I am working on a purse cake and I'm really worried about smoothing out the fondant. I'm using an 8-inch round that has been cut in half. What I was wondering is: Would it be best to cut the fondant into sections and apply it to the cake or should I just throw it over the top and smooth it down the sides? Is there a better way? I'd also like to know if anyone has any tip for securing a gumpaste handle on top too.

I made several purse cakes and found out that using 1 piece of fondant to cover the cake and smoothing it. I don't know about you but I have a hard time trying to make my fondant look like 1 when using pieces of fondant. For the handles, make sure you made them earlier enough for them to dry out and harden. I usually wrap the fondant around wire in the shape of the handle and leave some wire exposed to insert into the cake. Hope this helps you,

I cut it into sections and laid it on the cake - I then used a thin roll of fondant to lay on the joins like piping and used my stitching wheel to make stitch marks along the join as well. The photo is in 'my photos' if you want to see how it turned out using this method.

I have posted two bag photos today one is a LV (I'm so over them!) and one is an animal print. I first covered these in a thin layer of fondant as I found I could then more easily adhere other fondant (whole piece or strips) and have a smoother finish. I then used edging to finish off the strips I had used in different colours. Good luck, they're harder than they look but you will be satisfied I'm sure when you're done. Hope this helps. Leonie