My school had a 50th anniversary several years ago. We made a ceramic
birthday cake with figures of students all over the cake. I threw the
cakes (3 round layers, each successively smaller) and a platter with a
cake stand, on my pottery wheel. I had the kids make all of the figures
and help decorate and glaze the cakes. I used majolica white glaze on
the cakes and platter, and applied Amaco majolica decorating colors to
the white glaze. The kids figures were varied...all sorts of school
life depicted in them...kindergarteners, graduates ( on top holding a
pennant that said "Happy Birthday SJS!", cheerleaders in a pyramid, kids
dangling their legs off the edge, sitting in various positions, all in
uniform. Some held signs saying various school related things. We
actually made 3 cakes that are all in various parts of the school.
The other thing that we did that made it SOOO festive...everyone in the
school made a paper hat to wear to the party. Some of them were VERY
elaborate, all were very festive. Kids, teachers and staff all came to
the art rooms to make construction paper hats. They could be as wild
and crazy as they wished, and believe me, there were a LOT of wild and
crazy hats. Many made crazy birthday cakes on their hats, etc.
It was GREAT fun at the party. The three cakes were the centerpiece on
the cake table. Thank goodness it didn't rain, as the whole K=12 school
was on the football field for this.
