Economical (Cheap) Way To Frost 200 Cupcakes
Baking By Valeriaa Updated 15 Jun 2012 , 6:52pm by BakingIrene
Pink Lotus, you read my mind. I was just searching for the sticky on bullets. http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-588591.html and then was thinking that it still requires a bag and tip. And was going to add the simplest thing would be to fill a big ziplock, maybe a quart size full of icing, seal it up and cup a small hole in the corner and squeeze away. So, I agree with Pink Lotus. This would save cost of a bag and tip and would keep the icing in the bag, not all over. You would still have a swirl, it just wouldn't be zigzaggy but would be quick and easy and (not that it is important) but would impress the other moms.
If you aren't worried about how they look, and you want to save money, you don't even need a tip. You can just cut the tip of the piping bag off. You can even use a sandwich bag instead of an actual piping bag if you want.
I use gallon freezer bags that I get at the dollar store, I just cut a hole in a corner, they seem stronger than regular storage bags. I would invest in a tip, they only cost between $1 and $1.50 usually. I tried using just a bag before getting a tip and the frosting came out looking like doggy doo. 
It takes you 5 seconds because you have been doing it for a long time, have a lot of practice and know how to do it. For a novice, chances are it's going to take you a long time for each cupcake if they even turn out half way decent. Not only does a novice not know how to hold the bag and how much pressure to use, you don't know how or if to hold the cupcake or how to frost it in an even swirl. For a novice their first one will take 5 minutes and the 200th one will take 4:59 
By the time she does 200 cupcakes, she will know how to hold the bag and how much pressure to apply
Whatever way you use, you cannot put the iced cupcakes into zipped bags until they either chill hard or crust (takes a lot longer).
If you bake and cool the cupcakes, and store them in the fridge, they will be easy to ice whatever method you choose. Take a bag out, ice it, put them onto a cookie sheet, and back to chill until the icing is hard. Then back into the bags.
And for dipping icing, this recipe worked for me the very first time I tried it. http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Poured-Cookie-Icing you would dip the tops.
Buy your sugar etc at BulkBarn (4 kilos for 200 cupcakes) and pick up a bottle of real vanilla there too. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla per kilo of sugar as well as the milk and syrup. Make the icing in 1 kilo batches, it works better that way to dip the tops. You could even get some sprinkles at BulkBarn and not bread your budget.
It is VERY quick to do just the tops. You hold on to the paper liner and dip deep enough so that the top is all covered, and turn them right side up.
Or if you are worried about storage, ask them for one of their empty buckets from their icing that they normally throw away - at least you'll have something food safe to add your several batches of icing to. OR get one of those Home Depot $2 orange buckets and use that. Wash it really well first, of course.
As for icing, for a large event like this I get under the bed storage boxes. Take all my unfrosted cupcakes out of the freezer and pack them all in (single layer), fill 4 or 5 piping bags and ice away. I think I can fit about 120 -130 cupcakes in one of those, they even come with a lid. It takes less then 10 minutes to pipe simple swirls for the whole box. I got the boxes at Target for $12 or so bucks I think? Your cupcakes won't fall over and you can literally roll the box to the car if it's too heavy or awkward to carry. 2 boxes stack on one another and they should fit in the trunk of your car.
You are the smartest person EVER! Thanks for the tip 
YESSSSS 
things are looking up. I picked up the cherry boxes and while a little higher on the sides than needed, still will be workable to put cupcakes in and ice right in the box.
The good news is I talked to the bakery lady at my local safeway and said since its for the local school pic nic they will sell me their buttercream icing. So have to talk to the baker on Tuesday morning and he will figure out how much I need and whip me up a fresh batch. She said they will charge 2.50 a pound, which thinking how light and fluffy that stuff is seems like a great price and I know it will be the right consistently etc. for the icing bags.
When looking through my baking stuff I stumbled across a box of disposable bags, must have picked them up somewhere along the way years ago LOL So I know not as good as the big cloth ones but dont have to buy one now.
So looking at the various utube clips that you people have nicely put up. Planning to pick up a wilton 2D or wilton 1M and as someone mentioned after doing the first fifty or so Im sure I will get the hang of the pressure and hopefully they will look ok and not like doo doo...Im not using choclate icing just to be sure LOL
anyways thanks again and back to baking these cupcakes. Got 72 done last night and stocked up on more eggs to bake again tonight!
bought a smalled canned icing today, thought I could practice a little even though the consistency of that stuff isnt the same as the nice fluffy stuff i will be getting. Also I know the guys around here are getting a little upset with no samples yet so will kill to birds with one stone so to speak...then quickly put all of them in freezer where they are safe.
Yes, with all your great help and input I am feeling very happy about things now. I figure even if I start running out of time or if I cant get my piping to look ok then I will just spread it on and then with the sparkles they will look great and I know they will taste great cuz Im not making the icing...
omg, so just went to put a batch into freezer and one of my boys nicely stuck a rubber rat on top.... I screamed so loud...they got me this time....after living in a house full of men/boys all these years there has been lots of time I just come across this thing in the fridge or cupboard and not even blink twice...
will keep you posted and will be sure to post some pictures of the completed product so you can all pat yourself on the back for getting me through this!!!!
many thanks
val
Well ladies.... I did it all iced and packed in boxes ready to be delivered up to pic nic. Will post some pics early next week. Need to get busy on the dinner for the whole family tonight and packing for camping tommorow.
Thanks again for everyones help and suggestions!
bought a smalled canned icing today, thought I could practice a little even though the consistency of that stuff isnt the same as the nice fluffy stuff i will be getting. Also I know the guys around here are getting a little upset with no samples yet so will kill to birds with one stone so to speak...then quickly put all of them in freezer where they are safe
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omg, so just went to put a batch into freezer and one of my boys nicely stuck a rubber rat on top.... I screamed so loud...they got me this time....after living in a house full of men/boys all these years there has been lots of time I just come across this thing in the fridge or cupboard and not even blink twice...
val
Val, I grew up using my brothers voracious appetites to learn to decorate cakes. Of course they also did the teenage thing--they took dishtowels and flicked them whenever I was setting up a wedding cake. But I learned to deal with men at work from them.
So--if you want to teach your crew to mind their manners, the next time they eat some samples, make up some funny names for the flavours. For example: mouse mousse or mint rat-shit instead of mini-chip. But you tell them this AFTER they have eaten the samples...
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