I need some tips urgently please!!! I covered round cake before in fondant - no problem. But the last 2 I did made ugly folds at the bottom, showing on the side of the cake!!! I roll out my fondant a bit bigger than is needed and then put it over the top and let it droop down. Then I tuck it in under the cake, but when I get to the last bit, it seems to have stretched and then I need to fold it to make it fit!!! I even tried doing it upside down, putting the cake upside down on the rolled out fondant and the lifting the fondant up up, but same problem!!! Please help - I never had classes in this and I'm sure there is some or other easy trick to this!!!!

Here is a link to some video's on the fondant process perhaps one of these will be helpful. For me , I try very hard not to have much over hang as I find THAT is what causes those nasty creases. I encase my cake from the top(with my hands) to sort of set it, then I trim. Once I have my basic trim then I use my smoother(s) and rub my fondant in place. the smoother will help you form a good border at the bottom in which you can do your final trim before tucking. Anyway, just be patient and you will get it! Good Luck!

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=video+on+how+to+decorate+in+fondant&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&oi=property_suggestions&resnum=0&ct=property-revision&cd=1#

It sounds like you are starting off correctly. Roll the fondant bigger than needed. Start smoothing from the top to the bottom. Just pull the fondant at the bottom and smooth as you go to make sure there are no wrinkles and that it lays evenly on the side of the cake. I do not tuck mine under the cake. I use a pizza cutter to cut off the excess. Here is a tutorial for it...see if this helps.
http://www.cakecentral.com/article22-How-To-Cover-Your-Cake-in-Fondant.html

I hope this helps.

I put my cake plate on a coffee can so when I put the fondant over the cake it hangs over the side I take scissors and cut off around the bottom of the plate then I take my fondant smoother and my hands and smooth the top and sides as I smooth I cut off the fondant even with the bottom of the cake I never put the fondant under the cake and never have folds I hope this helps

Thanks a million!!! I think the mistake a make is trying to tuck away all the excess fondant - and then it just stretches and becomes a mess! I'm sure if I just cut off the excess, it will be fine!! See - I thought there is just some "secret" I didn't know of!!

I understand now how to do the fondant. Even after watching videos, I somehow missed that simple technique. You must start at the top and gently press in the fondant to the cake. As you get to the bottom, even if it looks like a lot of fondant, gently pull the fondant away from the cake and with your other hand, smooth the fondant onto the side of the cake. It is the gentle pulling away of the fondant that allows you to press the fondant without the creases and overlaps. Then when you are at the bottom, cut away the excess.