1. Use tip No. 125 to pipe red bands around the top and bottom of the cake. Use a damp spatula to smooth them.

2. Use a cut paper tube to pipe a red squiggle border around the mail slot, a greeting on top of the cake and free-form hearts on the side.

3. For cards, place decorated, heart-shape cookies on top of the cake.

1. Use two shades of brown icing to pipe a branch. Place royal icing flowers along it. Add green leaves and pink centers.

2. Forthe blue bird coloring, place a wedge of dark blue icing on the outer edge, followed by light blue and white icing. Add a sliver of pink in the center.

3. Pipe a v-shaped fan tail. Form the body by piping a large teardrop and looping it over to create the head. Pipe two c-curves for the wings.

4. Overpipe the side swags using the same bag and tip you used to create the bluebirds.

1. Pipe a border of royal icing lace around the fondant, and pipe feathery swags in the center of the border.

2. Pipe a squiggle border around them using tip No. 16. Then, add decorations on top of the bells using a cut paper tube.

3. To attach the loops, apply a dollop of icing at the top of the bells, and insert the loops.

4. Pipe one row of swags, then layer two more rows on top, so the layers intersect. For the top border, use tip No. 18 and pipe three small loops followed by a pulling motion.

Birds sing of love

For whom the bell tolls