Everytime I try to use cereal treats they fall apart. I am using royal icing but the cereal treats fall apart before the royal icing even has a chance to dry. I am Trying to make a 3d carved dragon. The neck of the dragon is a pvc pipe and I am attempting to wrap the cereal treats around the neck but they just wont hold. Someone please tell me why? I see other people do this all the time, but I never have ANY luck. I have tried home made treats and store bought treats..... ?

What recipe are you using?

cakeyouverymuch~ I have used both homemade cereal treats and this time the store bought Rice Krispie Treats....the royal icing is the one on the Wilton Meringue powder can... (4 cups powdered sugar, 6 table spoons water and 3 tablespoons meringue powder)

I'm not sure I understand your concerns about the RI. You need to pack your RCT sculpture tightly together and smooth the surface with your hands or a wooden spoon before you cover it. I've never used RI to cover my RCT sculptures. I tried melted candy melts once and didn't like it. Now I form my sculpture as tightly packed as I can get it, then cover it with modeling chocolate or candy clay which I smooth with my hands. Then I finish it with fondant or gumpaste or sometimes with more modeling chocolate or candy clay if I have the right colors. If you're using the RI before your sculpture is properly set up that may be causing your problems.

I had the same problem. I read somewhere not to use butter in your homemade RKT Recipe. I have not tried this but it makes sense. The butter would stay moist...

I add choc to my rice cripies treats, they harden better and taste awesome

i like to mix some modeling chocolate in with my rkt's,it sticks together real nice and hardens very well.then i cover it in modeling choc. because you can smooth it out real nice with your hands.

Make the rkt very dense, not like you would for regular rice krispie treats for eating. I add as much cereal as I can (til it won't stick). Then put it into the shape you want. I also cover mine with two layers of fondant to get it nice and smooth. You can also roll your fondant a bit thicker so it doesn't look bumpy. I have not tried to apply rkt to pvc...not sure about that part. Also, be sure to let the rkt completely cool before you ice or cover it or the icing/fondant will just melt away. Good luck!

What are you using to stick the rkt to the pvc? Maybe it's just not adhering properly. Try brushing piping gel on the pvc and then packing on the rkt. Piping gel will stick to just about anything.

Another little trick I do with the RKT is smash them up with either a blender or in a ziplock bag and crush. It helps with smoothing it out later and covering.

I made a Tangled Tower recently that required RKT on PVC. I brushed melted chocolate all over the PVC and let it dry. It gave the RKT something to stick to. I used the RKT recipe on the side of the Kellogg's box, including butter and it worked fine. I also smashed the RKT together very tight and molded it with my hands.

I had a similar problem a while back where every time I'd try to mold the shape it just fell to pieces I ended up adding icing sugar to it and it worked fine after that. I also put it in the fridge for a while and it went really hard before covering it and made it a bit easier.
Hope this helps

I used to have the same problem, and now I crush the cereal. I use the amount the recipe calls for which I think is 6 cups (I also use special K) and crush it up in my blender. Add the 40 marshmallows or whatever and shape and mold. For me, I find that there are next to no gaps, and the treats stick together perfectly.
Not really sure why this works so well, but it does. Try it out!

I am interested in this thread and other similar ones I've seen because I, too, have trouble with my cereal treats falling apart and no amount of compressing with my hands seems to help. I've used butter and I've used no butter (which seems a little better. I'm going to try adding a little melted chocolate to it. That sounds like a logical solution. Good luck to all of us who are having issues with RKT!! And thanks to all of you who are trying to help us.

thanks everyone for your responses....I have tried most of the suggestions in the past. I think I just need to keep trying I guess. I ended up having to use foam for the head of my dragon and was able to use cereal treats over the pvc for his neck. It isn't perfect but turned out okay. I will try and attach a picture...thanks