Okay this is my first forum question although I read a lot of them. The first fondant bow I tried by setting them on their side to dry - when I put the bow together though it looked hidious and had huge gaps everywhere! But creativeness one that time as I made MMF Spirals and stuffed in the bow - it probably turned out better than it would have. Anyway now on my business card I had a lady call and want a variation this weekend and my second bow attempt wasn't so good. This time I hung to dry and well look at the pic. . . I didn't even want to give my neice the cake! Can anyone give me some tips of what I'm doin wrong? HELP PLEASE!!!! (Can't figure out attatchment thing - look at my photos)

I'm sorry about your bow.To make bows you should use gumpaste .This should help,
http://www.cakecentral.com/article17-How-to-Make-a-Fondant-Loop-Bow.html

I have made a few bows with MMF and they have turned out great. Sorry I don't have them in my photos. The fondant needs to be thinner and make lots of loops, I always make extras. I too hang them to dry overnight. Make different sizes, large and some med size. I start with the big ones on bottom and move up with the slightly smaller loops. Don't give up, you will get the hang of it. You can also add gumpaste to your fondant. Good luck.

Here's another link to look at.

http://www.cakeboss.com/fondantbowtutorial.aspx

thanks so much for the help and faith in me! I will post pics as I go along this week.

I would definitely add gumpaste next time. It's so much more flexible and holds it shape better. Good luck!

I stuff my loops with paper towel to the shape that I want them to be, then let them dry. Adding gum-tex or tylose power really does help, but I have made them with MMF alone...

Good luck!
Pat

I stuff mine with plastic wrap and dry them overnight on their sides. It works great! Actually, for the red bow in my pics, I didnt even take out the plastic until I delivered the cake, just to be sure. Another tip I heard on CC was to build it first, without actually gluing it together, in a small round tupperware bowl. That made it easy to see what pieces fit best where and I could change them up without it being all glued and sticky.

Bows are fun to make. Your spirals looks cute, and they are a great way to fill in the holes! Keep practicing!

I have never work with gum paste (I am terrified) so all of my bows are only fondant but I stuff them with paper towels in the desired shape, no need to hang them to dry and they come out really good, sorry I don't have pictures posted to show you but I have tried to post some pics in the past and I never succeed, it says they are to big to accept but I don't know how to reduced them to the space they need to be . WOW!, it's the first time I get the courage to admit it in public, I'm so ashamed

Well this isn't a bow, but it's really the same technique.

I used fondant with no tylose added. I rolled fondant through pasta machine, hung cut strips on pasta rack to dry overnight, then painted loops with petal dusts. I then attached them to a fondant cross shape (which had also dried overnight) using small pieces of fondant and some gum paste 'glue' sparingly. That is how I made the topper for my Palm Sunday cake.

Here's the photo if you'd like to see: http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1200098.html

Again, it's really the same technique as far as making the loops goes.

Edited to add: I was so focused on getting all my palms done, that I forgot to make different sized strips to make a bow!!