I've not done any scroll work on a cake yet but seeing all the pictures here on CC I really love it and want to learn to do it. The downfall is that I am a perfectionist and I want to do it right! Is everyone doing this freehand? Gosh I hope not... I want to know the magic secret! 
Any directions, tips, tricks, guides or information would be MOST appreciated!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!
Shantel
you can also print out templates, some of which can be found in the gallery or even scrapbooking web sites. Lay it on something spongy and poke holes with a pin following the pattern. Then lay the paper onto your cake and press gently and the paper holes will transfer the pattern onto the cake so you can trace it.
On the simpson cake challenge one challenger used clear acrylic that she laid on top of her desired picture and traced it in royal icing, she then let it dry and the pressed the stencil onto the fondant and then followed the pattern. I also read another tip here on cc that uses the same idea but rather than RI this lady used hot glue which makes the most sense to me.
HTH
i used to want the PERFECT looking scrolls and so i went on a search for pattern presses. i bought some, but have only used them once. i actually now prefer the look of free hand piped scrolls. i just think that practice is really the best thing for you. i used to be scared out of my mind to do it, but now i enjoy it. i think it adds personality when its not perfect perfect (and i lean towards nitpicky perfectionism too). next time you've got some extra icing, PLAY! have some fun practicing. you'll get the hang of it eventually.
I agree that practice, practice, and more practice is the key! I also prefer the look of freehanded scrollwork ... it just looks more natural to me. Nothing in life is perfect, and cake decorating is the same way! 
Any directions, tips, tricks, guides or information would be MOST appreciated!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!
Shantel
one suggestion i would give, is to not make scrolls in the shape of an "S" . let your hand move natural and fluid...it actually is pretty fun.I notice that if i try to pipe slowly, thats when its the messiest. grab a pen and piece of paper and just scribble a bit...or a bunch. see what you can come up with and decide on the style you like. practice with shortening and a piping bag on parchment paper. then move on to small practice cakes and then on to bigger ones.
Here's my question...What angle to you hold the tip at? 90 degrees to the cake? If I hold it at say 45 degrees, when I change direction my icing flattens out. The 90 degrees seems hard to control, though.
Here's my question...What angle to you hold the tip at? 90 degrees to the cake? If I hold it at say 45 degrees, when I change direction my icing flattens out. The 90 degrees seems hard to control, though.
Hm. I haven't really thought about it in a while but yeah, I guess it's at about 90' from the cake when doing the sides...maybe a little less though. You want to be kinda thinking ahead to where your icing tip is going next at all times. Any time you stop to change directions you're going to get a bubble or shift in the line and it won't be as smooth.
Here's my question...What angle to you hold the tip at? 90 degrees to the cake? If I hold it at say 45 degrees, when I change direction my icing flattens out. The 90 degrees seems hard to control, though.
i dont pay too much attention to my angle, but i do try to use two hands on my bag. one at the back end to hold it in, and the left hand to prop up the tip and to guide it along. i also try to use my elbows on the counter to steady my hands. it seems to help me otherwise my hands tend to shake and i just make a mess.
if you're having a hard time controlling the bag, it may be that your icing should be thinned just a little bit.
if you're having a hard time controlling the bag, it may be that your icing should be thinned just a little bit.
also, don't fill the bag too full. I used to do this all the time and sometimes still do if I don't catch myself...
I've only done a little bit of scrollwork, and my downfall is that it always looks the same to me. I try to make the next cake's scrollwork different then the last - but it ends up the same...
I guess I do what melysa wrote about using both hands - use your strong hand as you normally do, and then your other hand to guide the tip along.
Also - take your time when you're ready to pull away, make sure you're connected to the cake.
Going faster gives you a more natural look, slow makes the line bumpy and wavy.
I've only done it freehand - the cake I'm working on last night and tonight, I made a pattern on the computer and tried to trace it onto the cake, but it didn't seem to work for me, so I just freehanded that again - but looking at the pattern I made gave me some guidance even though it wasn't exact.
I agree, I like the look of freehand better, I was freaked on my first scrollwork cake - its in my gallery, ivory with green ribbon (I can't remember what I named it) - but I think it turned out alright. Its really much more daunting in theory than it really is when you're doing it.
I've also realized that when you start the scroll work it doesn't really look like much and you're gut tells you to wipe it off and start over, but once you get an entire tier done - it looks beautiful.
I just tried scroll work for the first time this week. I got some great tips on this site before I did mine. The two tips that I thought were the best were:
Set the cake on the counter and use a short chair where you are at eye level, it made it a lot more relaxed.
set a book under your board to tilt it up. There are tilting turntables, but this felt safer.
HTH
I just tried scroll work for the first time this week. I got some great tips on this site before I did mine. The two tips that I thought were the best were:
Set the cake on the counter and use a short chair where you are at eye level, it made it a lot more relaxed.
set a book under your board to tilt it up. There are tilting turntables, but this felt safer.
HTH
great tips~
Set the cake on the counter and use a short chair where you are at eye level, it made it a lot more relaxed.
set a book under your board to tilt it up. There are tilting turntables, but this felt safer.
I agree ... great tips!!! 
I also sit down and have the cake at eye level (on a turntable) when I pipe scrollwork. I think it helps a lot to have the cake at eye level. I've never tried tilting the cake ... I've always been scared to do it. But, I love your idea of putting a book under the board to tilt the cake. I'm going to try that next time!
Jessica the cake in your avatar is one of my very fav cakes!!! This just goes to show you there is perfection in cakes with scroll work (or Henna)!!! When I practice scroll work I like to use thin bc because it just doesn't seem to attach well with the thicker BC.
jreimer, you have some great cakes in your gallery!
Thank you CarolAnn!! I can't wait to post the pic of the cake I'm working on right now... Its been a pain, but I think it will be worth it when its all together...
Thanks for the compliment 
You all are so helpful! Thank you so much!
So when you freehand do you come up with a pattern/style in your head and then repeat it over and over? Or do you just pipe all sorts of different things? I'm thinking the homemade pattern/press is sounding good... I'm not experienced with freehanding and it makes me nervous! lol I wouldn't even know what to pipe just DOING it off the cuff!
You all are so helpful! Thank you so much!
So when you freehand do you come up with a pattern/style in your head and then repeat it over and over? Or do you just pipe all sorts of different things? I'm thinking the homemade pattern/press is sounding good... I'm not experienced with freehanding and it makes me nervous! lol I wouldn't even know what to pipe just DOING it off the cuff!
i like to sketch (a.k.a. scribble) on paper first and just play around with the pencil until i find what i like. then just use that as a base idea for the sroll design. as i'm actually piping on the cake, i might change it up a bit...depends on what ends up looking good!
You all are so helpful! Thank you so much!
So when you freehand do you come up with a pattern/style in your head and then repeat it over and over? Or do you just pipe all sorts of different things? I'm thinking the homemade pattern/press is sounding good... I'm not experienced with freehanding and it makes me nervous! lol I wouldn't even know what to pipe just DOING it off the cuff!
i like to sketch (a.k.a. scribble) on paper first and just play around with the pencil until i find what i like. then just use that as a base idea for the sroll design. as i'm actually piping on the cake, i might change it up a bit...depends on what ends up looking good!
Jessica the cake in your avatar is one of my very fav cakes!!! This just goes to show you there is perfection in cakes with scroll work (or Henna)!!! When I practice scroll work I like to use thin bc because it just doesn't seem to attach well with the thicker BC.
Thank you, Christi! You are my biggest fan, I tell ya!
You all are so helpful! Thank you so much!
So when you freehand do you come up with a pattern/style in your head and then repeat it over and over? Or do you just pipe all sorts of different things? I'm thinking the homemade pattern/press is sounding good... I'm not experienced with freehanding and it makes me nervous! lol I wouldn't even know what to pipe just DOING it off the cuff!
When I freehand, I usually draw a basic pattern on a piece of paper (or have a picture of a cake with a pattern I like), and have it near me when I'm working on the cake. It helps me a lot to look at it now and then to "refocus" on the scrollwork. Hope that makes sense.
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