i am relatively new to decorating (started last year) and have mostly done cakes for family. i am now getting requests from friends (including a wedding!!! super stoked over this) i also did a decorating contest at the fair. however, i did not do as well as i might have due to unattractive boards(comment from judge "ordinarily i would place this cake first but this cake has a nice board and today she is first"). so i am curious about what material u use, how u cover it ext.

Hi, I always cover my boards with Fondant. I don't know about any other materials that can be used.

There are many things one can use to cover purchased cake boards with.
Freezer paper
Mylar wrapping paper
Florist's foil
Even fabric covered w/plastic wrap.
OR buy cake doilies (but NOT paper, lace ones).

I'm curious about this too! dbdg - did you use a regular foil board, and she called it ugly? I can only buy from bulk barn locally, and am very limited, as they only carry the silver foil covered boards. They don't even have drums! Does anyone purchase boards online? Any good reccommendations?

I have actually found that foam core boards (I buy at Michael's or Hobby Lobby) are the strongest boards to use for the money. I usually cover them with silver foil wrapping paper unless I have a special request.

Most of the time I take ordinary wrapping paper to cover the board then cover that with clear contact paper. I then cover up the edges with ribbon so it looks much nicer.

Covered boards with fondant look very nice especially if you purchase the special rolling pins with different textures to them and roll over the fondant. Add a nice ribbon around the board, and you are all set!

I have also used table cloths for picnic tables!

For friends and family I use foil over cardboard. But for others I would use fondant.

I also have started using that con-tact paper... I buy the large rolls and they come in many different designs.. I buy mine at walmart or superstore. ( in the kitchenware department)

do you put the cake directly over the covered cake board and decorate it there??

or do you decorate the cake in a separate cake board before putting it in the decorated cake board??

thanks!

I put the cake or bottom tier right onto the covered cake board and then decorate. any extra icing just get wiped away with a damp paper towel once i'm all done decorating but before i put on my bottom border/trim

You can cover your board with a variety of things including food safe paper, wrapping paper, fabric, fondant, foil and even thinned out royal icing. I tend to use fondant using the roll method by Sugarshack or thinned royal icing which is a pain but the icing dries hard which makes it fairly smudge proof.

what i have used is cardboard rounds covered in parchment paper... however obviously this was not what she wanted.

My hubby cuts me out boards for really heavy cakes from MDF or thick plywood.I sand them soft and then either cover with fondant or floral foil.I also have hot glued pretty ribbon around the edges!!

I use the foil that is designed for cake board wrapping, various colors, but mostly silver.

The embossed fondant sounds pretty .... but I dont' work with fondant.

I use English style drums.