In preparation for my brother's fish cake (a la Colette Peter's) I decorated a 9x13 cake board to look like wood planks (which I cut out from a much larger cake board...but I cut it to fit my 9x13 cake carrier). After working on this for about 30 minutes, I realize that though the fish is from a 9x13 cake, it's length is corner to corner diagonally (plus the tail) 
...now, I'm no math whiz but it didn't take me long to figure that that's gonna be much longer than my pretty 9x13 decorated board...*sigh*. Maybe that's why Colette's instructions have you put your cake on an 18 inch plate (duh...)
I am guilty of doing the same type of thing. It is so time consuming and disappointing when you discover all that work was in vain. I guess we can chalk those moments up to a learning experience?
i am the queen of having to do things over. and over. and over!
This is way off the topic.. But I noticed your "ticker" and I am pregnant also, and it looks like we are due around the same time.
I am due May 25th.
Congrats!
Can you add another board underneath & add a "wooden edge" look - or some other type of border that would look good, and support it underneath with another larger board? I haven't seen the items you're talking about, but I agree at putting the fish at a diagonal - or if there's anyway to add something to one end, or all the way around. ALSO - Most people are so thrilled at the creation, they don't notice those types of mistakes. They think it's all part of the plan =) I'm sure it will work out somehow - good luck!
Thanks for all the great ideas. Diagonally might would've worked, but I don't think so...even when you add the length of the cake, you still use "scraps" and make the fish tail (even longer...) I decided just to save the wood-grain looking board for another day. Instead I took a larger cake board and just covered it in newspaper, then saran wrap (a la fish market). It should be ok. Mainly I was concerned because my wood-grain cakeboard was cut to fit in my cake carrier (so now I'm not quite sure what I'm gonna put my cake in to keep it safe and fresh...cake made today, not being eaten til Saturday or Sunday...) I think I'm gonna put it in a big plastic, under-the-bed sweater container.
mrstoponak--congrats back! I'm due May 28th...
So I did use my wood-grain cake board. How? Well, I "trimmed" (gobble, gobble) my cake down small enough for it to fit 
) My daughter and I just took care of the extras and I made a smaller fish. All's well that ends well.
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