having to reciprocate to them. This worked for us!
I love, love your cupcakes and once again girl…you crack me up!!!
These are seriously so a-dor-able! Love them! Wishing you many, many sales so that you get to play with a pretend ATM while your son goes to school — um, wait – that’s what I would do. :)
:) I was in charge of the fundraiser last year at our school!… lol
Oh girl, I love how clever this is. It’s the cleverest thing in all the land ;)
You make me smile.
First – I’m right up there with you on the obnoxious wake-up calls. I do them to WizKid every day and so far he’s not big enough to smack me. :)
Second I used to HATE HATE the fund raisers and I NEVER EVER EVER ONCE let WizKid participate in them. Our children are there to learn not to raise the annual school budget and hope to learn their ABC’s in the mid-term.
He never cared because we always offered him a prize greater than anything he could have earned in the fund raiser for his grades.
Thankfully we have had him in Connection Academy Public Virtual School for three years now and never have to worry about those again. In fact the school actually send US his school supplies.
Third – these cupcakes are absolutely incredibly priceless!!! What a clever idea lady. You are so talented. I love getting my “Confessions” in my inbox!!!
Ahhh these are so cute!! Love this!
I loved this post and at the same time felt distinctly uncomfortable as I read it.
Uncomfortable because for the last 9 years I was the fundraising coordinator at my children’s elementary school. So, yeah – I was the one scheduling those kickoff assemblies. I tried to do things differently last year, including skipping the assembly, and was criticized for it afterward. Apparently, I am the only one at the school who was getting tired of showing off cool prizes that my children were not going to even come close to earning.
At the end of last year I resigned from this position on the PTA. I put in my time. This year, with all 4 kids in school, I will be making a donation to the PTA. And I will not feel guilty about it.
Thank you for this post, and for the yummy looking cupcakes. And for being willing to speak your mind!
Wait, wouldn’t it make more sense to save the money spent on silly prizes and use THAT towards whatever they are supposed to be fundraising for? I am sure I am *so* naive.
I dread the day when my kids go to school and I have to start selling goods on their behalf. I did my time in retail, thankyouverymuch.
These cupcakes are SUPER cute, and such a fun idea! :)
You crack my stuff up! Thanks for making my so-so day… so much better! Hated those assemblies when I was a kid, can’t even begin to let you know how much I dread this time of the year when my doorbell starts ringing… There is only so much wrapping paper, magazine subscriptions, and frickin’ candy that I can buy… so I have decided to make something for my storm door that I saw on another blog… and I have a Cricut and vinyl… so this is my weekend project… here is the blog that I got the idea from:
http://livelaughmakesomething.blogspot.com/2011/01/unless-you-sell-thin-mints.html
Keep making me laugh!
-Kristin-
Love the cupcakes! And I feel your pain on the fundraisers. When I read your post I was instantly transported back to high school marching band and how we had to sell 384758974 french bread pizzas, scented candles, and magazine subscriptions. Ugh.
Kristan, I LOVED your rant about the infamous school fundraisers!!!! But, you forgot to mention the “Class Prize” for selling the most in that Grade… Drum roll, please … THE PIZZA PARTY!!! lol
Very Cute Cupcakes!!!!
I just found your blog & love it!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
SO CUTE! loved your thoughts on fundraisers too…I remember going door to door in my neighborhood trying to sell stuff. and begging my dad to take some to work to sell :)
I seriously wouldn’t mind it either if it was for a lifetime supply of Sour Patch Kids!!
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