I am going to buy my first set of tips this weekend but I wanted to know which ones are used more often. Basically, I need to know what to buy. Should I just buy the Wilton Starter kit? I bought 2 tips and some disposable bags at Walmart the other day to start and now I am addicted to cake decorating.

Does anyone have an opinion on which tips are better, metal or plastic? What about the bags?

Any help, I would greatly appreciate.

Thanks in advance,
Cecilia

I suggest metal tips because you don't have to worry about grease. Once you get into royal icing, the bowl and bags and tips cannot have any grease otherwise the icing is ruined.

For bags, I use a combination of all three. Mostly, I use parchment bags which you make out of parchment paper. Any wilton book will explain how to make the bags. Once you are finished with the bags you throw them away.

If I am doing a lot of icing with one colour then I will use a plastic or feather tip bag.

hope this helps

As for starter kits. I bought the Wilton decorator box. It contained a lot of goodies including tips, bags, couplers, decorating board and more. It seemed expensive at the time, but has proved a great investment. The kit has everything that you will need for the first course. For the other two courses, you will have to buy the kits. It's okay to have duplicate tips.

It depends on how much decorating you will do. Buy what you think you will use now and then you can ask for the master decorator kit or whatver as gifts for birthday, Christmas. I got that tip from a lady in the cake decorating aisle.

I would suggest the metal tips.Wilton has about 3 or 4 different kits out that range from starter to advanced so it depends on whether you feel it is something your are going to be doing alot of or not.Maybe sign up for the wilton courses too!! They are great!! Yes...cake decorating can become very addicting and buying all the toys can be also!Ha!Ha! I have all the featherweight bags too but I usually use the disposable bags as most of my cake decorating is character cakes which have lots of colors and I just don't feel like washing out 8-10 bags at the end,the disaposables are really easy cleanup!! Depends on each individual though as everyone has their own preference! You may also want to takle advantage of the coupons that many craft stores offer like Michael's and Joanns and use it towards cake stuff when it is 40 or 50% off....Really helps the pocketbook.Another cheaper avenue to buy cakepans and tools in the future is Ebay!! They always have great deals on pans and other things cake related....Check it out and Have fun enjoying your New Found Hobby!!!

Definately the metal tips. I personally like the reuseable bags. Wilton sells several different kinds. I like the Featherweight by far the best. Can't stand the vinyl!

Agree with the previous poster: Ebay rocks! I have bought tons of stuff of there for way less than retail. Also, I have used Michael's 40% of coupons for some of the high ticket items. You don't actually even have to have the coupon (we don't get a paper). Just ask about it and they'll apply it for you (have for me everytime anyway).

I started out with a couple of colors, a couple bags and the 28 or so piece basic tip set. Worked great for all the beginner, and some advanced, stuff.

Good luck!