Has anyone got a recipe for crusting swiss meringue buttercream- or am i wishing the impossible? I'd like to make some cupcake bouquets and would like to wrap plastic and tissue around it to make it look nice. I am going to use the styrofoam ball method and because the bottom row of cupcakes will end up touching the plastic (which is food safe), I'd like to use (if possible) a crusting swiss meringue buttercream to stop the buttercream smearing onto the plastic. 

Otherwise, does anyone have any idea how to stop the buttercream touching the plastic? These cupcakes will be made to order so I would like to them to look lovely and finished with the plastic and tissue.

Thanks! Jean

adapt something like a box kite

http://www.my-best-kite.com/how-to-make-a-box-kite.html

K8Memphis, do you mean I should try to surround the pot with a box? Sorry I'm having a DUH moment here and not sure how I can adapt the box kite to a pot... 

yes to protect the icing from touching the packaging you have to build something a structure to keep it off--

you have to build a frame to set the cupcakes in--or use crusting icing--

you have to think outside your bouquet--

how else you gonna do it?

adapt something like this but turn it upside down--and wrap the plastic around it to keep it off the soft icing--

http://www.petmountain.com/product/safety-dog-collars/11442-502557/kong-ez-clear-elizabethan-collar.html?utm_source=googleproductads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term={keyword}&gclid=CPSbzqrk7rsCFeJF7AodhXgAOg

Try to not have the bottom row of cupcakes facing downward if you can, or they will get crushed even with a crusting type of icing. Maybe use some type of decoration between the cupcakes that are taller and will keep the plastic away from the cupcakes. I've used artificial baby's breath I picked up at a Michaels store. I don't know if you've made these before so I apologize if I say something you know already. I would also use a dark green tissue or even squares of green plastic table cloth (get at dollar store) so any grease from icing doesn't show. I googled "wrapped cupcake bouquets" and saw a bunch of pics that may give you some more ideas.

For a crusting buttercream, the owner of Woodland Bakery in N.J. does a blog and has videos of what she uses in her bakery.(She used to go by "crumb boss" and now she's just "Woodland Bakery")  She has a swiss style meringue buttercream that I've tried and like a lot. Here's the link to her blog about it and the video is there too if you scroll down. Good luck.

www.woodlandbakeryblog.com/drum-roll-buttercream-is-here-tada/

K8Memphis, I see what you mean now. 

Chaka1, I have made this once before, as presents for my daughter's teachers (pic below). The buttercream kept smudging on tissue paper in between the cupcakes and I used real plants cut from our garden. Also I hand delivered them in a box with no cellophane, so I didnt have to worry about the cupcakes being smudged further. This time I want to make them to order, hopefully with minimal smudging (and no plants!) and so I have to think of packaging! 

I've just seen on one of the threads here how someone used just a box, with a circle cut out on the side (which she covered in acetate) to package the bouquets:

http://cakecentral.com/t/407413/wrapping-up-cupcake-bouquets

I might just try this as I'm just not keen on the crusting buttercream and have not had good feedback about it when I used it in the past.

Thanks for taking the time to answer. Cakecentral and all you lovely helpful ladies are a Godsend!