How to make the Greggs doughnut and cake buns bouquet for Valentine’s Day

It is possibly the LEAST romantic gesture – second only to not bothering at all – but a Greggs fan has dreamt up a last-minute gift that combines two staples of Valentine’s Day.

It looks like a bouquet of flowers but take a closer look and you will realise it is made with sweet treats from the high street bakery, including doughnuts and cake buns.

“I love creating things, especially out of food and I was looking at all the lovely sweet treats in Greggs and thought how pretty and colourful they could be, just like a bunch of flowers,” said Prudence Staite, the 37-year-old behind the bouquet.

“I made one as a gift for someone and they absolutely loved it – and even though it looks like it might – it actually didn’t cost much or take too much time to make.”

Greggs aren’t selling it – you have to make it yourself and it’ll cost around £20.

And here’s how to do it:

You will need:

A selection of 5 doughnuts and 11 Valentines ring cake buns from Greggs.
16 bamboo skewers
4 cocktail sticks
A card flower vase
1 oasis block for dry flowers-buff colour
Cling film
10 x A1 size sheets of food grade lime green tissue paper
1 sheet of A2 thick card
4 sheets of A4 paper
16 thick card circles, 11 x 4cm diameter, 5 x 7cm diameter
16 rubber washers or you could use jelly sweets or corks. These are to hold the card circles in place on the bamboo skewers.
Double sided tape
Sticky tape
A sharp knife
A metal skewer

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Method:

1) Make the small style leaves for the bouquet structure:

• Fold each A4 sheet of paper in half length ways, then fold again to make a long rectangle.
• Wrap each one in green tissue paper and secure with double sided tape.
• Fold each one in half.
• Secure a cocktail stick with a piece of double side tape where the ends meet, to make small leaves.

2) Make the large style leaves for the bouquet structure:

• Cut 5 or 6, 50cm x 9cm strips from the A2 sheet of thick card.
• Wrap each one in green tissue paper and secure with double sided tape.
• Fold each one in half.

3) Place the cling film wrapped oasis into the box vase and secure with double sided tape.

4) Add the leaves to the box vase:

1. Place the large leaves into the box vase on each side.
2. Place the 4 small leaves in the corners by pushing them into the oasis to secure

5) Make the stems:

• Make a hole in each washer by using the metal skewer.
• Thread the rubber washers onto the bamboo skewers
• Then thread on the card circles on top

6) Vary the length of the bamboo skewers by cutting them with a sharp knife:

• Cut 6 skewers in half
• Cut 5cm off 2 skewers
• This creates a set of different length stems to vary the height in the bouquet

7) Push in a shorter length skewer around the edge of the oasis block and add a Valentines ring cake bun.

8) Repeat step 7 to create a firm base of cakes:

• Leave gaps between the cakes to fill in with green tissue.
• Push in the longer bamboo skewers in the centre of the oasis block.
• Optional: For a firmer bouquet place the outside cakes tightly together.

9) Add the doughnuts and 2 or 3 Valentines ring cake buns to the taller skewers.

10) Fill in any large gaps with scrunched up green tissue paper

11) Add smaller pieces of green tissue to fill in any small gaps.

12) Done! Wrap in food grade cellophane. Secure with sticky tape.

Original post by ‘Nottingham Post’