fooby, just wondering... you say you use transparency paper and put it over fondant? do you leave the transparencey on there? if you do you sure can't tell-please explain.
I use transparency film like the ones you use for overhead projectors. I print the message using that, cut it, cut a strip of fondant and lay the transparency there. Here are two samples:
Thanks for all the great tips! I'm a newbie decorator and a bargain shopper so I love finding a way to save money and still get great results!
I got some plastic suncatchers that you paint and scrubbed them very well to take off the black paint that comes on them. I use them to impress a picture on the crusted buttercream. I then pipe the outline or fill in the design.
what a great idea--is this food safe? does anybody know?
this would be much easier than FBCT or using the toothpick/pin trick for transfers.
This is probably a stupid idea but instead of buying flower formers I use the heavy duty paper plates like Chinet brand ones. I can use them either right side up and put the flowers around the inside edge to form them or I flip the plate over and place them on the curve on the egde of the plate. Cover with wax paper of course. The ones formed on the back of the plate over the curved edge sit great on the top edge of a cake and the ones formed from the right side of the plate sit great on the cake board or bottom of the cake. This way I can have flowers that are not rounded and they can be put easily along the top or bottom of the cake.
This was a fantastic topic to start, thank you thank you thank you. I spent the weekend shopping for playdoh toys! I am having a ball, favourite new tool the flat grabber thingy (looks like a dummy with a flat base, grabs the paste out of the molds) fun, fun, fun and so much cheaper than if I'd bought similar molds from a specialty place! Thank you!
I use those plastic easter eggs for flower formers for my gumpaste flowers. I lay them on their side for lifesize lily petals, stand them on one end or the other (in a piece of styrofoam scooped out a bit to keep them from rolling) and lay a smaller flower upside down over it, or open them up and put a flower inside. Just be careful to check it as it dries so it doesn't dry to the plastic. I have the large size easter eggs but I'm sure the smaller ones would work well too.
I also use a pizza cutter instead of purchasing the expensive wilton fondant cutter.
My cheap tip is also known as my dirty little secret . I go to SAVE A LOT to buy my powder sugar its only $.89 for 2 lbs , its even cheaper then going to walmart. I haven't been to Aldi yet but I don't think I can get any cheaper than that. I also get shortening from there for about $2 and everyoe loves my cakes.
My cheap tip is also known as my dirty little secret . I go to SAVE A LOT to buy my powder sugar its only $.89 for 2 lbs , its even cheaper then going to walmart. I haven't been to Aldi yet but I don't think I can get any cheaper than that. I also get shortening from there for about $2 and everyoe loves my cakes.
Erika, thanks for tip! 
$.89 is a heck of a deal. Which Save-a-lot do you go to?
the one on RisingSun Ave. and Roosvelt Blvd in NE Philly.
I recently purchased an oven thermometer - best investment ever!! My oven was registering at 400F while the oven dial was only set to 350F. No wonder my cakes would be barely cooked in the centre while scorched on the outside (even when using the flower nail as a heating core).
My favourite tip: violet cancels yellow! Don't waste money on the Wilton whitening stuff to get your buttercream white... just add a bit of violet food colouring!
This thread is great! Thanks for all the tips!
I Love this thread...Heres my Tip of the Day....Go to your local library!!!...Since fondant cut outs seems to be the hot talked about topic lately...why not check out the "Create anything with Clay". The library is a cool place to find books, oooh my gosh be prepared to spend the day...Especially when you discover they have CAKE Decorating Books...LOL!!! and the best part is its TOTALLY FREE!!!
Good Luck and Happy Decorating.
CraZee Duck (Donna)
I have been saving the tops of my pizza boxes lately (that don't have any food/grease) to stack together, cover and use as cake rounds.
As much pizza as we go thru, they are adding up quickly!
LOVE this thread, for a newbie like me it's fantastic!!
I LOVE, LOVE,LOVE this thread!!!
When I need a "leather" look, I take a terry cloth towel, bar towel, etc. and press it into the fondant and it gives an awesome look.
My DH and I were looking the other day at Michaels and we came accross the Plaster section, they have little molds everywhere for everything (Animals, letters, numbers, everyday accessories..etc.)
I got one with letters and now I just use that and make a "Mold" of the words that I want out of fondant.
I just read 12 pages of your suggestions and tips, THANKS, all of the tips I had was already given. But I sure did pick up alot of other tips.
When I forget to put my baking strips around the pans and if they come out with a bump in the middle as soon as they come out of the oven I put a towel over the top of the cake and use a clean cake pan and press the top down with the cake pan. Works great. Thanks again to all of the wonderful tips.
Wow, I have made notes galore!! thanks for sharing!
Corelle coffe cups (not mugs) are oven safe. You can bake small half balls in them. Used for upper body for pregnant cakes, monkey snouts, hills for racing cakes. Grease well. I also made tea cups from the same using oven safe coffee cups. They were just the right size. If you don't have them, look at garage sales or second hand stores.
I cut my own parchment triangles out of a roll of parchment only 99 cents from most dollar stores.
HERE'S AN IDEA - I just saw at dollar Tree, Sand molds. They are plasic and one that I have my eye on is spiderman. My thought was to use it to mold a spidey face out of red fondant and then put on his webs with dark choc outlining. You could take the same mold and line it with plastic wrap and fill with rice krispie treat mixture and then ice it to smooth, cover with the fondant mask.
also for belly cakes why not make the baby bump and top bumps from rice krispie treats. No one ever wants to eat the bump anyway.
Love this post.............thanks for the ideas
I have learned so much thanks to CC! This thread is great!
My newly found cheap thing, is make your own cookie cutters! I was going to order them online for $1 each, till I realized shipping was an additional $8 or so. I then went to Home Depot, purchased the aluminum flashing in the roofing isle for $10 and it is a 10 FOOT ROLL! It is 14" top to bottom, so I only need to cut 1" strips off the end...and then make my own cutters. I just use duct tape to seal the end to the cutter. Works GREAT! And you cant beat the price, it now costs me 12 cents each cutter plus I can do custom ones.
I was also going to mention you can cut a strip of the plastic 2 liter bottles, similar to the "tool" mentioned before...and you can then cut a design into one side of it like those decorator triangles for buttercream. IF you have them, the patterned scissors (for scrapbooking) would work great too!
OH and another thing. I didnt have a wondermold pan, but wanted to do a doll cake. I simply baked it in a pyrex bowl since they are oven safe, and VOILA!
I am new to this site and in fact new to cake decorating but I have some inexpensive ideas for boards and transporting (it probably has already been suggested).
The short cardboard case that holds 24 cans of soda (or even canned food)is ideal for the following:
1) 9 x 13 cake board (ideal size)-just cut the sides off, glue two together and cover with tin foil, inexpensive plastic table cloth (like this because you can color coordinate), plastic wrap etc.
2) 9 x 21 cake board- just cut the two long sides off and lay the short ends flat. Glue two boards together and cover with the same as above.
3) 17 x 21 cake board-lay all sides flat. Glue two together and cover with the same as above.
4) Cup cake carrier (ideal as the standard size cupcakes are about the same size around as a soda can)-leave intact and cover with the same as above. Make separators by using thin cardboard strips, both long and short. Cut slits in the short strips and connect them to the long strips to form a grid pattern.
5) Cake decorations & assembly pieces carrier-leave intact cover as above, lay parchment or wax paper in the bottom and arrange decorations. These cardboard cases can be stacked one on top of the other and placed in a plastic box for easy handling.
6) Another idea for a cup cake carrier is using the cardboard box that round christmas ornaments come in (it is already separated and has enough of an indention to keep the cupcakes in place. Since it comes in different sizes, it is ideal for the mini, standard and large size cupcakes.
Went looking for chopsticks and found these instead -- 8 inch bamboo poles instead of dowel rods. At a Dollar store - pack of 100 for .99cents. You can also use chopsticks, also found cheaply.
Of course I bought 300 for use in supporting stacked cakes.
I like the paper towel tube idea for flower formers.
I also use cardboard egg cartons to store flowers made in the lilly nail. It holds the shape and has a lid!
Make your own pearls:
http://www.earlenescakes.com/prlinstruct.htm
I use coffee for the liquid in all of my chocolate cakes. Doesn't save you money, but an awsome tip for making a delicious chocolate cake.
I get my clear vanilla from a local cake supply store. I get a huge bottle of it for a fraction of the price that it sells for at Walmart. Be caareful o the brand tough. I got one bottle that had a weird chemically taste to it.
At the same store, they sell flower pot wrapping paper as cake bord cover. I get 3 or 4 times more of it than Wilton's board cover. It is available in a wide range of colors and it is reversible, so you get 2 color options. Not as cheap as the plastic table cloth idea, but it stores easier.
Keep the ideas coming, guys!!!
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