Cut Cake into Squares: After your cake is completely cooled, cut cake into squares (6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1-inch sizes), following this plan. (You will have some leftover cake.)

Tips: If the cake is mounded or lumpy, slice off the top to even it out before cutting it into the squares. To avoid crumbing, chill cake in the freezer for about an hour before cutting.

Stack Squares into Tree Shape: Place the largest 6-inch square on a cake board or plate. Ice the bottom of the 5-inch square piece of cake, and stack it on top of the 6-inch square at a 45-degree angle. Repeat this process, icing the bottom of each respectively smaller piece, and stacking them at alternating 45-degree angles, until the 1-inch square is placed on top.

Prepare Frosting: Mix 5 to 6 cups frosting with green food coloring.

Create the Tree's Leaves: Using the pastry bag and your star-shaped cake tip, pipe individual "leaves" on each cake layer. Cover the entire cake to create the base of your Christmas tree.

String Garland on the Tree: Twist thin strips of the fruit tape, and stick them into the perimeter of each layer of cake. Use additional strips to make bows out of the fruit tape, and stick them onto the garland at various points.

Decorate the Tree: Use the small, colorful candies (like M&M's or Skittles) to adorn your tree with ornaments, and add as many of the colorful cake decorating decors (we used stars) as you'd like. Have fun with this step -- there are no rules! Top off the whole tree with a small star-shaped candle -- you can actually light it and set your tree aglow!

Prepare and Combine Cakes: During the baking process, the cakes might come out slightly mounded. Cut the cakes flat before continuing. Stack the three cakes on top of one another, starting with the largest at the bottom, and applying icing between each layer. (This will help the layers adhere to one another.) (*Option: to make an even taller cake, with more differently-sized layers, make two batches of cakes.)

Prepare Frosting: Mix 3 to 4 cups frosting with blue food coloring. Mix 1 to 2 cups frosting with green food coloring. Leave remaining frosting white.

Ice Cake: Ice and smooth entire cake with blue frosting. (*TIP: Lightly wet the spatula to make frosting easier to spread. You will have to wet the spatula a few times during the smoothing process.)

Draw Snowy Hills: With pastry bag and #10 cake tip, pipe white hills around each cake layer. Smooth.

Make Trees: Gently trim sugar cones to the desired height for each tree, and press into the cake, pointed end facing upward. Using the pastry bag and a star-shaped cake tip, cover the cone with green frosting to create a tree.

Repeat to make as many trees as you want.

Make the Snowman's Body: Gently push two pretzel sticks into each side of a large marshmallow. Place onto top tier of cake.

Make the Snowman's Head: Using a toothpick, gently make two holes for eyes and one for a nose into another large marshmallow. Insert two upside-down miniature chocolate chips into the holes for eyes, and an orange Tic Tac or similar candy into the other hole for the nose.

Attach Head to Body: Put a little dollop of frosting on the bottom of the snowman's head and attach it to the "body" -- the marshmallow already on top of the cake.

Make Snowman's Scarf: Roll out fruit chews (such as two Starburts or an Airhead) between parchment or wax paper until fairly flat. (If using Starburst, roll them tightly together, since the rolling action will cause them to join as one.) Cut a 1/2-inch wide by 3-inch strip from the rolled out fruit chew. Using scissors, cut slits on each end to make the fringe for the snowman's scarf. Drape scarf over the snowman's pretzel arms.

Make Snowman's Hat: Gently separate an Oreo or chocolate sandwich cookie. Scrape any remaining sandwich filling off one half of the cookie. Apply a small dollop to the middle of the Oreo cookie half, and press a miniature Oreo onto it. This is his top hat. Put a small dollop of frosting on top of the snowman's head, then stick his hat on. He's alive as he could be!

Add Final Snowy Touches: For the final decorating touches, pipe snowflakes and snow flurries onto the cake wherever you choose. To make snowflakes, use a pastry bag and cake tip (#3, #4 or #5) and draw three straight lines that intersect at their mid-points. Then dot the end of each line. For those who aren't as crafty (or have as steady of a hand), just draw as many single-dot snow flurries as you'd like.

Bake Cake or Cakes: To create the rounded cake, bake the batter in one large oven-proof bowl or two small oven-proof bowls (if you use the small bowls, you'll have two ornaments). Alternately, use a Wilton sports ball pan set to create two six-inch cakes. When cakes are finished baking and cooled, place them on plates or a cake board. Tip: If cake is rounded on the bottom slice off a thin layer so it lies flat.

Ice Cake: Ice entire cake with white frosting, making the icing as smooth as possible. Tip: Lightly wet the spatula to make frosting easier to spread. You will have to wet the spatula a few times during the smoothing process.

Add Sprinkles: Cut a strip of wax or parchment paper about three to four inches wide. Stick this onto the cake in the center of the sphere and very gently press edges into the frosting. Sprinkle colored sugar over entire cake, pressing firmly into the frosting. (You may want to do this over a large bowl so you can catch the fallen sprinkles, and reuse them.) Once you have completely covered the cake with colored sugar, gently remove the parchment or wax paper strip. This will leave you with a white stripe of frosting.

Decorate the Ornament: Using M&M's, Skittles, or other round candy line each side of the white stripe. Decorate the white center with peppermints or any other candy of your choice.

Create the Hanger Top: Using a toothpick, gently make two small holes in the top of a large gumdrop. Cut a two to three inch piece of lace licorice and insert each end into the holes in the gumdrop. Put a small amount of frosting on the bottom of the gumdrop and press it into the cake.

Arrange seven cupcakes to make the gingerbread body and head, as pictured. Put a dab of frosting on the bottom of each cupcake to prevent them from sliding when you ice them. (You will have enough cupcakes to make three gingerbread people, with three cupcakes left over.)

Prepare Frosting: Mix three to four cups frosting with brown food coloring. Mix a very small amount of frosting with black food coloring. Leave the rest of the frosting white.

Using a pastry bag and a #10 cake tip, pipe brown frosting around the edge of the cupcake gingerbread man, then work your way in, filling in the middle until the top of the cupcakes are completely covered. Smooth. Tip: Lightly wet the spatula to make frosting easier to spread. You will have to wet the spatula a few times during the smoothing process.

Pipe the Border: Using a pastry bag and a #5 cake tip, pipe a white border around each gingerbread person, complete with zigzags on their feet and hands. Make three vertical dots on their chests and two dots for their eyes.

Make the Eyes: Stick two miniature chocolate chips upside-down into the dots you made for eyes to create pupils.

Make the Buttons: Stick Skittles, M&M's, or other colored candy onto the three vertical dots to create buttons.

Make the Bow: Cut a large gumdrop in half. Cut the halved gumdrop diagonally to create two triangular pieces for a bow. Repeat for each gingerbread person. Stick the bow in the desired location on each gingerbread person. Using your pastry bag and #5 cake tip, pipe two dots in the center of each bow. Fasten a Skittle or M&M to each dot to create the bow center.

Make the Smile: Using a pastry bag and #5 cake tip, pipe a black smile onto each gingerbread person.

Make Chimney: After you've baked the cake, allow it to cool completely, then cut it into quarters. Stack the pieces, icing between each layer. Tips: If the cake is mounded or lumpy, slice off the top to even it out before cutting it into quarters.
To avoid crumbing, chill cake in the freezer for about an hour before cutting.

Make Bricks: Open five packets of fruit tape and cut each strip into 1 1/2-inch pieces using clean scissors and a ruler. Leave the pieces attached to the paper backing until you are ready to use them.

Ice Cake: Completely ice the cake with white frosting and smooth with a metal spatula. To avoid getting crumbs in the frosting, use a pastry bag with a large, round cake tip to cover the cake, then smooth. Tip: Lightly wet the spatula to make frosting easier to spread. You will have to wet the spatula a few times during the smoothing process.

Apply Bricks: Beginning at the bottom, arrange the fruit leather pieces into a brick pattern (make sure to remove the paper backing before affixing each piece.) The pieces should be roughly an eighth of an inch apart.

Add Snow: Once the bricks have reached the top, add lots of "snow" using a pastry bag with a large, round cake tip. Smooth, if desired.

Make Santa's Legs and Feet: Gently break a bread stick in half. Melt red candy wafers according to package directions. Using a candy brush, "paint" the bread stick pieces with the melted wafers. Allow to dry on parchment or wax paper.
Tip: To speed the drying process, place the bread sticks in the refrigerator.

Once the legs are completely dry, insert them into the cake, as pictured. Top each leg with a generous blob of white frosting (using the same large cake tip works well), then place a marshmallow cookie on each blob of frosting to create Santa's feet.

To fill vampire cupcake, fit a pastry bag with a Bismark tip (cake tip #230). If you do not have a Bismark tip, a regular cake tip such as a #10, #12, or #16 should do the trick. Just "pre-drill" a hole in the cupcake with a wooden dowel first.

Fill the pastry bag with you favorite sweet red filling. (We used Smucker's brand strawberry preserves but you could also use another red jam or jelly or red-tinted frosting).

Repeat with remaining cupcakes (fill enough for 12 vampires or, if you'd like the werewolves to have bloody centers too, fill all 24 cupcakes).

Insert tip into center of cupcake until it almost reaches the bottom. Squeeze the filling into the cupcake until it just starts to ooze out of the top.

Prepare your frosting: Take 1/2 cup frosting and mix with black icing color. Set aside. In a separate bowl, take 2 cups frosting and mix with ivory icing color (alternatively, use green or purple food coloring for your vampire's "skin").This should be enough frosting to decorate 12 cupcakes.

Using a pastry bag and a #8 cake tip, pipe an ivory border around the edge of your cupcake, then work your way in, filling in the middle until the top of the cupcake is completely covered. If you do not have a pastry bag, you can cut a small hole in the corner of a freezer bag and use that.

With a metal spatula, smooth out the frosting until flat.

TIP: By lightly wetting your spatula while smoothing out the frosting, it will make it easier to flatten out. You will have to wet the spatula a few times during the smoothing process.

Using black frosting and the #5 cake tip, draw the hair for your vampire.

Press 2 sliced almond pieces (one on each side of his head) into the frosting to create ears, then press 2 miniature chocolate chips (upside down) into the frosting to make eyes.

Cut the black shoelace licorice into three pieces: one 1-inch piece and two quarter-inch pieces. Press the pieces into the frosting to create a mouth and some devilish eyebrows.

With the ivory frosting, add a nose. Then, place two Tic Tacs (one on each side of his mouth) to create fangs.

Time to move on to the werewolves.

Prepare your frosting: Take 1/2 cup frosting and mix with black icing color. Set aside. In a separate bowl, take 3 cups frosting and mix with brown icing color. Leave remaining frosting white (for werewolf teeth). This should be enough frosting to decorate 12 cupcakes. OPTION: Instead of coloring frosting brown, you can use chocolate frosting. Duncan Hines makes a good frosting, just do not use the whipped variety.

In the microwave, soften Tootsie Rolls (about 5 to 8 seconds). Flatten them out using your fingers and then set aside to harden.

Once the flattened Tootsie Rolls have hardened, cut triangle shapes out of them. These will be the werewolves' ears. Using brown frosting and the #16 cake tip, make 2 small dollops near the top of a cupcake (as "glue") and attach the Tootsie Roll ears.

Starting from the outside edge, pipe brown frosting in multiple strokes around the cupcake to create the werewolf's fur. Cover the bottom part of the ears with fur as well. This will help to keep them on, as well as make your werewolf's fur look more realistic.

Continue going around until you have filled in the whole cupcake with fur.

Flatten a red gumdrop with your fingers, then put it on the cupcake to create a mouth. Pipe brown frosting along the edge of the gumdrop in the same manner as you did above. Pipe a line of brown frosting just below the ears to give the werewolf a thick brow.

Stick 2 yellow M&M's sideways into the cupcake, just below the eyebrows. Place a black jelly bean right above the mouth to give him a nose.

Using black frosting and a #5 tip, draw 2 dots in the center of the M&M's to make pupils. Using white frosting and a #5 tip, draw teeth around the edge of the gumdrop to give him a fierce bite.

Start with 24 cupcakes and one batch of homemade buttercream frosting for decorating. (If using store-bought frosting, purchase four 16-ounce containers to make sure you have enough. I recommend Duncan Hines, which has a good consistency. Do not use whipped frosting, which tends to droop.) Set aside 2 cups of your white frosting, and keep it covered. Color the rest of your frosting green with food coloring or Wilton Icing colors (available at Michaels or AC Moore).

Wrap a 10- by 14-inch piece of corrugated cardboard with cake foil. Tape edges to under side of cardboard to secure in place. If you don't have cake foil, tin foil or parchment paper will also do the trick. (You can also purchase ready-to-use cake boards at Michaels or AC Moore).

Arrange 15 cupcakes (3 rows by 5 rows) in a rectangular shape on your board. Dab a small amount of frosting on the bottom of each cupcake and lightly press into place on the board. This will keep your cupcakes from sliding. You will have 9 cupcakes leftover.

TIP: A simple sheet cake can be used for the field instead of cupcakes -- the decorating instructions remain the same.

Using a pastry bag, pipe a green border around the edge of your cake, then work your way in, moving the bag back and forth and filling in the middle until the top of the cake is completely covered. If you do not have a pastry bag, you can cut the corner off of a freezer bag and use that (just a small cut!).

With a metal spatula, smooth out the frosting until flat.

*TIP: By lightly wetting your spatula while smoothing out the frosting, it will make it easier to flatten out. You will have to wet the spatula more than once throughout the process, but be sure to avoid getting it too wet (this can cause the color to run out of the frosting).

Using your white frosting in a clean pastry bag or plastic bag (we prefer freezer bags because they are sturdier than regular sealable bags) fitted with a cake tip, pipe the lines of a soccer field onto the top of your field.

TIP: For ease, you can draw out your field lines first with a toothpick, then trace over the toothpick lines with the white frosting.

Take one of the cupcakes you have set aside and pipe a white frosting border around the edge, then work your way in, filling in the middle until the top of the cupcake is covered. This is the beginning of your soccer ball. Smooth frosting in the same manner you did with the field.

Take a small amount of your white frosting (about 1/8 cup) and turn it black using Wilton Icing colors gel. The frosting won't be a true black, more of a dark gray, which is fine -- as the frosting dries, it becomes darker in color. Using a pastry bag (or plastic bag) with a cake tip, draw a pentagon shape in the middle of the cupcake, and fill in.

From each point of the pentagon, draw a straight line out to the edge of the cupcake.

*TIP: black licorice also makes nice straight lines for your soccer ball.

Where each line meets the edge of the cupcake, draw a triangle (as seen in photo). This is your soccer ball.

Put soccer ball cupcake in the center of your field.

With the leftover frosting, decorate the remaining cupcakes, and/or add a border to the edge of your field in your team's colors. Go team!

TIP: Most food coloring packs come with green, yellow, red and blue. We chose to use the blue coloring to create the border pictured here.

This is optional, but really fun: Add some toy nets and soccer players to your field. Wilton's figurine kit (pictured here) can be found at Michaels, AC Moore and amazon.com, or maybe your kids have some in their toy box.