I just finished a practice groom's cake for my soon to be BIL, the wedding is in a week and I for the life of me cannot make chocolate curls. Well I got like 3 decent ones but I have to cover the enitre top of the cake. I know nothing about chocolate, except the consuming of. So any hint's tips and directions are GREATLY appreciated.
This is what I tried for the practice cake: Melted a bakers' german chocolate bar (german chocolate cake thought this would compliment nicely) with a little butter and molded it into a small oval dish and let harden overnight - on the counter, thinking softer would be easier to curl and afraid the fridge would dry it out.
I bought an actual Chocolate shaver and slid it down the side of the bar and got a tiny curl. I was holding it in my hands while doing this so of course it started melting. So I picked up another piece and worked with that until it got mushy and switched back to the first.
Should I have skipped the butter when I melted? Should I have let it get harder? Should I just give up and see if I can order some in town? Getting worried please help. 
I'm not sure if I do it the "right" way, but it has always worked for me. I just use a large fancy type of chocolate bar and go all the way down the side with a vegatble peeler. When it starts to melt, I just stick it in the fridge for a moment and then start again. Haven't had any trouble getting curls. I usually save my really good looking curls in one pile and the little shaves in another so that I can put all of the good curls on top where they'll be seen.
Like Joannah I haven't melted the chocolate first before making curls.
When I have used colored candy melts I have done similar to what you described (without any additives), but I harden in the fridge. If you don't let it warm up some though the curls will break while still very small.
Not sure you needed the butter.
I'm not sure if you're looking for large or small chocolate curls. Larger ones are easier to do just like the person above said - using a vegetable peeler on the side of a large chocolate bar. But if you want small ones, I found that the Pampered Chef cheese grater works wonders! It's the one with a crank and you turn it (not the big flat kind, altho that might work to - I've never tried it). Use the grater with the larger holes. Check out My Photos and there's a chocolate one in there, and you can see if that's the kind of effect you want. It works better when the chocolate is a little soft - not melting but not too hard either.
Check out this website!
http://www.azcentral.com/home/recipes/
If you click on the 2nd or 3rd forum, they will show you how to make chocolate straws to get the idea.
I have tried it before, you really have to watch that video a couple of times, it looks easier than it really is. Its all about practicing them!
When you make chocolate curls--a couple things need to be "right."
First, the chocolate HAS to be warmer than you think it does. That point where it starts to melt in your hand? Perfect!
A simple, cheapie vegetable peeler is best--that way you can press into the chocolate square and "get the feel" for it. DON'T BE AFRAID TO PRESS on the peeler. The thickness of the curl helps it to hold together.
PULL TOWARD YOU--not away from you when making the curls. You'll get "shavings" if you go in the away direction, most of the time.
Use a toothpick to pick them up after making, and move them to where you'd like them.
Hope this helps,
--Knox--
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