Day One: bake the cake

Day Two: make the icing and the cake balls and freeze them

Day Three: dip the cake balls

Day Four: decorate the cake pops

Day Five: play with them a little before storing them for the big event

Bake cake as directed on box using rectangular cake pan; cool completely

Line baking sheets with parchment

Gently crumble cooled cake into large bowl until completely "crummy"!

Add 3/4 homemade icing to crumbled cake; set aside remainder for another use

Combine thoroughly into crumbled cake with hands; cake balls must remain "cakey" not wet or doughy in texture, so avoid the urge to use the remaining icing

Cream the butter and sugar together until thick and voluminous

Roll into 48 balls 1 1/2-in in diameter; place each on parchment covered baking sheets

Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap; chill for several hours in the refrigerator: balls must be firm, but not frozen

Place 455g or 1/3 of candy coating in the tall deep microwave-safe glass or jar (for dipping the cake pops); tall narrow containers enable complete immersion of the cake balls into candy coating without burning fingers (coating should be at least 3 inches deep)

Melt candy coating, following instructions on package (microwave on medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval) Make sure you do not overheat

Take a few cake balls out of fridge at a time; keeping rest chilled

One at a time, dip about 1/2 inch tip of lollipop stick into melted coating; insert straight into cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through

Hold lollipop stick with ball attached; dip entire cake ball into melted candy coating until completely covered

Remove it in one motion

Make sure coating meets at the base of the lollipop stick (this helps secure cake to stick when the coating sets); completely cover cake ball and remove it without submerging it in coating more than once. (If you resubmerge cake pop, it will be top heavy enough to drop into coating and need to be fished out): see Notes Section for thinner coating

When removing cake pop from candy coating, excess coating may drip: hold pop in one hand, using the other to gently tap the first wrist. Rotate lollipop stick if necessary to allow excess to fall off evenly, so one side doesn’t get heavier than the other. If you didn’t completely dunk the cake pop, this method of tapping and rotating generally takes care of that. The coating will slowly slide down the surface of the cake ball until it reaches the lollipop stick.

Wipe excess off by placing finger on stick right under cake ball, rotating the pop, allowing any excess coating to fall off and back into the bowl. When most of the excess coating has fallen off and no longer dripping, stick the cake pop into the Styrofoam block to dry

Repeat with the remaining cake balls and let the pops dry completely in the Styrofoam block.

Ah!!! I am tired of writing instructions and I am certain you are tired of reading them! I will add a link for the hair flower in the notes section. Biggest advice: Start with the smile. Keep in mind you will glue one pink rosy cheek on the end of each side of the smile.

While using the brown pen, continue with a curl in the middle of the forehead coming from the top centre of the ball down to above where a nose might be

Prepare the soothers before placing them on each ball: glue tiny piece of marshmallow into centre of each bead; set aside

Glue the cheeks onto each face while the soothers set

Once all soothers are done, glue one in the middle of each mouth; at the same time, glue the flower on each head, a little to the side

Leave the eyes for last; breath, and place one tiny little dot per eye (don't go back to do anything with that dot!)

Tie little pink bows around the top of the stick just under each little chin to finish each pop

Enjoy the individual little personalities that emerge from homely to adorable: such fun!

Arrange them in a vase filled with styrofoam and garnished with green paper Easter grass; use tissue paper to hide the styrofoam.