Hi all,

I have seen so many wonderful cakes from you guys where your brown fondant has the perfect "antique" or "worn look for books, suitcases, purses, wallets, etc.. I have tried many different techniques to get this effect, including cocoa powder and watered down food coloring, but can't seem to get it right. Can you guys let me in on your secret?

Thank you for your help!

I use a leather-look impression mat (meant for kids to put under paper and then rub with crayons) to give the fondant a leather texture. Then I use cocoa-colored petal dust to dust the corners and areas where there would be wear if the item was really leather.

HTH,
Deanna

Here's an example. This was my entry last year in Tulsa titled "I Need A New Purse" that took second in the pro novelty division. You can see the petal dust on the fondant, but it's hard to see the texture on the purse...

Deanna

I used a small impressions roller for âcobblestoneâ and a little bit of marbling on my suitcase cake to make it âleatheryâ⦠Rolled it more gently for the leather effect than I would have if I were looking for its intended use (in my pics)... Not sure if thatâs what youâre looking for though, not really âantiqueââ¦

if you dont have an impression mat, you can use crumpled plastic wrap to blot or lay above the fondant and then roll with your pin to impress on it. i use cocoa powder, and black dust in different areas for different shades. also a make up sponge ( i buy the packages of triangles for painting with color) to blot and sponge on "texture" using different browns and blacks, yellows etc. then dust with cocoa on top of that.