I made a cake a couple weeks ago for a baby shower - in my pics (blue, yellow & brown one with baby on top). My question is, when I made the bow (50/50 mixture), and stuck it on the cake with glue I made out of gumpaste dissolved in water, it would not stay on. I propped it up for hours to hold it there as it dried, but it still fell off as I was delivering it, and it wasn't even very heavy. Should I have put wire in it? How do all you experienced folks keep the bows on the sides of your cake successfully? Thanks so much!

Stick two tooth picks in the back of the bow with the paste before the bow dries. When ready to add bow, just push into the cake

Use melted chocolate (candy melts) to stick it onto the cake.

I've used the chocolate like tiggy or royal icing works well also.

On buttercream cakes I use buterrcream to hold it on.

If it's on the side, that's a lot of weight pulling it down, I defintely put a couple of toothpicks to help hold it in addition to some glue. If the cake is covered in bc, I use piping gel. If it's covered in fondant, use gumpaste glue - I love how solid it dries!

First off - Great Cake! Love it! As for the bow - I use toothpicks or skewers (depending on the size of the bow) and I attach them to the knot part of the bow in the back (because there is so much gumpaste or fondant located in the area - it's easiest to stick them right into it) along with using gumglue to secure the picks into the bow. What I do different is place the picks on an angle so any movement while transporting won't wiggle the picks out of the cake. To describe it - the picks are put into the bow in a downward angle so that when I stick the bow into the cake the picks are actually pointing a little down. Sticking the picks straight into the cake could also result in a fallen bow during transport. Just my little way to ensure a good delivery. Call me a little too careful!

if it is a fondant cake use RI to stick them on, prop something under it to keep it in place and pip enough that you can press it in and remove excess leave overnight and it will be solid as a rock, bows are one of my fave things so i have done a zillion here are ones i have stuck to the sides with RI:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1247628

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1284391

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1311771

Thanks so much for the tips! Maybe next time I can save myself the frustration of watching a bow fall after hours of drying! LOL

Candy melts all the way, you won't even need toothpicks to hold it in place because it sets up quick and hard, faster then gum paste glue or RI. But only after it has completly dried, gum paste gets lighter as it dries.

Great tips in this thread. I always wondered how to keep the bow stays in place without falling down due to its weight.