Hey all to the CC'ers , i have tried to make swags and drapes, they look pretty good until they dry and then i notice cracks in them, what am i doing wrong?? i use straight fondant and then i used 50/50
Thanks for any info on this

are you rolling your fondant out on cornstartch? I have seen others have problems with the cornstartch or powdered sugar as it is absorbed into the fondant and then pulls out more moisture possible making the fondant crack.

not sure if this is it or not, but something I have seen.

All I can think of is that it was too dry to start with - use shortening to make it soft & pliable ...and like leily said, avoid the cornflour

hope this helps

Adding shortening will help, but if you have any glycerine available, dampen your palms with it (don't use too much) and knead it in - this will slow down the drying time a little. Also, roll the fondant as finely as is practical. There is no need to add gumpaste if the fondant is fine.

try kneading some glycerine into your fondant ....works great

I have only had this happen once...yesterday w/ my MMF...all I did was add a little more Crisco to my hands and a little on the ball of fondant and it helped.....on items that I have already molded and are being laid out to dry, I just put crisco on my finger and very gently smooth it on the piece and that has worked very well for me

Thanks, everyone! I'm also having problems with my fondant not cooperating. I've tried the Crisco but now I'll try the glycerine and see how that works.

it happened to me yesterday..my fondant is quite okay..smooth and satin like....the left over fondant just suddenly dried out and won't stick together... i know i've put too much hope a little glycerin will help

The same thing is hapening to me with the gumpaste....... can you add a little glycerine to that as well ?

Thanks, Oz.... would it work if I put the Crisco on my work surface ?

Yes - that's how I work.
I have very hot hands, and find that the gumpaste dries out very quickly for me, so I have to avoid working with cornstarch or powdered sugar.
Be aware, though, if you are working on a non-stick workboard of the type sold in cake-decorator supply shops, the gumpaste actually sticks lightly (not enough to do damage). When I roll it out, I lift the gumpaste off the board before cutting out then, if necessary, use a small angled spatula to lift the cut out piece off the board.
This sounds very fiddly, but you very quickly get into a rhythm with it and wonder how you ever worked any differently!

HTH!