I was wondering if fondant was too difficult for a newbie to attempt. I was thinking of making a Christmas present cake... Could do regular bc icing or fondant and want a fondant bow. Just starting Wilton 1 next week. If I can do it, should I start with Marshmallow fondant? Been reading posts on the 50/50 with gumpaste. Would that be for cake and bow? OK. I am open to suggestions....please. Also is there glitter for cakes?
For me I needed to work up to doing fondant. But I will say I have seen plenty of cakes here where people used fondant and say it is their first decorated cake and I am amazed! If you want to try it, I say go for it!
Yes, 50/50 would be good for the bow because it will help it to dry faster and harder than fondant alone. but dont cover your cake with it. Just use fondant to cover the cake with.
You can buy a variety of glitter things for cakes. Wilton has cake sparkles or shimmer dust (it's not the best, but you can find it at the store) or you can purchase luster dust, petal dust, pearl dust etc. But you mostly have to look online for that unless you have a cake decorating store near you that carries it.
When I teach kids, I start with fondant. It's much easier for them to handle. Don't be afraid of it. The quality of the fondant makes ALL the difference. I make my own, but if I use commercial fondant I use either Pettinice or Satin Ice. I've never used MMF, so I have clue there.
Gumpaste or 50/50 would be for the bow only, not the cake covering. Gumpaste dries hard. Fondant stays soft for quite a while, although it does crust quickly.
Edible glitter is available at most places where you can buy cake supplies. It comes in a variety of colors. It's great for buttercream, but won't stick to fondant. It might stick to MMF from what I have read on CC, but I really don't know.
HTH
Michele
no!!! it is so much fun!! you have to try it. you might want to make a practice cake before hand, just in case. but it is alot of fun. i dont used MMF, I tried making it once and it was a nightmare!! I use a fondant brand called satin ice, i dont add anything and it dries hard, perfect for your bow. But if you do decide to go the MMF route......i recall reading several times on here that it DOES NOT dry hard!!!! good luck!
Welcome to cc and the wonderful world of cake decorating!! I don't think fondant is to difficult for a newbie. I tried it after my Wilton course 1 and it turned out great. The mmf recipe here is easy to follow. BUT, only use about 1 3/4 of the sugar not 2lb, it will be too dry. It is also pretty easy to work with. The gumpaste is to make it set hard. mmf doesn't really dry very hard. So you will want to add gumpaste to the mmf for the bow but not for covering the cake. There is luster dust that you can put on your cake to make it shiny. I just bought some at www.wholesalesugarflowers.com that is the cheapest I have been able to find it. Wilton also has sparkle dust but it is more like a glitter. Luster dust if very fine. And adds a nice touch. Just keep reading posts. I have learned so much from reading cc posts. Good Luck!!
No Way! My first cake was covered in fondant. I picked a really easy Wilton cake from one of the fondant boxes. I made a batch of MMF and off I went! Just remember to have fun!!!
Welcome to CC.
Try the MMF, it's easy to make, extremely easy to work with and even tastes good. It's easy to color, the whole batch can be colored with gel as you melt the marshmellows or you can add the color to the finished fondant. And, there is no waste, just gather up the extra and put it into a closed container or ZipLock. Then, you can add gum paste to it and make flowers, bows and any other decorations that needs to be dried. (The gum paste helps dry the MMF, add about 50% gum paste.) Be sure you coat your hands with Crisco before you try to knead it, the counter, too. As you can see, I love the stuff!
I always use 50/50 for flowers, bows etc... except to cover the cake.
I do Fondant 99%.. I love MM Fondant.
They are so easy, convenient and does not go bad . 
I jumped in with both feet...no classes, no physical help...the only help I had was from people here on CC. My first cake was decorated with Wilton fondant. I say go for it. The MMF tutorial from this site is fantastic. Thats all I use now!
Have fun!
Maybe you can try a ready made fondant for the first time. Then you can try to make your own fondant. For me it's much easier to decorate with fondant but it depends of course.
Fondant is not difficult to use. I would suggest getting a small package of wilton fondant - it is easy to find (walmart and michaels) so you know what it is supposed to "feel" like, and what it is like to work with. Then make your own MMF - only make sure you DO NOT put too much powdered sugar in it!
As others have said, only do the gumpaste/fondant mix for the things you want to dry hard.
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