How did everyone develop their cake decorating skills? Did some of you get training or did you teach yourself? I was wondering because everyone is so good. I am new at this and wanted to know how you guys got started in selling your cakes.

I took the Wilton classes at Michaels. They were very helpful. But I am no where near a lot of the people on this site. I think you can tell who decorates for a living and who decorates for hobby.

I started by teaching myself. I was able to make things taste great, but I lacked the Tricks of the Trade to make them looked really good. So, I took two professional courses here in Toronto...one in gum-paste flowers, and one long course for wedding and specialty cakes. I'd love to do more courses, but with three small kids, there just isn't the time right now. I do sell my cakes, but would love to have a "real" business. I get so much inspiration, and so many ideas here at CC.

Hi and welcome to CC

I got started 26 yrs ago when I got married. My mother-in-law did cakes as a second job. I knew nothing about "professional" cake decorating and all the tips, bags etc. until then. She showed me all her Wilton year books and showed me how to make roses and how to make bags out of freezer paper(instead of parchment like it is done now) because it was cheaper and they were always on a tight budget at that time. I did birthday cakes for my kids and anniversary cakes for family members.
It was only 2 years ago that I was "hired" to make my first paid cakes==a wedding cake and grooms cake for a college's daughter. I was a nervous wreck but lived through it and it turned out great. So, it's only been 2 years that I have been making cakes for $$ and really only the past 6 months has it been steady and my "business' growing by word-of-mouth.
I have been self-taught until a couple of months ago. I wanted to learn how to make the beautiful fondant & gumpaste cakes and flowers I have seen on CC, so I decided in April to just go ahead and start with Wilton Course 1 and take all 3 and then the Fondant & Gumpast class. I am in Class 3 now and can't wait to finish and start the F&G class to learn the more detailed and larger flowers. God gave me the talent of being able to draw and paint, so I have always done drawings in all sorts of mediums and oil paintings--mostly landscapes and wildlife. Another reason why the beautiful gumpaste flowers have facinated me--cake decorating and painting all in one---what more could I ask for!! LOL!
I have only posted one of my cakes from years ago--they seem so 'amature-ish' now AND compared to the ones here on CC. But, one day when I find the photos of those old cakes, I might get brave and post a few just for laughs!
Well , sorry I was so long winded. Hope your cake decorating goes well--learn from your mistakes-we all make them, don't get discouraged and dont sweat the small stuff! And, practice, practice, practice.
Post your pictures. It is a good way to get help with problem areas or to boost your ego!!
Good luck, newbie.

Hi! When my step daughter told me that it would mean a lot to her if I made her wedding cake, I just laughed. I couldn't ice a cupcake without it falling apart! Not wanting to let her down, I took the first 3 classes at Michaels to get the basics and then found that I REALLY enjoyed it so here I am with a full-time job and my fun part time job.

I have learned so much from this sight! Don't know what I would do without it! I am SOOO addicted.

Welcome!

susgene

I took classes at first from Wilton. Also there is a cake store about 30 minutes from me that teaches more advanced classes & I have done those as well. Good luck

My mother decorated cakes so I inherited some of my talent from her. I did mostly baking until last year when I took the Wilton classes at Michaels. Ever since then, CC has been my home to learn.

I started because I wanted a certain cake for my daughter's bday but noone around here could make it for her. So I took the very first Wilton class but everything else I learned here on CC. It's been a little over a year now.

When I was a little girl, for our birthdays, my mother would let us "decorate" our birthday cakes. It was something to look forward to, with hours and hours sketching out designs. When I became a mom, I carried this tradition on with my daughter. I made her wedding cake, and now that I have a "new" blended family, I have made more memories with a new granddaughter. To someone from the south, it is all about the kitchen, food, and making memories. I love my memories of my mother and making cakes with her. When I was old enough (that means I finally decided to do something for ME) I took classes at the local community college for 2 semesters, then took the Michaels classes just to continue having fun. I am in the fondant, gumpaste class now, but very disappointed. My instructor has never had the class, never taught the class, and lost the video to watch. We are "learning together" . But, I am still having fun and aspiring to the talent displayed daily here on cake central. Love to all of you! P.S. I still have the Ateco metal decorating set from all those years ago!

About 7 years ago, my mother-in-law gave me a few wilton yearbooks and bags, tips, etc. I began practicing what was in the books, then I took the first wilton class. Like someone else said, I was dissapointed because I ended up teaching the teacher. I never took any other classes, they were all being taught be the same person! I pick up books whenever I see them on sale. Lots of reading and practicing! Good luck!

I did take all of wilton classes even a professional cake decorating class. However,reading all of your stories on how you got started inspired me. Thank you so very much. Im just a little scare and lack confident. I really want to make more cakes and want to try to sell them. there are just so many family member you can make cake for. I've only been at it for six months.

I've always been reaching inside myself and trying to find my creative side, but nothing ever really stuck. I've painted, crafted, sewed, etc... then when my daughter was turning 1 (3 years ago), I thought it would be fun to make a cake for her. I just iced it with frosting but played around with making gumpaste flowers. I didn't rely on this cake, had ordered another one from a professional. He he. The cake was cute and I was proud because I made it for her.

The next year I decided to do something for me... and I chose to take a Wilton cake decorating class. It was the first one and I enjoyed it, but really wanted to work with fondant. So I just found a MMF recipe and started to play around. Everything I've done has just been done through research on the internet and looking at pictures for inspiration. This is my favorite site by FAR! I've never sold a cake yet, but it's something I wouldn't mind doing. I have two small kids (18 months and almost 4 yrs) so I don't want too much of my time taken away from them... I also work fulltime. So for now, it's a hobby... but I wouldn't turn down any requests for a paid cake.

i am self-taught...never had any classes, wish i did though. it has all been from books and years of practice!

I used to watch my mom decorate cakes when I was young. She used to do all the fancy wedding cakes (all RI, stringwork, and remember those sugar bells?) and when I reached my teens, I started playing around with the stuff myself. I bought a Wilton yearbook, and my mom let me use all her stuff, and I taught myself from the book. I did a lot of character/star cakes to begin with, and then I started trying some of the more difficult stuff, and found that it wasn't as scary as it looked.

I mostly played around doing birthday cakes and shower cakes etc. for friends, and then I did my friend's wedding cake, her friend's wedding cake, and my own wedding cake. I didn't decorate after that for a long time, I don't know, I just didn't have the time any more, I guess.

About a year and a half ago, I got talking to the Wilton instructor at the Michaels where I work (floral dept.) and I decided to take the classes - I'd never had any formal training, and I still had trouble with roses. It made me get excited about cake decorating again. Well, since then, I've taken all the Wilton courses my store offered - Courses 1, 2, and 3, Fondant and Gumpaste, and a Gumpaste Flowers. Even with years of "self teaching" I learned so much! Next month, I start teaching Wilton classes of my own at my store! Yep, I've become a WMI. It's a chance to pass along what I've learned to others and hopefully to inspire more cake decorators out there! (And I still work in the floral dept.!)

And, I'm so hooked on this site! I've never seen a place so inspiring and supportive! Every time I see the cakes posted, I think, "Wow - what's my excuse to make that one?"

for me it all got started last september around the time of my friend michael's birthday. he is a very low key person and doesn't like people to make a fuss about him or birthdays (when he graduated college he didn't even want his friends to celbrate it). he specifically told me not to go out and buy a cake for his birthday and not to make a big deal about it. well since he said not to buy a cake i made a cake for him, but i wanted to do something that he likes so i decided i was going to do a superman cake carving the logo out of one layer and so forth. after this cake i wanted to do more and learn more. i bought book after book, went on every website i could find and self taught myself. now i'm taking the wilton classes at my local hobby lobby (michael's is to far from my house). i love decorating, it relaxes me even though it may stress me out. i hope to have a business one day and can be as good as some of the amazing people here. that's my story