One of my brides has picked the below cake that she found on The Knott's website for her wedding. Any ideas on how to do the scrollwork and make it look this good. I can not free hand at all and I am not having much luck in finding a press kit similiar to this design. Please help!!

I know that this may sound weird, but use a really small bag of icing. I haven't mastered the technique yet--but I was watching Ace of Cakes the other night, and they used really small bags for their piping. They could hold it in one hand with no problem. They seemed to be a lot more stable

I've never done this before, but I have read on other posts where you can make your own press. I might try tracing the design with colorflow, or I have heard of using hot glue. Draw the design on paper, then put a piece of see through plastic on top (maybe stencil plastic?) and trace your design with the hot glue, let dry and then press onto cake. I hope this makes sense. I am going to search the forum and see if I can find the thread I am thinking of. HTH!

I find that holding my "drawing" wrist with my other hand helps me keep a steadier hand. I would try outlining the design with a toothpick first.

What about tracing the design on a piece of paper and then pin pricking the design on the cake. Then all you have to do is follow the lines.

I find that holding my "drawing" wrist with my other hand helps me keep a steadier hand. I would try outlining the design with a toothpick first.

I'm not great at scrolls either but found a couple of tips that seem to work pretty well. Thin your icing some and add Piping Gel which helps the icing to flow easily. Also use at least a #3 tip. Use a toothpick and lightly draw your design on the cake ahead of time and try to practice a bit before doing the final cake. Take your time and try to relax too. If you're tense it makes it more difficult to get smooth flowing lines. Good luck - you'll do just fine!!!

lilsomethinsweet, I don't know how old you are, but years ago, when teachers would teach cursive writing, students were encouraged to make a series of "o" shapes that were all connected ... looked like a long tube when they were finished. Then they would do e's and l's, etc. Just the motion of the curving without lifting the pen from the paper and traveling along in a straight line. I would think that if you do this first with a pen on paper and then try it with a decorating bag of icing, you can get the fluidity of line you are looking for.

Once you have trained the muscles in your hand and arm to make graceful curves, you can expand on them. Take a piece of paper the height of your cake and as long as the distance around the outside. Lightly draw the design on the paper. Tape it to a board and put acetate or wax paper on top. Use the pencil lines as a guide and pipe over it on the acetate or wax paper. This way you can become accustomed to the flow.

It's really a muscle memory thing. You need to become unafraid to to try the technique, but it's the practice that will make you successful. It is easier to get the curves right with paper and pencil first because you can erase until you are happy with the placement and the curves, then you can overpipe until you have trained both your eye and your hand/arm and it will become easier.

I find it also helps to think if it as an undulating vine. Another think that helped me the first few times I did a design like this, is to "dissect" the pattern: If you can put a horizontal line through it and the main curve looks the same on the top as the bottom (only flipped), then you are looking at half-circles above and below a line. You can always embellish however you want.

If you have time, practice practice practice. It's the best way to get better. Don't give up. Start with white-on-white (it's much more forgiving), then gradually add in a little color on what you are piping.

I have confidence, you will eventually get it and be a real pro!

HTH,

Odessa