How to Make Halloween Shapes in Coffee Foam
This TikTok Hack For Making Beautiful, Artsy Halloween Lattes Is So Simple It's Genius
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As a visual artist and aspiring foodie, I love the idea of making beautiful, seasonal foods that are just as fun to look at as they are to eat. But the reality is, I just don't have the time to commit to elaborate recipes with fancy decorations. And that, my friends, is why I was so happy to stumble upon @chasingcosy's craft tutorial video on latte stencils. That's right, stencils. This TikTok hack can take your latte from average to exceptional in just a couple minutes, and if this doesn't get you fully in the fall spirit, nothing will.
After watching the video on repeat an embarrassing number of times, I knew I had to give it a try. As it turns out, this project was seriously so simple, and the result is beautiful. I couldn't believe how simple it was to execute, or how much more excited I was to drink my coffee once I'd spruced it up a bit. If you're looking to transform your everyday lattes into cosy or spooky fall masterpieces, check this out.
Watch @chasingcosy's Latte Stencil Inspiration
Now, Try It Yourself
First things first, if you're looking to try out this super easy decorating hack, you will need one essential tool: a stencil. I have a Cricut Maker ($249), so similar to @chasingcosy who tagged Cricut in her video, I used the handy-dandy cutting machine to make my own stencil. I simply measured my mug and then used images from Cricut's Design Space program to cut Halloween shapes out of card stock. I searched for different pre-made designs including as ghosts, bats, and witch hats.
If you don't have a Cricut, don't panic! You can just as easily trace and cut out an image from card stock or even grab some pre-made stencils such as these Stencils for Latte Art ($6) from Target, or these Halloween Coffee Stencils ($16) from Etsy.
Though the original video tagged the infamous Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Machine ($160), I used a Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker ($170), complete with a milk frother. So long as you're able to brew strong coffee and froth warm milk, you're golden! You can easily and inexpensively do this with a handheld electric whisk, like the Aphse Milk Foamer ($21).
Feel free to use whatever kind of coffee you like best, whether you're into a seasonal blend or a classic espresso, as long as you mix in some warm foamy milk, you'll be good to go. Similarly to the coffee, any variety of milk is fine, so feel free to experiment with dairy, oat, almond, or another type of milk. For an extra dash of fall fun, assemble in your favourite seasonal mug.
With my latte ready to go, I took my DIY stencil and placed it over the mug, centreing the image.
Finally, I used a small sifter to gently dispense cinnamon over the image. I also had good luck gently sprinkling cinnamon over the image by hand. Note: If you're trying this DIY for the first time, I recommend using a stencil design that isn't incredibly intricate, as it's easier to evenly distribute the cinnamon over a simple image.
Once the design had an even dusting of cinnamon, I removed the stencil and marveled at my newfound artistic talent and the simple magic that is a latte stencil. Because my foam was a little bubbly, my lattes weren't quite as picture-perfect as @chasingcosy's, but I'm confident that I'll get there with some practice! I'm pretty happy with the end result regardless. Now that I've found this hack, I can't wait to show it off every time I entertain, and it's certainly something special to look forward to each morning when I eat my breakfast.
