Pop Out Cake

I refit and refrosted a too-tired two-tiered two-sided pop-up party prop.

This prop has been in service around Portland for almost forty years. It had been recovered in a various materials over that time, and remnants of each iteration were inches thick in some places.

A sketch I made to indicate my intentions for the project.

During the process of removing the top tier I discovered that it has been surreptitiously signed by various inhabitants over the years. The earliest mark I could find reads 1980.

  • Replaced rotted, broken, and saggy frame components.
  • Replaced broken casters. Increased number of wheels to 10 and moved them closer to the edges for better stability.
  • Replaced top of first tier with 1/2″ plywood.
  • Fabricated new split top and installed with hinges.
  • Fabricated latch plates and installed red-handled lever latches in place of screw-and-hook gate hardware.
  • Covered cake in 1/2″ EVA foam “frosting” with lavender decorations.

I used EVA foam floor mats to form the base layer of frosting. Then caulk and an auto-body filler spreader create the frostingy texture.