I need to make MMF look like wood (without using an airbrush since i don't have one). I have to make a bowling themed cake so the whole base is going to be the alley... any suggestions?

It's my first paid cake and I reallllly want it to look great!

I usually like to start with a brownish like fondant. Once rolled I make the indentations (when making wood floors). I paint it with brown gel color dilluted in vodka. I usually have different shades of brown (adding more vodka to lighten it).

for your brown gel colour, do you just colour piping gel?

When you say 'once rolled I make the indentations' do you mean that you put on the darker brown for the grain while it's just rolled out and not once it's appled to the cake?

No not piping gel. I was refering to food coloring gel.

Are you reffering to the same look as this:
(fast forward it to 1:12 and watch it from there)

What I did to that, is a rolled the fondant/gumpaste (which is light brown) to the board. I used a ruler to make the lines, to give it that hardwood floor finish. I then dilluted brown food gel coloring in different amounts of vodka. Adding more vodka to the gel color makes the shade lighter, that being said, you will have different shades of brown. I then brush it onto the fondant/gumpaste. Am I making any sense?

Yup, that totally makes sense! I'm just waiting for that video to load now!

Huh, I didn't know you were a guy! (Guess cuz this place seems so full of ladies)

That's a beautiful cake in your video, and the wood on the stand looks awesome!

Thanks and no I am not a guy nor a kid. =]