Trying stencils for the first time on a dummy cake...doing a hexagon cake and then a 4" top round one. The hexagon went okay for the first time...I need practice, but it will do.

The 4" one was horrid!!!!! The little details of the scrolling were popping up, even if I held just a small amount to the cake side...because of the curve.

What am I missing? Glad that top will be partially hidden by ribbon and a few big red roses because it looks SAD.....

When I stencil, I use a straight pin with a colored top to hold the stencil in place, that way I dont have to move it at all. The colored top helps me see them so I don't accidentally leave one in the cake. Hope this helps.

yeah but even if I had done that, the details of the stencil still would have stuck up away from the cake due to the severe curve of the 4" topper....

I think part of it has to do with the thickness of the stencil. I have problems with some of mine sometimes and the little inside pieces sticking up.

I tried using a little thicker royal icing and smearing it in a direction that would make the piece lay down (with the grain so to speak). Then after lifting the stencil, I go back with a damp paintbrush and clean up the lines.

Oh okay thicker royal may have helped....it was SO hard to hold that booger still while I iced it. haha. Does the pin work on real cake or just a dummy cake?

I guess in a way it just takes practice like anything else.

From a distance it looks pretty good but when you look at it closely you can prolly tell its my first time haha. Still gotta take some pics of it when the sun comes back out!

I have only done it on a real cake, also, can't you put the pin in the part that is sticking up?

Yes, but it is a TINY prick mark. You can then go back and fill that in. I don't really know, I haven't had the problem that you are having. I would just think it would be easier to fill in a pin prick that have the whole thing pop up like that.

Do the pins really hold on a real cake?

Yes. I have actually never stenciled on a dummy before. It would probably be easier.

Guess I shoulda got here and asked BEFORE I made my cake. haha.

I do a lot of stenciling and just taught a stenciling class. And,yes, pins will hold on a real cake. But. you have to put the pins on the ends of the stencils.
they wont work to hold stencil down in the middle.

aAnd I have not stenciled a 4" round, and,I am sure it protruds more than the 6 " however, when I get to a spot that sticks out. I go from top to bottom rather than side to side. It helps where the stencil sticks up.

Hope this helps