i am making one of those topsy turvey stand with the pvc and ising plywood for the cake boards. what do i cover it with without it looking crappy? it's for a drum cake. since it is on the topsy turvey thing, the bottom will probably show a bit

in a word: fondant.

I cover my boards usually with white contact paper but you can use the cake foil also......The contact paper seems to hold up better especially when cutting a cake. I have a cake board under the cake but if you slip or cut goofy you can mess up the foil.......

I always cover my wooden boards with layers of plastic wrap and then fondant on top.

i have used plywood before but this time i think bottom is going to show and i don't know how to cover that part without the sides looking funny.

What do you mean the bottom is going to show? Woudn't it be sitting on the table?

I cover the sides of my board with ribbon. Check all my cakes-- I've use MDF, plywood and different kinds of wood for them. All is covered in fondant.

i'm building one of those topsy turvey stands out of pvc and using plywood for to set each tier on. it's for a drum cake so i can't fill in the empty space because it will ruin the look. i've never used one of those stands before so i don't really know if it shows a significant amount or not but i'm assuming it will

Oh I understand what you are trying to say. Why don't you try using a melamine board instead? I'm not sure if thats what it is called but I has some type of laminate outerlayer. Make sure the cake doesn't touch the wood though (just my own preference). You can also cover the sides with the strip laminate looking thing so it matches the board.

I'm not sure if I explained it very well but let me know if you don't.