I was looking in the wood section @ Hobby Lobby & noticed that they have many different sizes of wood dowels. They seemed to be a lot cheaper than the one's that Wilton sells. Granted, they are very long & will have to be cut, but so do the others. Does anyone know if these would be "food safe"?
Thanks!

Those dowels would not be considered 'foodsafe'. They are not manufactured for use in food.

oh good lord. they're wood. you could eat a tree and it wouldn't kill you. as long as they aren't pressure treated (which they aren't) I think you're fine. use your judgment re: if they are quite smooth (splinter issues).

for the LONG dowels you use to pin together multi-tiers have to use those from craft or home store.

sand smooth if not -- very fine grit.

wash off...

dry

sharpen

OIL w/ veggie oil for a nice protective coating.

---- but ---

those dowels are often of a "softer" wood than wilton's so flex more, etc.

so will stick w/ wilton for the supports between tiers. (tho moving to plastic more and more!)