I have only made a couple cakes now, but it seems that when I put fondant pieces onto a fondant cake, when it dries it falls off

How do I get it to 'stick'? I don't really want to use royal icing, because I have yet to try that out, and I really don't want to get into that yet....so is there anything else?

All I have been doing is using a little water to stick it, I read it somewhere on here to do that.

hmm, I'm not sure. when I do it, I use a paint brush to dab some water onto the fondant piece that I'm sticking on and it holds. I have also used a small amount of buttercream to hold items in place. Hope that helps a little.

I usually use plain water, just paint a little on the piece and stick it on. Maybe you aren't quite enough water but it only takes a little dab. Try gum glue. You can make some by putting a little piece of gumpaste into a little water and let it sit overnight. The gumpaste will dissolve into the water making a glue. I use a little brush and just brush a little on your decoration and put it on. Should stick like "glue".

Take a small piece of fondant and dissolve it in a small amount of luke warm water. This will make a wonderful glue for sticking fondant pieces to a fondant covered cake.

This is what we teach in the Wilton classes.

I use vodka with a paintbrush and never had any problems

Water works great for me too...you don't need a ton, but it sounds like you maybe just aren't using enough.

Maybe you could try vanilla extract?

Here are a few option:

http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Thinned-Fondant-Adhesive-1

You mix 1 tsp of gum arabic and with 1/2 cup of water. Keep refrigerated.
I personally keep it in a small glass jar when I need some I place about 1/4 of a tsp in a small loosely covered dish and that is what I use.

This works great and leave almost no glossy residue.

Good Luck.

I'm new at using fondant as well. I made my first fondant cake for the Wilton Course 3 and my instructor had us use vanilla extract with a paintbrush to stick the fondant pieces (flowers, and bow pieces). They all seemed to stick well.

Good luck!

I'm new also but I watched a video on youtube about after cutting out the fondant laying it on a clean damp cloth I used damn kitchen roll. just left it for a little while maybe a min and the back was nice and sticky then I just stuck it on the cake stayed fine for me.
Han X

Use a paint brush to paint clear extract on the back of the decorations and stick them right on...they stick like glue!!! works VERY well for me.