Cake Decorations: 3D Printed Cake Topper Tutorial

You might have seen our recent post using the Silhouette Alta Plus to make custom statement earrings and now that we have made one project we have caught the 3D printing bug in a MAJOR way! It’s so magical to have a tool like this one that makes you feel like you are creating something from nothing and using the Silhouette Alta Plus makes you feel just that! And, like you’ll see with today’s 3D Printed Cake Topper project, this machine will change the way you look at parties, home decor, craft projects and more because it opens up a wealth of possibilities for customization!

So, today we are showing you how to make a custom cake topper for any gathering! With the Silhouette Alta Plus you can make toppers for cakes or cupcakes that match your theme, have someone’s name, or call out the reason for the gathering! Now everything cake will have an extra special, one-of-a-kind touch that couldn’t be easier to create. Here’s how you do it:

Supplies needed to make a 3D Printed Cake Topper

Silhouette Alta Plus
Silhouette America PLA Filament
Cake Topper Design (We used this adorable file from Club Crafted!)

How to make a 3D Printed Cake Topper

Step 1: Make sure your Silhouette Alta Plus is connected to your computer, the filament is loaded correctly (if you need any help with setup, this is a great post to help you out) and that you have both Silhouette 3D and Silhouette Studio software downloaded on your computer (you can download them here or free).

Step 2: Import the design into your Silhouette Studio software. Then, open the the file in Silhouette Studio. Using the drawing tools, add the skinny rectangles at the bottom of the “P” and “Y” (these will be the parts that will stick into the cake). Once the rectangles are added, select the entire design, right click and select “Make Compound Path” to connect all of the pieces together.

Step 3: Select “Save As” and save the design as a new design file in your library.

Step 3: Open Silhouette 3D and go to the “Designs” tab and select the folder where you saved your cake topper. When you open the file, a box will pop up asking how you would like to import the design. Choose “extrusion” and the design will import to the software.

Step 4: Select your desired print quality and send to print! Once the design has printed completely, let cool, remove from the machine and you’re ready to party!