Exactly how do you use the viva papertowels and can u use others for textures in buttercream and can anyone explain the basketweave piping for buttercream.

The wilton website has instructions for the basketweave piping. To use viva get your crusting BC as smooth as possible and let it crust then lay the viva on it and smooth it with a fondant (light touch) or your hands.

For the viva towels, afer I finish icing my cake and getting it as smooth as I can, I put in the fridge for a few minutes and then take it back out to smooth with a viva papertowel. I start with the side by laying the towel on it and rubbing over it lightly with a fondant smoother. Once I've gone around the sides I do the top. Check out the website for Design Me a Cake. There's a great tutorial on icing a cake and shows how to use the towel.

As for basketweave, I haven't done it yet since my instructor never completed the class. I just looked it up last night and watched a couple of tutorials on youtube. I plan to try it out this week.

I LOVE basketweave! It does take a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty quickly.

And wanted to add, once you get the hang of it, you can do all sorts of neat things. You can use different tips for different textures, different colors,etc. Just have it planned out before you do it. I think different colored basketweave is so pretty! Look in my photos, I have several cakes done different ways.

I absolutely love the basket weave very elegant, it looks so complicated but its really not, I think it leaves your customers with that "how the hell.."look.... well at least it did with mine


heres a link how to pipe it

Thanks everyone I'm gonna try some new stuff out on my family this week ill post pics.