Ok, i'm ready to give up completely. I have been trying to cover this dummy all afternoon with fondant. The fondant (wilton, because nobody is going to eat it, and someone gave it to me) is pretty much destroyed. unlike mmf, i doubt crisco is going to give it it's elasticity back. thats problem number 1.
another issue is that every time i lay it over the top and start to smooth the sides, the edges tear around the top and the whole thing succumbs to gravity. i have lightly sanded the sides of the foam, rolled out the fondant a little thicker than usual, nothing is stopping the edges from tearing. i am being very careful not to pull down. what am i doing wrong? i don't want to be a baker that refuses to do fondant. i don't want to lose that customer base. at the same time, i have never worked much with it except for cut outs and such.
why is this stuff tearing, and what can i do to make it pliable again so i dont have to waste it? also, how thick or thin should i roll it out?
HELP!
Maybe a dumb question but did you cover the dummy with BC?
i'm no expert on fondant, but did you do a basecoat of buttercream on the dummy first? i think that would hold the fondant in place so it doesn't get pulled down by gravity.
yes that is what you need to do for all cakes and dummies.
I'm glad you posted this topic but not glad your having trouble!!!! I've never done a dummy yet but my friend uses royal icing first, sands it and if I'm not mistaken, she rolls the top edge (just to flatten it a tiny bit) of the dummy with very little pressure on the counter so the fondant won't tear..... Like I said, I've not done a dummy yet.
Would you add more Crisco to the fondant while working it when using a dummy?
I don't know about the crisco. I'm using that nasty wilton. somebody gave me 2 boxes of it for free, so i figured i would save it for practice. boy, am i getting some! I know you can add crisco to MMF, but i dont know about wilton. i'm hoping someone here will know.
Make sure you snip the edges of the dummy (either sanding it or using scissors). You can also use piping gel sparingly instead of BC. HTH
I personally like the Wilton fondant for shaping, etc. I add candy flavors to it to cut the taste a bit.
When I work the Wilton, I tend to have to use more Crisco than say compared to SatinIce. I've never used MMF but from what I can gather, they're about the same consistency.
That's what my friend said 
Now I personally would want sharp edges on the cake. So when I try mine, I'm using the Wilton on top of royal icing. Then she said to get a super-fine sanding paper and go over it just to knock any bumps off and to smooth.
You do not use buttercream under fondant -at least I dont and I have done alot! You can either lightly mist it with water or put a thin layer of piping gel. The piing gel will just dry up. You are having tearing issues because it is too thick.
I am doing one right now and have had no issues from tearing.
Also you need tooo kneed the fondant very well. The lobger the better because it makes it stretch more. HTH!
PS I think it easier to cover a real cake than a dummy!
My friend rolled the dummy along the edge on the counter.
my first thought is how thick are you rolling out your fondant? If it is too thick there is more weight pulling on the top corners and may cause it to tear.
That is about the only helpful advice I can offer 
i have not worked with fondant on dummies yet, only cake, and I have a feeling the cakes are a little more forgiving.
Hi
I've never used Wilton fondant, but it shouldn't be too different, so this is my advice:
If the fondant's lost its elasticity, give it a really good knead - work it for a good few minutes until you notice the texture start to change - that can help a lot. The fondant has to stretch to cover the cake or else it will just tear. It usually tears around the top edge due to the weight of the fondant pulling down the side of the cake.
I've only covered a dummy once (so I'm no expert), but I just brushed it with a little bit of water - I wouldn't use royal icing and if you use buttercream you won't be able to peel the fondant off and try again if you need to. The fondant sticks to the dummy fine with the water. Buttercream goes under the fondant on real cakes to get the finish nice and smooth. The dummy should be perfect (or near to it), so there's no need to put a layer of any type of icing under it.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Cris.
Me too. I had no problem with the cake, its the dummy thats making look like one! Thanks doug, i'm off to the garage for a little sanding. I'll take out my frustrations on foam. And i did use misted water, but i will try the piping gel. I also rolled out the fondant very thin at first and thought the tearing was due to the thinness. Ok, i'm learning alot tonite. all hope is not lost!
wait, one question. if we need to roll the edges with sandpaper so they arent so sharp, why don't they just sell them that way?! ARRGGGGHHHH
Well now, that's just what my friend told me she did. Obviously people do them different from the posts here for example.....
Please let me know how it goes!! You can PM when you have time. I'm going to be seeing her next Weds and I'm going to ask her about all this. She's very experienced and her cakes are breath-taking and I trust her opinions/ideas when it comes to decorating.
The expertise on this site is sometimes overwhelming also!!!!!!! Trying to learn how to do some things gets mind-boggling to me. I try to learn everything I can from everyone!!!! Even if it means taking bits and pieces from what I learn here from so many experienced people!!!!
Good Luck and don't stay up too late 
I cover dummies all the time. I always fill in any imperfections with royal icing, then sand everything smooth. I also sand the edges so they are rounded. I mist the dummy using a spray bottle with a watered down Listerine (mouthwash) solution. This keeps it from molding, and the slight amount of moisture makes the fondant stick. There is no need to use buttercream (which will eventually spoil/mold). If your dummy is too wet, the fondant won't stick, it will just create a sticky, gummy mess. Also, using a quality fondant (like Pettinice, Satin Ice, or Fondx) will make a world of difference! Only roll out as much as you need to almost cover the diameter plus the height of the dummy times two. For example, for a 10" round, I would roll out a 16-17" circle, and it will stretch to cover the dummy completely during the process of smoothing. Too much excess will cause the fondant to tear from the weight.
Hope this helps!
I have competition cake dummies covered in fondant at www.cakedesignsbyrobin.com
First, rvanok, let me say that your cakes are beautiful! I could only dream of being so talented with sugar art. Second, thanks for the tip on the diameter of rolling it out. The directions on the wilton box s**k! I use satin ice for all my cutouts, etc. but i'm not going to waste the good stuff on practice. not till i can figure it all out. anyway, i have a 7" dia. 4" high cake, and i was rolling it out to a 16" dia. According to your directions, I had waaayyyy too much there. i will go with a 14 or 15" tomorrow. I can't do anymore tonite. I am also going to make a boat load of royal tomorrow and start all over again.
As chicken little said "humiliated, yes, but not defeated!"
7" round? For one that small, I always roll a bit thicker than I would for a 10". The thinner the fondant, the more it wants to "pleat" and bunch up. Rolling it a bit thicker helps eliminate that, and nobody will ever be able to tell you have a fraction of an inch more on one tier than another.
Thanks for the kind words!
I haven't read all of the responses yet. But you don't have to cover it with BC first. I never have. I don't roll it out that much thicker than normal either. I don't use Wilton either. I use Satin Ice or FondX so maybe it's the Wilton. The textures are definitely different (I use Wilton to cover my cake boards and you can feel the difference).
Now I'll go back and read the other responses.
ETA: If you do roll it out too large, get as much of the excess cut off as soon as you can so that it won't pull down and possibly tear.
You do not need to cut the dummy it is fine straight or round the fondant will always have a curved smooth edge also I just use water on the dummy, perhaps you can try rolling out the fondant and place the dummy on top then flip over!!!! I think you are possible not letting the fondant drape on the top and if there are a few cracks push up the fondant slightly with the hands and then smooth the parts on the sides....difficult to explain.
After several attempts at trying to cover a dummy with Wilton fondant, I decided to bite the bullet and invest in a case of Satin Ice to start teaching myself to use fondant. The first 5 lb. pail was all I needed. It lasted me a really long time and only cost me $15, less than the Wilton stuff. Working with Satin Ice is so different than working with Wilton. It has great elasticity and is very easy to use.
I tried different things while covering my first dummy. Royal icing REALLY sticks and upon hardening, will be difficult to remove once covered with fondant. Piping Gel works well, as does a very LIGHT spray of water. Too much water will ruin the consistancy of the fondant and create a sticky mess.
I've used all three of these methods recently and each will work well.
If you are going to be using fondant for future projects, try the Satin Ice. You'll never want to work with anything else and it won't be at all frustrating. It is VERY forgiving. Whether it's rolled thicker or thinner, it molds beautifully. Best of all, it taste delicious and you can nibble on some of the left over scraps!
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