Yesterday, we went behind the scenes at the Martha Stewart Show to get creative slumber party ideas from Darcy Miller Nussbaum, Martha Stewart Weddings Editorial Director. Just last week, Darcy threw her daughter Ella a pajama party for her 5th birthday. To keep with the slumber party theme, Darcy used star and moon shapes for all of the party food.

Ella's heavenly cake was created by Gail Dosik of One Tough Cookie. Gail shared some insider tips on how to decorate cakes and cupcakes with cookies. For her cakes Gail uses butter cream icing. The trick, she says, is to frost the cake, reserve some of the icing at room temperature, and then chill the cake. Once the cake is chilled, you can frost the center of a cookie with the room temperature icing and gently press the cookie into the cake. Gail suggests wiping any excess icing away with a paint brush. For her cupcakes, Gail bakes a lollipop stick into the cookie dough, and then anchors them into the cupcake. What an easy and beautiful way to embellish cakes and cupcakes!

And Darcy has even more great ideas for party food and favors. Click through our slide show to see more!

Back Next

1 of 9

1 Darcy and her mother handmade place mats for the party by laminating one of Darcy's drawings.

2 Cupcakes from One Tough Cookie (www.onetoughcookienyc.com).

3 Darcy kept everything color coordinated, right down to the candy from Dylan's Candy Bar (www.dylanscandybar.com).

4 Lollies ($2.50 each from www.hammondscandy.com).

5 Darcy used cookie cutters to make brownies in moon and star shapes. She decorated them with pictures and drawings mounted on toothpicks.

6 To decorate party favors, Darcy made custom stickers from drawings and pictures of Ella.

7 Sticking with the theme, guests received glow-in-the-dark star and moon Silly Bandz.

8 Guests also received mini alarm clocks packaged in custom boxes. ($6.50 per clock, www.presenttime.com)

9