I am new to cake decorating and would like to focus on working with fondant and cake sculpting. Where I come from there aren't any classes to help with this so I am thrilled that I have found this website. I would like make a sneaker cake for someone in my family. I don't think I will have too much trouble with carving the cake. I would like to know how to "lace" the shoes so that it looks more realistic.

Appreciate the help

Thanks

Chocolatestone

maybe you could pipe royal icing using tips 2 -7(depending on the size of the shoe)..

Get a little clay gun from Michaels. Extrude fondant for the laces and lace through holes you've made with a round tip.

handymama -

thanks for the tip! i didn't know about a clay gun. i'm picking one up this week!!!

Cut each piece of fondant separately to go across from hole to hole. Keep them in place with fondant glue (a marble sized piece of fondant/gumpaste mixed with a 1/2 teaspoon of water, when it's like snot (sorry) it's the right consistency) make your bow separate from the laces and add when you deliver.

Jibbies

My shoe cakes aren't as great as others on this site, but I did use my Play-Doh Fun Factory to make the shoe laces--piled fondant in it and made a long "string" and then laced it up like you would a shoe (criss-cross).

Thanks, jibbies, for the fondant glue directions! Could never get the consistency right and now I know what to look for!

I've tried several ways to re-create laces and agree with the clay gun method. Failing that, here in the uk we can buy packets of sweets called strawberry shoelaces which are a good cheats method if you've got no time. I am the world expert on these strawberry shoelaces as that is all I craved when I was pregnant with my twins!! I used to buy about 10 packets at a time - and they wouldn't last long..................

On the Ice skate shoe cake ( http://www.earlenescakes.com/Ice%20Skate%20and%20Toad.htm ) I made the shoestrings with fondant using the clay gun to extrude them. Once they were extruded I took a detail paint brush and some black airbrush color and painted the little stripes going across the strings. Then cut them in lengths just to give the illusion of lacing them. You just need a length to go from hole to hole. The bottom one to go on top on both sides and all others to slip under one side and look like it goes down into the hole on the other side. The bow and knot at the top are done in pieces layering them as you want them to look. You can mix a little piping gel and fondant for extra sticky glue to pipe in a parchment cut bag or use a little royal icing with piping gel added. Have fun with this cake.

Thanks all for the help.

I don't think it really matters as long as the consistency of the fondant will work in the Sugarcraft gun. It has to be a little soft but not sticky. When it is extruded I let it lay on wax paper for a couple of minutes to firm up then do the painting and move it to the cake.

I did that on mine but when I went to move it, the length kept breaking. Perhaps it was just too long.

Thanks!

Earlene--what an honor to have you in our midst; welcome! This is a really sweet bunch of people (ok, pun intended ). I've heard that cake decorators can be rather catty, but here at CC I've been impressed by how kind, generous and helpful the members are. For example, when I was struggling a bit with my first try at making fondant the poster of the recipe sent me her phone number at midnight. We talked for nearly an hour as she walked me through it! Wow. Your ice skates are magnificent! Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us.