Someone Please Tell Me The Trick To Drop Flowers
Decorating By justcakn Updated 29 Dec 2006 , 2:18pm by all4cake
Ok, I know it really can't be that hard but for the life of me I just can't get it right. I have tip 224 and I need to make some flowers for a cake this weekend. Last night I covered a sheet of wax paper with the worst looking flowers anyone has ever seen. Help me please!
Thanks for your time,
Jenny
I've found that if I try to make them on the cake I suck, but if I make them ahead, I'm good. So, I tried to learn what I was doing wrong when I did them on the cake,,,,my secret is that I can push down on the paper when I make them, but I can't push down on the cake.
So, I tilt my hand in towards me, put my tip firmly on the paper, then squeeze until it fans a little then turn my had back to a normal position (where I would start if I was making a star) stop sqeezing and then lift up.
Hope that helps. I let them dry or freeze and then put them on the cake.
I also find that when doing drop flowers it helps to have a coupler on the bag. Everytime I try drop flowers with just the bag and the tip I always mess it up. You see as I push on the waxed paper to make the flowers, it pushes the tip back into the bag and then icing squirts out of the sideof the bag. (does that make sense?)
With the coupler, it holds the tip firmly in place and it won't move on me and no icing comes out where it's not supposed to.
Also when you place your tip on the board you thumb should be at 9 or 10 oclock when you start to twist your hand/thumb towards noon stop lift up and do another. Hopefully this will help. Look on http://www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com/techniques/dropflowers.cfm?cat=9 This should show you a picture of what I was trying to explain.
I have also tried and tried. I had moderately more success when I used RI and made them ahead of time (that way I could get rid of the worst ones). But I just can't seem to get that beautifully swirled/flared classic drop flower look.
Is it more a lot of squeezing and then a twist? Or squeeze and twist at the same time? I just can't get it!
Squeeze and twist at the same time helps. And RI does make it easier on the flower making. Forgot about that. 
I squeeze for a little bit (like a half a second) and then continue to squeeze and turn at the same time. That is what works for me. I really REALLY hated mine when I made them on the cake, and it shocked me because I did sucha good job (in my mind) on the board. So, I now think I should do them a head, and if you don't like one you can scrape it off and do another.
Ya'll are great! Debiashwood those pictures helped so much. I do much better when I see someone else do it. I think some of my problem may be that tip I was using. I hope I have a 2D at home. (I have to have my CC fix at work, no internet at home) Anyway...Thanks again for all the help.
Jenny
I can't help with how to do them since I've only done them once myself but I was wondering if they are made in RI how long do they last in a sealed container?
Make sure the tip is touching the wax paper directly, not hovering above it. For a swirl flower which are very pretty, turn your hand from the 12:00 to 3:00 (or 9:00 for lefties) positions. Squeeze the entire time you are turning, release pressure and pull up. Voila -- drop flowers with a swirl! For regular drop flowers, do the same thing but don't turn your hand. Hope that helps!! 
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