I have a wedding cake to do in buttercream. Bride requested ribbon attached not at the base but horizonatally in the middle of each tier. How can I get it straight and keep it from slipping downward? Any hints on the best way to attch it?

HELP please, anyone???

really want to know too,I have PM'd a few people no replies,lol,i guess they were busy.

are you adding a fondant ribbon or fabric??

Yeah, I usually tell hem that I'll only do that on fondant.

If you want to try it, you can project a horizontal line with a laser level, put on little dots of bc or gel and then press on the ribbon. The dots will probably show a bit through the ribbon, though. Alternately, pipe a fine line where the ribbon will go, so that at least the bc line will be consistent under the ribbon.

Thanks leah_s for the info. Unfortunately, the bride does want fabric ribbon, not fondant.

Sure hate to see her put fabric on her cake, but her decision. Try the ribbon out well in advance because some of it will bleed color into you buttercream. You sure can make awesome fondant ribbon with a claygun and some texturing, but hey sometimes they want what they want!! Good luck

When I use fabric ribbon I fold a piece of wax paper in 1/2 (wax side in) and place the ribbon inside and iron. The wax transfers to the ribbon so it won't absorb the oil/moisture from the frosting or bleed into the frosting. I haven't had a problem with the ribbon color changing from the was either. Works like a charm!

Thecakemaker - does the wax show on the outside of the ribbon or alter the look/sheen of the ribbon?

To keep the ribbon centered I would use a turntable. I would position the ribbon and hold it loosely. I would then turn the table to rotate the cake while keeping my hand holding the ribbon in the same position. That way the cake moves but the position of the ribbon stays centered. I haven't done this before but if were doing it this is the way I would do it.

I apply the ribbon to a freshly coated buttercream cake so it will stick the best. I have never had luck with the wax paper technique, so I spray the whole ribbon with Pam or pan spray to get an even coat of grease on the ribbon. That way, the ribbon doesn't get splotchy. Sometimes it will change the color of a pale ribbon to make it a little darker. If you explain that to the bride, there shouldn't be a problem. If they buy the ribbon and get what I specified, I don't charge additional to place it on the cake.

Subtract the ribbon width from the height of the tier and divide by 2 to get the distance from the top or the bottom of the tier spot to place the ribbon.
Use a hemming ruler or other ruler to help you mark little spots in the cake you can follow to apply the ribbon in a straight line. That is much harder to explain than to show!

I just made one last week with the ribbon closer to the top of each tier. She wanted dots with ribbon. I used the impression mat to mark the dots. I used the top row of dots to mark the line where I placed the ribbon. Here is the picture:

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1913718

There are a couple more pictures of it in my gallery. Hope this helps.

I was taught by the Wilton instructors to line fabric ribbon with wax paper before applying it to buttercream. They suggested cutting the wax paper the same size as the ribbon and attaching it with two sided tape. The wax paper would keep the colors from bleeding through.

I use the Glad Press'n Seal on the back of my ribbon. Lay the ribbon on it, press it, and then cut to the width of the ribbon. Takes time, but works well. HTH!