Hi everyone! This week I posted a question on the forum this week about how to do the basketweave without getting neck pain or stiffness and I think there were two excellent responses. But guess what everyone? I came up with another idea providing it has not already been posted in the pass, although I would really know, cause I am fairly new to CC. The idea is to use a two gallon pail rounded with or without handle and turn the opening facedown on your working surface, which my counter or kitchen table are two good places for me to work with and put your turntable on top and start moving your turntable as you work and the pail remains stationed, which is what I want and it is eye level, which is what I wanted. So in other words, the only thing that should be moving is your hand/s, one with decorating and the other moving the turntable as need to. The pail/bucket only cost $1.00 at a dollar store and now I just added an extra tool to my decorating needs.

The second tip I have is that I use my frozen dinners plastic containers for resting my couplers, toothpicks, piping tips and even the different pastry bags once I have filled them up with icing before and after using the pastry bags. You can use the separate compartments or just the single large or small ones to use. I find this great use for myself with I am in a hurry in getting where I have to go and don't have enough time to decorate or add last minute finishing touches on my cakes. I just fill the pastry bags fold the top of the bag over and clap it with a plastic clip or rubber band, but not too tight or don't even squeeze bag/s cause it will come out of bottom tip. I put a piece of plastic wrap at bottom of tips and wrap a rubber band around them. It cuts down on some time and don't have to worry about having color icing coming from piping tips onto surface. I have a hanging plastic bag on back of kitchen door and as I need one, I know where to find them. Sorry for the long winded tips.

Gloria

A trick I use for the already filled bags is to take a piece of saran wrap and take the tip off, put the saran wrap piece over the opening and then screw the coupler thing back on. I never have good luck leaving the tips on - this way, just put your clean tip on and it is ready to go - no clogged tip.

I really like the bucket idea - I will have to give that a try. I had one side of my turntable setting on a folded towel ( with the cake setting on the no-slip mat) that gave me enough of an angle that I could work and not get a stiff neck.

Really good ideas, both of you! I've been covering the tips and putting my filled but not used bags of icing in the large Glad or Ziplock square plastic containers, keeps them usable for quite a while, so when I want to practice I have some icing ready to go. Janice

Oh the bucket idea sounds great, I usually just stack a few really big books up and do it that way.

thanks i cant belive that i never thought of plastic wrap

Does anyone use the tip covers from Wilton? I don't have any, but saw them at the store and wondered how effective they are.

Quadcrew,

I LOVE YOUR AVATAR! So, cute!

Thanks for the tip on elevating one side of the turntable with a towel. Simple solutions seem to be the ones we think of last sometimes. I have some of the tip covers and they'd be real nice if the snapped on the tips but they don't. The plastic wrap works great.

Thanks cupcakequeen - lisa is the one who made it for me, she did a great job animating it. (it is one of the cakes that I have made!)

I have the tip covers too - and they don't work well at all, that is why I use the saran wrap.

I am glad to be of some help CarolAnn - there are so many good ideas on here....it's hard to remember them all.