Does anybody besides me feel like they stink at cake decorating? I am so into it and so excited about it, and I've only done maybe 7 cakes, but I'm getting a little discouraged because I feel like I stink at it!! I keep telling myself, it's a matter of time, patience, and practice, but sometimes I get so discouraged when something doesn't go perfectly. *sigh*
You're not alone! I "stink" at decorating, too. I don't worry about it too much because my cakes still look better than anyone else's that I know and people think I know what I'm doing!! 
I do however LOVE to read the stuff of CC and drool over all the pictures! If there's one thing I remember reading on here it's, "Practice, practice, practice! It's the ONLY way to get better!"
So, keep your chin up and PRACTICE!! 
its true what they say... just practice, practice, practice. i've learned some things on CC, some things from the many books i've purchased, and then some things from trial and error. sometimes, trial and error is the hard way to learn but, trust me, you'll never forget! LOL
i checked out your cakes and they are great for only having done 7 so far! what matters most is that you enjoy doing it, so you'll want to keep practicing and inevitably you'll get even better. 
keep up the great work!
I feel the same way! Every time I do a cake I seem to learn something new (the hard way!) - but I know it will make me better. I can look at where I was and where I am and know I am better now, but I can't wait until I can just whip things up like I want them!!! (it also helps to have the right tools and supplies - which I don't always have!)
I too, am a stinker Am working on "cleaning" myself up though
Yep! So much so I started a thread about feeling inferior as compared to some of that talent on this site! 
LOL, I HAD to respond to this thread after seeing three of the posters are from Michigan, too! I must confess.....I am also a stinker. But what a fun hobby, right?
Lindsey, I see you're from Ida. DH and I cruise through there regularly, sometimes stopping for Mexican at Carl's Hide-Away. Nice little town.
LOL, I HAD to respond to this thread after seeing three of the posters are from Michigan, too!
Make that four!
okay enough of the negative self talk! 
As long as you are doing your best and you enjoy doing this, you dont stink! Everyone has something to learn, just keep working at it. Surely you will improve. I am sure you are your own worst critic as well.
Yep, I too am a stinker. Sad but true 
I love to mess around with cakes though. I just wish I had a teeny tiny little bit of the talent of some of the people on CC. I look at some of these cakes on here and i'm like WOW! I could NEVER make anything that halfway looked as good as that. They say practice, practice, practice but I never get any time to practice. OH, well maybe one day.
I stink!! I know I will never be as good as some of the people on here but I would like to be able to at least do 1/2 as good. I really get discouraged when some one posts their first cake ever and it is like competition worthy!!! Oh well, practice,practice,practice.
This coming week it has been exactly 1 year since I made my very first decorated cake when I attended my first Wilton class...I joined because my son and his fiancee announced their engagement and wanted me to make the cake!! 
Up to that point, it was a mix with canned frosting and smarties all over the cake..REALLY!!! Once I tried to do a star tip cake but I won't even talk about that...
You will be amazed at what the difference a year makes...you will feel so much more confident...your cakes will likely look a whole lot different than they did when you first started...
I have tried to do at least one cake per week (I take them to work) and because of that, I have gotten a TON of requests for cakes for birthdays and showers..
If you practice, you will become proficient and be able to do a nice cake that will make you pleased with yourself...don't give up!!!! People usually learn from their mistakes..I know I have!!!
LOL I love this place! I waste so much time on here, it's ridiculous. But I'm so relieved to know I am not the only "stinker." Stinkers unite!! LOL. I have these glorious pipe dreams of some day retiring from my day job (lawyer) and opening the cutest little cake and cookie shop. I think it would be the greatest thing ever. But I feel like I would have to go to culinary school first off (not possible) and second off I'd have to get magic powers to be able to decorate cakes well enough to actually sell them and support myself!! LOL. For those of you who are really good (you're probably not reading this thread haha), did you seriously stink when you started? Or were you instantly great? Ugh.
One more thing to you Michiganders - Howdy!! Yes, I'm in Ida (love Carl's Hide-Away!) and I work in Bloomfield Hills (crazy commute, I know). Nice to "see" y'all here! Go Blue!
I am also in the Stinker Club. I've taken a couple of classes to learn somethings but they are just common sense things that I don't feel like I should have paid them to teach me. I too would love to cake a class from someone that is great at cake decorating, so I would feel like I getting my money worth. But where I live there are no such classes, so try and learn from you all. Some of your cake make me feel that I know I will get better, because I have looked at some of your photos and I see the progress so I feel "There is Hope For Me"
Yep! So much so I started a thread about feeling inferior as compared to some of that talent on this site!
"inferior doesn't even begin to describe the feeling I get sometimes; scratch that- most of the tim LOL
You learn as yo go, but when there's so much to learn, it can sometimes seem as if you r always making mistakes and always learning,which is both good and bad.
You know, I listened to an interview with a famous rock band some time ago and these guys have been a top grossing act for years and years and years. Someone asked them about their music and how "perfect" it was. The guy laughed and laughed and laughed, then told the interviewer how there are so many flaws in the music it was a wonder they ever got a record contract! But as he so aptly pointed out, they were having fun and that's what mattered. I think there's a lesson in that for us, don't you?
You guys need to get The Secret.
I looked at some of your pictures not everyones. They are all good. yes, you may need more practice to become collete peters but I bet you are the best damn cake decorator on your street or in your family. It takes dedication to be a cake decorator. As long as you try your best, then you should be excited about your cakes.
This is too funny. I love to read the posts from everyone (while I'm at work!) I often feel like my work stinks. However I am happy with what I do. I am a full time working mother and I only do cakes on the side for people I love. It takes so much effort to bake, decorate, and CLEAN UP! I have never taken a class, my mom taught me and she is also self taught! We always joke that we could never work in a bakery because we have frosting from head to toe and it looks like a cake exploded in the kitchen by the time we finish. Like everyone else, we are never paid enough for our time. Everyone seems to like our cakes and we have had a few paid jobs lately but like I said, I have to really like you to make your cake. I love cake decorating but its my hobby, not my job. I admire all the business owners! Its so much work!
This coming week it has been exactly 1 year since I made my very first decorated cake when I attended my first Wilton class...I joined because my son and his fiancee announced their engagement and wanted me to make the cake!!
Up to that point, it was a mix with canned frosting and smarties all over the cake..REALLY!!! Once I tried to do a star tip cake but I won't even talk about that...
You will be amazed at what the difference a year makes...you will feel so much more confident...your cakes will likely look a whole lot different than they did when you first started...
I have tried to do at least one cake per week (I take them to work) and because of that, I have gotten a TON of requests for cakes for birthdays and showers..
If you practice, you will become proficient and be able to do a nice cake that will make you pleased with yourself...don't give up!!!! People usually learn from their mistakes..I know I have!!!
Jane thank you for this! I still feel like I stink, and it has been about a year for me as well. Of course, I do better than anyone I know and they think I know what I am doing, but I looka t my cakes and I am like OMG I SUCK... I am going to try the one a week thing.. at somepoint I was doing that but then I slowed down.. It shows.. i think I have almost forgotten how to do roses becaue I don't do them much LOL
(i did get a deposit for a wedding cake today though) YAY!
I already knew I was no Collette Peters, but was relatively happy w/ my work. I have five orders already for June and have relatively steady work w/ making cakes. I know there is room for improvement. I am in love with Cake Central BUT... Then I had it happen; one day someone said something not so nice about a couple of my cakes I went into a mini-slump and started questioning my abilities. I even erased a bunch of my cake pics... I'm a 36 yr. old woman and I had to have my Mommy give me a pep talk She said that she loved my work and had people at her job asking for my number recently, too. I'm getting over it and trying almost everything on here that I have time to. I guess I'm a big baby, but hey, I'm only human 
i think you do great work, keep it up ,the more you do the more you will feel better about it. I still think I stink but for some reason I do really well with orders. I can not believe the orders that I have been getting because me personally I would not give 5.00 for a bouquet of mine but others see something I do not. So who am i to complain. If they want it I will sell it to them, if I am not comfortable then I will give a price cut. You are doing very well so hang in there.
i am with all of you... i know that i do better than other family members, or anyone else i know, but i am not up to my own standards... i look at all the gorgeous cakes here and feel inadequate...
I just love decorating so much! i also have the dream of opening my own shop... lots of practice ahead of me! i have a few years to get better...
I still want to take the wilton gumpaste & fondant class, but we lost our area instructor... POOP!
I have been trying to do one cake a week too. I have not taken any classes, because even though I think I stink, I think I can learn the things they teach in the Wilton classes on my own, without having to pay the money. And I can't fit it in my schedule any way. I should admit that I have not hated every cake I've done. I have been happy with a few, but usually I just realize it's not perfect, but not terrible either. There just seems like there is sooo much to learn sometimes, that it's a little overwhelming! I would like to be able to "open shop" in 5 years or less, but this is dreaming (for more reasons than my lack of skills), but I feel like it will take 25 years to learn enough! I am 30 years old already - I don't have 25 years! AUGH!!!!!!!!! LOL. Thanks everyone for making my day so much better. I mean that.
I figure there is always something to learn, it's never ending . Yes there are areas I stink at and areas I'm better at. I figure there is always someone better than me , and I'm better maybe in one area than another. I'm finding even late in life it's trial and error and I learn from others mistakes too, that's why I love CC. I love not to make the same mistake someone else has already done, and I can help someone avoid the mistakes I've already made. We work together and practice is key as in anything, lets keep baking and posting those pics. The ones we laugh at now are the ones we are learning the most from. I'm glad I can make someone grin like the time don't ask me how I forgot to add the six eggs.................... 
I too think I STINK! I can always find things wrong with the cakes I make BUT nobody else can and that is the key. Make them think you know what you are doing.
Hi ya michiganders. I'm in upper lower michigan and don't get down your way very often but nice to hear from you all.
I think your cakes look good! I looked! They look smooth and well decorated. If nothing else, just make the photos blurry like the Thanh Thanh inspired cake and we'll never know any different. You're doing great hon, if thats the way they look after 7 cakes, you're well on your way.
I'm in Michigan too and yes, I SUCK!!!! I'm burned out right now and am still doing orders, don't ask me why I have no idea why I'm still doing them being in a slump.
My DD and DS birthdays are coming up and I'm doing a combined birthday party---I don't even want to make the cake. I'm going to but, it's going to be something easy or slapped together probably.
I know I need practice and to invest more time, but I just don't even want to anymore. I just want a nap!
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