I'm a bit of each. I learned basic by myself during my adolesence, using those cans of icing with the funky tips. When I came back to cake decorating, I took the lessons at a craft store. From there I either studied in a class or taught myself. I learned tons of stuff here, as well as checking out the vids on YouTube.
If you want to start here, I suggest starting in the Articles section, to see what you would like to attempt first. Then go to the search feature and look techniques up by subject. In the threads, there's always someone telling someone how to do something, or an easier way to do it.
There's also a thread here on free tutorials, which gives a grand-sized list of tutes that you can access for basic and advanced work.
There are also instruction sheets on the Wilton website on how to do their techniques.
Theresa 
I started out self-taught, took Wilton 1and 2 just to learn flowers. Did a 10 mth stint at a local Bake Shoppe then went back to office work for a few months when another shop that I buy a lot of my supplies at called me and asked if I'd be interested in coming to work. (we are a bakery/supply store) That was 2 1/2 years ago. I've learned a lot working, but I also learn by finding something I want to do and making it happen. It may not be the "right" way, but it works. I don't see myself going back to office work. I've been decorating for 8 years now and absolutely love it!! I get to be a part of so many parties and celebrations..how cool is that?!?!?
About 9 months ago, I ordered a cake from a home baker, curious to know what standards were around me. It was a simple cake with buttercream roses, shell border and combed around the sides. Till then, I thought a cake with a chocolate collar was an expert decoration! I looked at the roses closely, kept one refrigerated for reference, and googled tools etc. Had never even known the existence of a decorators' comb!
Since then, CC and library books have been my main source of cake-education.
And to think I've already got 2 wedding cakes under my belt, albeit not expert ones..still can't get my head around that!
My way of showing appreciation to anyone is baking a cake for them..sometimes I have this overwhelming feeling to bake a cake for all the CCers who've helped me. Then I have to remind myself I'm not up to their standards to let them taste my cake! 
My grown daughter owns a themed childrens birthday party business. She always ordered her cakes from Costco. After a year or so she would go to pick up her cake and they would tell her they no longer did that cake...this would be the morning of the party! I just couldn't let her go through that, so I took lessons from the local craft store, Wilton 1 & 2. The instructor led me to this site (thank you so much CCers). Then I started to get orders from friends and then from friend of friends. I took a fondant class & a flower class from a bakery. Now I just roam around here and on the internet and learn so much! This site is fabulous!
I had wanted to take the Wilton classes for a long time but was never close enough to a Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Then I started looking at cake pictures for my daughter's 1st birthday and found cake central. About the same time I signed up for a Wilton class at Hobby Lobby--I finally was near one AND lived close to family that could watch my kids till hubby got home! The first cake I ever did was my daughter's 1st birthday cake (in pics) and that really came from reading here on CC. I think I had 1 class of Wilton course I under my belt. My daughter turns 2 in a few weeks. I figure her birthday kind of represents my anniversary with cake decorating. My sister and I have been doing it together so that's been fun too.
Started with Wilton, graduated to ICES classes, follow up with books, DVDs and Cake Central.
I'm pretty much self taught. My aunt decorated in her home when I was between the ages of 5 and 10, but I wasn't aloud in the kitchen when she was working. I used to sit for hours and read her cake books. Got the ideas and the spark for cake decorating from that. My dad bought me my first Wilton yearbook when I was 14 and I made my first wedding shower and wedding cake when I was 19.
To be honest I hadn't really though about cakes until a little over 2 1/2 years ago when my Sister bought me 3 Cake books by Debbie Brown for Christmas. Then the following August my friend Heather(I hadn't seen much of her for 3 yrs or so) was having her Son Connor and I got my shower invite. I called her ma and asked if there was anything they still needed and she said cake. I asked the theme which happened to be "Baby Boy and Duckies, Like from the bath tub duckies." It's kind of been taking off from there I haven't made a lot of cakes but I always get excited when someone asks what I can do.
I'm 24 now and I live in Ma(one of the few states that allows a home kitchen). I'm hoping that if I have enough demand I can really go somewhere with it. I was in the process of opening my own freelance photography business, but I found it really cumbersome to read through the photography books. This is just so much more vibrant and fun. I have kind of an overactive mind and I need to slow it down and be patient when I work on my cakes.
I get so excited when it starts to go well and I begin to rush, because I just want to see the end result. I've started to be a little more methodical and that has helped.
I started dabbling a bit with the plastic tips and tubes of icing. The next thing I know my mother in love gives me her kitchen aid mixer, cake tips, and the whole lot. So, I began searching the internet and practicing. Getting ready to do my first wedding cake this coming September.
I started baking when I was about 4. I had to use a spoon to mix butter and sugar and my parents would put my cookies in the oven for me. I can remember running to my mom asking her about measurments. She had no interest in baking but somehow I figured it out. I started cake decorating about 15 months ago when my daughter turned three. I took one Wilton class but the instructor was awful. I didn't learn much at all so I didn't take another class. Everything I've learned has been from cake books, watching youtube or getting advice here.
Well, I personally take all the Wilton courses and start showing my cakes pictures to family and friends. Then I start making the cakes for sale. And it been good business. I love to create cakes and plus see the face of the clients happy that's make me happy.
I have always tried new recipes with baking i love it. But one day i decided to make a dora cake and i could not get the pan, so i found i loved challenging myself. I have totolly taught myself by chanllenging myself to something that looks really hard, and research all the techiques first.
I too am self taught! I'm a stay at home mom and wanted to find a way to use all of my energy! I live in Hawaii, on a tiny island (population about 3,500) so there isn't much to do! I started in Feb. of this year and just practice every chance I get! (We do a lot of pot blessings at church so I'm pretty much the designated cake lady!)
I get ALL of my info online (98% CC)...everyone here is soooo helpful!
Just practice practice practice!
I did a few on my own I knew how to bake but not not decorate in the West Indies you have to know how to bake, then I took all 4 of the Wilton classes, Even though I do not have a lot of people to bake for I bake every chance I get, I also have all of SugarShack's DVD's and my head is full of info from this site, I also copied all of their tutorials thanks to all of you CC members
I did a few on my own I knew how to bake but not not decorate in the West Indies you have to know how to bake, then I took all 4 of the Wilton classes, Even though I do not have a lot of people to bake for I bake every chance I get, I also have all of SugarShack's DVD's and my head is full of info from this site, I also copied all of their tutorials thanks to all of you CC members
As Debi has said 'back then" we didn't have CC, YouTube, any internet etc 
We had to learn on our own - or mostly.
Back in the early 1960s I taught myself how to make sugar Panorama eggs from a magazine article. My try @ royal was a total flop so I invested a fortune in those push button cans of frosting! I didn't transfer that knowledge to cakes for many years. I just could not learn from reading books It just did not make sense. In 1980 my oldest gave us 6 wks to the day to plan her wedding. It got down to 2 weeks before & still we didn't have plans when her (soon to be) MIL talked her into letting 'us' make her a 'home-made cake w/cr. ch icing'. She had taken Wilton lessons some 10 yrs before and never did anything w/it. Her equipment was stored in the barn. She got it out and gave me a yrbk from which I picked out a design I thought look easy (minus the hard hanging strings!). Went to a cake supply shop to get what I needed and some much needed help from the owner. I ended making DD's cake - 16, 12, 9 & 6 tiers w/satellite cakes. 3 days later I was asked to help make another (small) wedding and 3 weeks after that another one almost the size of DD's. After that I took classes. I had to take DH to work - driving 45 miles into town; take the lesson and hang around town until DH finished work to drive home. A long day but ended up being well worth it. The instructor (the shop owner) had been a trainer for Wilton instructors but no longer taught the Wilton method. After a few lessons I understood instructions and went to town Being left-handed she said there were flowers I would never be able to learn. Sometime later I came across another teacher/shop owner who taught me those flowers. A a short time later, being full of myself I started teaching in my small community. I had 4-5 students. I didn't teach again for many years until I became a Wilton instructor. Did that for about 8 yrs.
I continued to take classes when ever I could. Just after 9/11 I flew from CA to OH to take a class from Earlene Moore. That was very helpful/informational.
I am primarily self taught. Took Wilton Course 1 only to find I had already taught my self just about everything except the piping gel transfer. I love this site and YouTube!
Self taught - a friend showed me how to make icing roses many many many years ago and it took off from there......some 35 years later and I'm still learning.....Thanks to CC members for the inspirations and incouragement. I also teach youngsters in my local 4-H club for going on 7 years now....and it makes my heart feel good to see them doing cakes on their own.
Self taught. Learn so much in CC and also you tube vides
I haven't taken an official class. I bought a couple of dvds, learned the rest on here and through lot of trial and error.
self taught....but I will be starting wilton classes soon!!!.....very excited!!!
My mom decorates cakes, I use to help her when I was in my teens. Did Food and nutrition in college, taught high school food and nutrition for a little while. Learnt alot about cake deco but never really had the courage to do it for others until about 4 years ago I took the Wilton courses. I still dont do a lot but I love it!
My mom took Wilton classes when I was in elementary school...she would come home and the next day try to teach me what she had learned...( great memories).
But, most of what I have learned that is really useful has come from this wonderful site and you wonderful people. Edna, Lorraine, & Sharon Z are Rock Stars ! Their u- tube videos have been the most helpful to me !
Indydebi, Leahs, Antonia, JenWhitlock, dkelly, macsmom and so many other dear people are my teachers ! I learn something new each time I log in to this site!
I took the Wilton class back in 1978 or 79 - there was only one class then, no fondant or gumpaste. If you wanted to go further, you had to go to the Master class. And we did not do tiered cakes. My class was held at JCPenney's, taught by a pastry chef at one of the hotels. Since I have started to decorate again, I skipped Course 1, and took the other 3 courses by Wilton and learned a lot. And since then, I have learned tons on CC!
I took every Wilton class I could get my hands on, and don't regret it. I've always loved to bake, but didn't start decorating cakes till my daughter was born. My only ambition was to make her 1st b'day cake, but after taking those classes, I couldn't stop! I'd make a batch of RI during the day, put my daughter to bed, and sit up for hours piping RI flowers. Now, 8 yrs later, I love it even more, probably because I've learned so much, and everything I learn challenges me to do better. Without dvd's (Sharon Z is amazing!), youtube (Edna rocks!), CC, and other internet resources though, I would still be sitting in a chair piping RI flowers all the time LOL! This site has been invaluable. Just looking thru the amazing cakes posted here makes me want to whip out a piping bag and some fondant! Thanks to all of the incredibly helpful guys/gals on this site...you help us hobbyists improve and stay motivated!
I started baking when I was about 6 ish (with help). Needless to say there have been numerous disasters over the years. 
I learned some from my aunt who was also a decorator and I took the Wilton classes, and I will be starting pastry school in January. My best learning seems to come from trial and error though. It's a good thing ugly cakes still taste good. 
'cause I really like dessert!
I took the wilton classes 4 years ago. That was my first steps to learning about the cake world. I don't regret it one bit. I (to this day) will take as many classes I can and go to DOS to learn everything I can. There is NO way I could have "self taught" myself all I have learned. I am very thankful to those who are willing to share their talents so that others like me can learn them along the way. I have been a failthful member here since 2005 (?I think!) and I literally learn something new here every week.
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