Just figured I would share some stuff I learned this weekend....there is so much we all figure out on our own using stuff that is clearly 'not intended for cake' but works like a charm! (P.S. Not trying to open a can of worms with the whole good v.s evil thing regarding 'non-toxic'/'food safe' either......)

So I was doing a tiered cake this weekend and complaining about cutting the dowels when my DH produced a very nifty little tool, straight from the Dollar Store, made to cut tubes and cables.....you put your finger in the loop and twist your finger around & around and a razor cuts the little piece of...well, whatever it is you need cut! Up until now I have always used rose cutting shears and they were at total PITA so when I used this, it was lightning fast and really accurate as well. *If you are willling to spend a couple dollars more, there is an even better one in the home improvement dept made for cutting small PVC pipes.

The other thing I found to be invaluable is the clear plastic sheets sold at Home Depot ( 3 ft. X 4 ft.) for under $10 - these are perfect for rolling fondant.......I put a piece of no-slip rubber underneath so it doesn't slide all over the place and it gives me a nice, sterile & smooth surface for me to roll out all my fondant pieces.

And lastly, a cookie sheet that is flat with a small lip on one end.....I have no idea what it was intended for but I got it at a yard sale for .50 and it has been a life saver doing everything from helping me torte layers to lifting fondant as well as pie dough......honestly, this is one of the coolest things I have ever used.

So if anyone else has come across some off the wall, 'not-for-cake' tools and feel like sharing - go for it! I figure I have learned so much from everyone here, if there is anything I can do to repay you helpful people , then I will!

Oh, I totally forgot about the hand-held cookie shooter (or cookie press). It is a perfect cheapie way to extrude fondant ropes, etc..... I found a hand-held one that is pampered chef for a couple of dollars and also have some old-fashioned electric ones that don't over work your hand for a couple of bucks too.... the best ones are made by Wear-Ever and are called the 'Cookie Shooter' or 'Super Shooter'. HTH

Great idea for a thread. I was just thinking last night, what would be one tool I couldn't do without. It would easily be the wheel I use for the stitching effects I do on a lot of my cakes, it is apparently for sewing. In fact I just made a sewing box cake which has been loaded today if you want to check out the effect.
Can't wait for other ideas!!

I haven't tried this yet but I think the magnetic hair rollers ( the plastic ones that come in different sizes and colors) would work great for holding bow loops in shape (two bows) instead of cotton.

Cakediva, thanks for all the great tips, I'll definetely be trying these.

Amandahoney, I love that sewing basket, could you please pm me on how you did the green and yellow stripe fabric; if it's edible of course, it looks so real. I posted a ? about this a few days ago. How do you get the stripes so even. Please share!

Thanks Amberhoney! Where can I get a parsly cutter? Can you post a picture of what it looks like?

I just googles 'herb cutter' and found they are still being sold! Cheap too! I have never seen them in the shops here but you can obviously buy them online. Scroll down to 'herb cutter' and you will see what mine looked like before I busted it... I saw a couple that are all steeel too, I think if you were buying one for fondant it might be a good idea, you might not break yours like I did!

http://www.cookmatesouthwest.co.uk/acatalog/Chippers_and_Choppers.html

Boy, this sure has echoes of the "okay, everybody answer this question" thread! I use Pringle's cans to hold the pastry bag while I fill it with icing, then use it to hold the bag upside down after I've washed it. Works like a charm!!

Thanks for the great tips, everyone! I use the plastic light covers (photo below) as texture sheets. They make really cool designs and they cost about $5 at the hardward store, e.g., Home Depot.

Silly me....the first thing I thought of when my husband showed me the tool he used was that I had to share it with my CC friends! Little did I know this was somehow frowned upon......

Won't make that mistake again! Thanks for the heads-up Bob

I just thought I would add a few too...heck the other day I was mentioning a notched trowel for making details on the sides of a cake, I haven't ever done it myself but the person was asking how we thought a certain technique was done and boy I think that would work great.

I also have an herb cutter...I didn't know what it was suppose to be for when I bought it at Kmart....I only saw it as a tool for my fondant too...

Before I purchased my clay gun I had also purchased a garlic press that can be used to make a bunch of thin pieces of fondant for hair or grass (although butter cream is really much easier)

And I hate to give non edible ideas but I am self taught and honestly did not realize until a few years ago that most of this beautiful work is ALL edible...so in my work you will see of course some silk flowers but also treaded beads, ribbons, crystals and even whatever McDonald's toy is the "in" thing....sooo while I am on that....where do you all get all of this skill?? Are you self taught too??

You must have been reading my mind! I am in the process of a four cake week (ugh!) and my KA has been going non stop. I have little counter space so I am always moving my mixer. It is the professional and those little rubber feet don't like to slide nicely so I have a flexible cutting mat under my KA and it slides like a dream. No more lifting that mixer.
Funny I was just thinking yesterday that I should post this tip for everyone else. Thanks for the tips. Looks like I'll have to buy a bigger tool box.

I am also self-taught.

My scalpel is one of the things I use the most! Perfect for cutting out GP and RF shapes, etc.

One thing I have bought that is a great help is a water brush. The barrel of the brush holds water so when I need to paint something or to touch up something, I don't have to get water. It works really well for tapping down the little points on stars and writing.

Oh yeah, definately the water brush. I have edible glue in mine.

Amberhoney, you mention the sewing wheel??
It is used to transfer pattern markings when making or copying a new pattern.

Cake Diva,

Are you talking about the plastic sheeting one can buy to cover tablecloths with, like in a restuarant??
I have been wanting to buy a piece for when rolling fondant, but wasn't sure if it could be used for rolling fondant.

jcmm1014,
I'm SO very glad you posted your tip of using the flexible cutting mat under the KA. I just go my KA a few days ago and I thought MY GOODNESS this thing is hard to slide around. Great tip,
Susie

I picked up a Herb cutter at wal-mart down the Kitchen gadget isle. I don't cut many herbs, but love it for fondant.

I just thought of another one this morning while I was looking at another forum....

I have a book that showed me this one....

Buy a cheapy dollar store wire whisk, use a wire cutter and cut the curves off the end so now you are left with a handle and all of the wire strands....

Great for drizzling chocolate or in the book it was to make threads of hot sugar to make like angle hair sugar or bird nest....(Again something I have not done yet but would really love to at some point)

HI... The WATER BRUSH that you talked about, can you tell me what it looks like? Also where you can buy it ?? GREAT TIPS! I never heard of the water brush !

Here's a link for ya!

http://www.stutler.cc/other/sketchbook/waterbrush.html

I learned this here, but large paint spatulas (4" and 6") for smoothing BC. I use that and then the paintroller method for smoothe tops and sides.

When I was at the paint store getting my spakle spatulas, they also had some "texture" spatulas. I think they're used for mudding and taping drywall. One has square teeth and the other triangle teeth. I bought them and use them to make the side pages of my book cakes. Easier than using an icing comb.

Bob I thought you were irritated because I was asking others to contribute ideas and it was sort of cheesy or lame.....I'm sorry. I had a dreadful weekend and was feeling down and clearly a bit oversensitive.....I didn't mean to take it out on anyone here. Guess it was just one of those 'burst into tears for no damn reason' kind of days. I am sorry.

The plastic sheets are more of a thick sheet of plastic sold in the flooring section of Home Depot. I was thinking that with a piece of no-slip rubber stuff underneath it would give me a nice surface to roll fondant, etc..... I have used the plastic stuff sold on the big rolls from the Wal-Mart fabric dept. but everything sticks like mad. My kitchen is a bit tragic so I am forever trying to find multi-tasking tools since my countertop is so limited.

I am going to have to try that water pen! I was a little too liberal with the water trying to attach my first fondant ribbon - I was using a paintbrush but when they say a 'little bit of water on the back' to attach fondant, they really mean just a tiny bit.......oops

I used my PC rice cooker to bake a cake in the microwave for a different shape. I needed something to look like a fishing creel and I didn't know how to bake in a bowl, so I used the rice cooker. (Saw the demonstrator do this at a show - way before I got into decorating cakes). Only 10 minutes and I had the perfect shape for cutting into my creel!

Love these hints.

ok, just remembered a good one.....I really struggle trying to organize all my decorating tips....I have some of those boxes but they don't all fit in it and it's just a big mess so when I found this sewing spool organizer, I flipped! It has legs on the back so it can stand up when I need it and I attached a hook to the side of the cupboard so I can stow it out of the way (but it won't tip over) when I am not using it.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1151554.html