When making your crumb coat, thin it a little at a time with whatever liquid you used to make it ie milk or water. It's always better to add a little at a time then to add too much and have to add more sugar to thicken it back up.
Once you mix it in and it's the consistancy you want it to be, which is smooth yet easier to manipulate and mix and smooth onto the cake, drop a dollop onto your cake and start putting a very thin layer on. You want the cake to show thru the sides, it's not meant to hide the cake as icing is, it's just meant to hold the crumbs in. If it is still grabbing really bad and ripping the cake apart BADLY thin it down a little more. If it's only pulling slightly and pulling crumbs in that's ok that's what you want.
Once you've gotten the crumb coat on allow the cake to "set up" for a little while, while the crumb coat hardens up a bit or crusts. After it has crusted you can proceed with your main icing and decorating.
As for a crusting buttercream I use the part crisco part butter recipe and it crusts wonderfully! I don't have the recipe handy right now because we just moved and all my decorating stuff is upstairs and that's where it's at lol but I do know it's part crisco part butter 2 lbs powdered sugar and water OR milk. My husband makes it lol that's his job in our little cake business lol and it's very simple and doesn't take long for it to crust, maybe 5 minutes, 15 on the days with bad wonky weather 
Also be aware of the weather the day you go to decorate your cakes... if you live in a naturally humid area it can effect your icing in bad bad ways lol. I can't remember because it's so early in the morning so someone correct me if I'm wrong but the more humid the longer time it takes to crust as with Royal Icing the more humid the longer time it takes for it to come together (have to mix for the whole 15 minutes sometimes more). I live on the East Coast in Maryland, it takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes for my buttercream to crust.
Good luck.
The Buttercream Dream should crust fine for you. I use Duff's Buttercream, so it never crusts over, so I chill it in the fridge or freeze for 10 min or so then I can put on my final coat.
Hi, too bad I can't help you with crumb coating, because I'm having the same problems as yours. I can give you the recipe of the Crusting Buttercream that works perfectly with Viva paper towels:
2 lbs sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
2 tbsp clear vanilla extract
1/3 cup water for icing the cake, OR 1/4 cup for stiff consistency
1/4 tsp almosd extract
- Cream butter, shortening and extracts until creamy ans smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and water.
- Mix on low to medium speed until smooth and creamy. (don't overmix or mix on high speed)
Let stand for 15 minutes before smoothing with viva paper towel.
Icing can be refridgerated for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Good luck and let me know if you need anything else.
I never use the Almond flavoring as I don't have any lol I have yet to buy it lol. But when my husband makes it that's basically the recipe he follows (minus the almond of course) and it's delish!!! My friend just told me the other day that her daughter purchased a cake from the supermarket for mother's day, a small one for them to share since they are the only two mom's in the house lol. Anyway she said she took one "very small" bite and spit it out and threw the rest of that piece away and her daughter asked her wth was wrong with her lol she said "I've gotten so used to Becky's icing I just can't stand that crap from the grocery store" so I guess it's a hit with everyone lol. The kids love it the grown ups love it, with the except of my dad who is diabetic and isn't allowed sugar or isn't supposed to have sugar lol he says it's a touch too sweet lol...
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