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Flip-flops are the ultimate casual summer footwear, perfect for beach outings, BBQs, and waterpark adventures. They're airy, light, and colourful, making them a staple in our wardrobes for just about any everyday task.
Looking for a fun and comfortable party theme that everyone can enjoy? Why not host a flip-flop party! The best part is how easily you can incorporate flip-flops into your cupcake decor.
These flip-flop cupcake toppers are super simple to make and can be prepared in advance, helping you cut down on your to-do list for the party day. Just let them dry in a cool space, and they’ll be ready to top your cupcakes when needed.
Here is how you can get started...
Supplies
Fondant
Food Colouring
White Chocolate
Regular Sugar
Brown Sugar
Gloves
Toothpick or Small Cutting Knife
Wax Paper
Fondant Roller
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For my cupcake toppers, I stuck with a limited colour set to save time but played around with different styles. If you want more colours, just repeat the prep process for each new hue.
Prepare your Workspace
Make sure your work surface is clean and dry, with plenty of space to roll out your fondant sheet comfortably.
Lightly dust your surface with cornstarch or powdered sugar to keep the fondant from sticking, or use a sheet of wax paper for an easy, mess-free working area.
Colour Your Fondant
Fondant can be bought in the colour you need but if you want to have flexibility on the colour intensity or be budget-friendly, you can buy a white fondant and colour it at home by doing the following:
Cut out the amount of fondant you need to colour.
Select the food colouring colour you want.
Spread your fondant out to create a small pocket in the center.
Add 1-2 drops of food colouring.
Slowly fold the fondant edges inward to seal the food colouring inside. Next, knead and stretch the fondant until the colour has been evenly combined.
Continue this process until your desired colour has been achieved.
Repeat this process for each colour you need to make.
Remember to wear food-safe gloves if you're handling darker colours to prevent staining your hands.
Basic Flip Flop
Step 1: Flip-Flop Base
Start by rolling out the fondant for the bottom layer of the flip-flop, this piece will be the thickest part of your topper.
Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface and use a rolling pin to evenly roll out the fondant to about 1/4 inch thickness. Ensure that the rolled fondant is large enough to cut out your desired shape for the flip-flop base. Once you've achieved the right thickness and size, gently massage the cut edges to soften them.
When you have achieved your desired shape set the base aside and get ready to roll out the next piece of fondant.
Step 2: Shaping the Flip-Flop Strap
Grab a small piece of fondant, about the size of a tootsie roll, and roll it between your hands or on your board into a thin, even strip. Aim for a length of about 10-15cm. Once you've got the right thickness and length, trim the ends flat with a knife.
Next, gently bend the strip into a 'V' shape, pressing the center together to form a third leg, which will become the middle part of the flip-flop strap. To flatten the end of this third leg, either press it against your board or trim the top with a knife.
 | Tip: If the fondant feels too soft after rolling, give it about 5 minutes to firm up. |
After shaping the strap, drape it over a fondant bottle or thin roller and let it dry for 6-12 hours. Make sure the strap curves so the ends lay flat on the flip-flop base. If it’s still too soft after that, give it a little more time to dry until it’s easier to handle.
 | Important! To keep its shape, your fondant needs time to dry before you put it together with other pieces. It’s a good idea to prep any parts that need drying well ahead of when you’ll actually need them. |
Step 3: Attaching the Strap to the Base
In this example, we show how you can bond your strap using melted chocolate. Melt some white chocolate over boiling water, and feel free to colour it to match your fondant.
Get your base and strap ready for assembly. Use a toothpick to poke small holes in the fondant base where you want the strap ends to go.
Then, dip your toothpick in the melted chocolate and dab it on the strap ends. Gently press the strap onto the flip-flop base, making sure everything sticks together. Work quickly so the chocolate doesn’t dry out, and apply just enough pressure to keep the strap in place without breaking it.
Once done, set your flip-flop topper aside to dry.
Step 4: Decorating Your Cupcake
Take a cooled cupcake and add a nice layer of icing on top. Gently place your flip-flop topper into the icing. To give it that beachy vibe, spread a bit of icing on the top of the flip-flop and sprinkle some brown sugar over the icing to create that sandy effect.
You can even sprinkle more brown sugar over the rest of the icing to really make it look like a mini beach scene. And there you have it!
Floral Flip Flop
Step 1: Flip-Flop Base
Start by rolling out the fondant for the bottom layer of the flip-flop, this piece will be the thickest part of your topper.
Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface and use a rolling pin to evenly roll out the fondant to about 1/4 inch thickness. Ensure that the rolled fondant is large enough to cut out your desired shape for the flip-flop base. Once you've achieved the right thickness and size, gently massage the cut edges to soften them.
When you have achieved your desired shape set the base aside and get ready to roll out the next piece of fondant.
| Tip: Keep in a warm place to make sure your fondant layer does not dry out before you have fully completed the next steps. |
Step 2: Flip-Flop Face
The top layer of the flip flop, the side of the topper that will be facing up.
On a wax sheet of paper, using a rolling pin, roll out the fondant to an even thickness, about 1/8 inch thick. You want it to be slightly thinner from your flip-flop base because you will be layering your design on top of this sheet of fondant.
| Tip: Keep in a warm place to make sure your fondant layer does not dry out before you have fully completed the next steps. |
Step 3: Flower Pattern
In this example, I will use orange fondant for my flower petals and blue for my flower center but you can make any coloured flower that will best suit your design.
| Important! You will want to work quickly for this step to make sure your fondant layers don't dry up before you are ready to roll the flowers into your white sheet of fondant. |
Taking the orange fondant you will want to roll it out into a thin sheet, about 1/8 inch thick. Make sure you roll it on a wax sheet of paper so it's easier for you to pull up the pieces. Using your knife or a toothpick, trace out the shape of a flower ranging between the size of your pinky tip and your thumb.
I want to have some variety so I've cut the flowers in 3 different sizes. You will need up to 3-4 flowers for your topper design.
When you have your desired shape, cut it out using the tip of your knife or toothpick and remove the excess fondant.
Taking the blue fondant, roll it out into a thin sheet about 1/8 inch thick as well. using your knife or toothpick, trace out small circles. Equal number cutout of circles for your cutout flower shapes. They will need to be smaller than the flower shapes because they will be the center part of your flower.
When you have your desired shape, cut it out and using the tip of your knife or toothpick, gently pull it out and place it in the center of your cut flower shape. With your flowers now assembled, bring in your white fondant layer and gently press them into place.
Place your rolled-out flip-flop base in the center of your board, with dry and clean hands, place your flip-flop pattern layer on top and gently press with your fingertips to bond the two layers together evenly.
Step 4: Shaping the Flip-Flop Strap
Grab a small piece of fondant, about the size of a tootsie roll, and roll it between your hands or on your board into a thin, even strip. Aim for a length of about 10-15cm. Once you've got the right thickness and length, trim the ends flat with a knife.
Next, gently bend the strip into a 'V' shape, pressing the center together to form a third leg, which will become the middle part of the flip-flop strap. To flatten the end of this third leg, either press it against your board or trim the top with a knife.
| Tip: If the fondant feels too soft after rolling, give it about 5 minutes to firm up. |
After shaping the strap, drape it over a fondant bottle or thin roller and let it dry for 6-12 hours. Make sure the strap curves so the ends lay flat on the flip-flop base. If it’s still too soft after that, give it a little more time to dry until it’s easier to handle.
| Important! To keep its shape, your fondant needs time to dry before you put it together with other pieces. It’s a good idea to prep any parts that need drying well ahead of when you’ll actually need them. |
Step 6: Attaching the Strap to the Base
In this example, I'm going to bond the strap to the base using melted sugar. In a small pot add 1/4 cup of sugar, add about 1/8 cup of water, and squeeze a little bit of lemon juice. You don't need to add lemon juice if you don't want to.
Give the pot a gentle swirl once or twice to help the water mix with the sugar. Then, set your stove to medium-high heat and let the sugar heat up on its own.
| Important! Sugar can burn fast, so stay close and keep an eye on it. And be careful—it's super hot, so make sure not to burn yourself! |
Here’s what to look for: the sugar will start to melt and turn clear, then it’ll begin bubbling. Once it bubbles, leave it alone and let it cook until it turns a light golden color.
At that point, swirl the pot 2-3 times, place it back on the burner, and let it keep cooking. When the sugar turns a deep golden shade, it’s ready. Keep in mind that sugar continues to cook after you remove it from the heat, so don’t let it get too dark.
Now, get your base and strap ready. Use a toothpick to poke small holes where you want the strap ends to go.
Dip the ends of the flip-flop strap into the melted sugar and press them onto the base. Once you place it, avoid lifting it up again or you might risk breaking the strap.
Set your completed flip-flop topper aside to dry.
Striped Flip Flop
Step 1: Flip-Flop Base
Start by rolling out the fondant for the bottom layer of the flip-flop, this piece will be the thickest part of your topper.
Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface and use a rolling pin to evenly roll out the fondant to about 1/4 inch thickness. Ensure that the rolled fondant is large enough to cut out your desired shape for the flip-flop base. Once you've achieved the right thickness and size, gently massage the cut edges to soften them.
When you have achieved your desired shape set the base aside and get ready to roll out the next piece of fondant.
Keep in a warm place to make sure your fondant layer does not dry out before you have fully completed the next steps.
Step 2: Flip-Flop Face
The top layer of the flip flop, the side of the topper that will be facing up.
On a wax sheet of paper, using a rolling pin, roll out the fondant to an even thickness, about 1/8 inch thick. You want it to be slightly thinner from your flip-flop base because you will be layering your design on top of this sheet of fondant.
Keep in a warm place to make sure your fondant layer does not dry out before you have fully completed the next steps.
Step 3: Stripe Pattern
In this example, I'll be using orange, green, and blue fondant to create the stripe pattern but feel free to swap in any colours that match your design.
For each colour, you'll need about a golf ball-sized amount of fondant. Start with the orange fondant and roll it out into a sheet about 1/4 inch thick. Then, use a knife to cut the fondant into strips about 1-1.5cm wide. You can make them thinner if you prefer or mix and match different widths. Repeat the same steps with the other colours.
Step 4: Layering your Fondant Strips
Set your flip-flop base in the middle of your workspace and start layering your cut fondant strips on top. I’m going with a diagonal pattern here, but you can arrange them however you like. Just make sure the strips are close together so you don’t see any of the white base peeking through.
Keep adding strips until the whole base is covered. Once you’re done, gently roll over the strips with your rolling pin to blend them into the white base. Then, use a knife to trim off any excess fondant and smooth the edges with your fingers to finish up your flip-flop striped base.
Step 5: Shaping the Flip-Flop Strap
Grab a small piece of fondant, about the size of a tootsie roll, and roll it between your hands or on your board into a thin, even strip. Aim for a length of about 10-15cm. Once you've got the right thickness and length, trim the ends flat with a knife.
Next, gently bend the strip into a 'V' shape, pressing the center together to form a third leg, which will become the middle part of the flip-flop strap. To flatten the end of this third leg, either press it against your board or trim the top with a knife.
| Tip: If the fondant feels too soft after rolling, give it about 5 minutes to firm up. |
After shaping the strap, drape it over a fondant bottle or thin roller and let it dry for 6-12 hours. Make sure the strap curves so the ends lay flat on the flip-flop base. If it’s still too soft after that, give it a little more time to dry until it’s easier to handle.
| Important! To keep its shape, your fondant needs time to dry before you put it together with other pieces. It’s a good idea to prep any parts that need drying well ahead of when you’ll actually need them. |
Step 6: Attaching the Strap to the Base
Use either method (melted chocolate or melted sugar) to bond your strap to your base.
Summary
There are so many fun ways to design flip-flop toppers! You can go with a classic solid colour or get creative with intricate floral patterns. They’re super easy to make and really add a cool touch to your cupcakes!
Video Tutorials
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