This is my first attempt with fondant. I have always used BC before. But, I am just trying to venture out and try new things! What in the world do I do about the overlapping areas of fondant around the edges??????? This is probably elementary to most of you guys, but I have not been doing this very long! PLEASE HELP!!
I have to say I dont cover cakes with fondant, but I think you have to be careful about it stretching, just let it droop over the cake, smooth and cut off excess (that said I have only covered a square cake...and I have been told that is the easiest).....at any rate my family prefers a buttercream cake, so I still do buttercream and use fordant to make accents...for me its the best of both worlds!
here is a video that might help: http://www.atecousa.net/learn/satin_ice_1.shtml
If you are careful about smoothing the sides down like it shows, you shouldn't have a problem with the overlapping edges you were talking about. HTH!
Hi there...I just went to the video too, to see what they had to say. I use fondant almost all the time, and just love it. It makes such a nice smooth canvas for your decorating. The only thing I might add to the instructions on the video is about lifting it over your cake. If you're making a very big cake, it can get pretty awkward to lift it and drape it over. I have a really wide rolling pin, and when I'm doing big cakes, I roll the fondant back over the pin losely (like you'd do with pie pastry). Then I bring the cake right to the edge and roll the pin back over the cake. I'm not sure if that makes much sense reading it as much as if you saw it. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to help if I can.
I've always had trouble moving the rolled out fondant to larger cakes so I use a piece of vinyl to roll it on then flip it over onto the cake. It will stick to the vinyl slightly but peel off easily. I also use Crisco when working with fondant to keep it from cracking.
HTH
Thanks so much for the tips. I got really frustrated yesterday, and my cake turned out horribly. But I will try again. I also made the mistake of using wilton fondant. It tasted AWFUL! But, again I found valuable information on CC about what kind to use next time.
I do have one more question, though. How thick of a layer of BC do you put on the cake under the Fondant?
Sweetamber, thank you for that link!! I too have the same problem with fondant...cant wait to watch that video 
The layer of bc under fondant should be quite thin. I do no more then a crumb coat. Enough for the fondant to adhere, but not so much that there are bumps underneath.
You think so? I do a normal amount of buttercream under fondant- most people take the fondant off anyway and that way they still get plenty of icing. I chill the cake a little first so the buttercream is firm- makes smoothing the fondant a breeze! (I use SMBC BTW- it might be different for other buttercreams)
Do I think so? Well, it's the way I was taught to do it, and it works great. I bake my whole tier in one pan, torte it into three or four layers so that there is plenty of filling/icing, and I get a perfectly level and smooth surface under the fondant. No complaints so far.
terri-jo, I hope you weren't insulted by my post. I was just offering my opinion and my experience- there are many different ways to do just about everything in decorating!
I used fondant for the first time last weekend, let's just say that my kids had fun rolling it out and cutting shapes with cookie cutters. I could not get the fondant rolled out evenly to save my life! I think I am giving up on fondant! (at least the kids had fun with it)........ 
You can't give up already! Did you really expect it to be perfect on your first try? I learn something new every time I set foot in my kitchen, and always think of a better or easier way to do things- you just need to practice, don't get discouraged so easily!
fondant can be a bear to work with. It takes time and practice. Just remember to drape and smooth.... unlike a piece of fabric it will stretch and mold to your cake, work it down the sides with your hands then the smoother. Hope this helps! 
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