Help! My wedding is next weekend and I am having a terrible time making royal icing swags. If I get the icing thick enough to stand up, then the edges are ragged. If I make it thinner, then the swag droops. Does anyone have any suggestions?

What is the base icing? Buttercream or fondant...

would suggest making them out fondant...easier.

I am making the swags on the outside of my 16" cake pan with wax paper taped to it. That is what the book suggested.

How do you make swags out of fondant?

Can I ask why your doing the swags in royal icing? What are you covering the cake with? Swags made of fondant are much prettier and easier unless you want the swags to be rock hard like the royal icing makes them. Not sure what your looking for here. We could help with a little more information on the cake itself.

Can you omit the swags and go with a simpler design?
Or perhaps use a different recipe for royal icing, or use a different brand of powdered sugar?

Is it possible to make swags out of Royal Icing ? I always use Fondant..save yourself some frustration, use Fondant..it's easier and last longer..or maybe you're talking not the kind that look like fabric, but the ones that just looks like lines using a round tip that goes from one end to the other.

The swags I am making are with tip 127. They are around the outside of the cake and the royal icing petunia's are inside of them. Sort of look like an elongated U. How do you make swags out of fondant?

You roll out the fondant and cut a pc of strip and gather the sides, then attached the ends while bending it into a "U" shape..It would look like the Valance of a drapery..It looks like Fabric.

If time permits, you can also buy push molds that create the fondant swags for you!

Thank you guys. I am going to the cake store tonight and trying the swags from fondant.

Beecharmer, I was thinking about you today! That's funny that you made this post! Are you talking about swags or ruffles? If it's swags just about ever Wilton book has the directions in them. See if you can find one & check. If you're doing swags w/ BC or Royal icing wait till you get the cake delivered to your wedding & then add them. If you do fondant you will be able to do them the night before. And have the cake all ready for the wedding.

I know you have your hands full. You need a big hug & a pat on the back for doing your own wedding cake!!!! I salute you girl!! Best Wishes & God Bless You & you Husband through out your marriage!!!!

YOU'LL DO JUST FINE ON THE CAKE!!!!!!!

Fondant swags and drapes can be quite challenging, whereas a tip 127 ruffle only takes some practice to master.

Your icing is ragged on the edge because it is too stiff. Add a teaspoon of piping gel to ~ 2 cups of icing to combat this. I use piping gel in both royal and buttercream icings to smooth the edges while maintaining a stiff consistency.

Keep doing what you're doing...practicing. I think you're nuts for doing your own wedding cake but work on it and I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time.

Try to avoid doing the ruffle directly in front of you. If you look at your cake like a clock, work on the ruffle in the 8 o'clock position and bring it around to end at 7o'clock (if you're right-handed). It's difficult to correctly pipe the right half of the ruffle if you're piping it on the cake directly in front of you. Remember to keep the back of the bag pointing in the direction in which the ruffle is traveling...the bag/tip should be at a 45 degree angle to the cake, not a 90 degree angle.

I hope that makes sense. It's much easier to see someone do it than try to read how to do it.

Thank you guys again. I did the fondant swags and they look much better. Haven't worked with fondant a lot. Just a little in the Wilton course 3.

I am putting ruffles on the cake too and the tips on it are so very helpful. I will try to take a picture of the cake and send it when I'm done. (If I don't have a nervous breakdown first).