When do you know your good enough to make a cake for a special occasion? I have my sister in laws baby shower coming up in about a month. My mother and I are throwing the shower. Normally I would just order a cake, but I want her to have something special. It's there first child and it's a girl. I would love to make a bassinet cake and I would practice it first, but I don't want her to be dissapointed. I'm so afraid that I will think it looks good and no one else will. How do you know your ready to do a cake for a special occasion? I look at all the pictures on here and know what I do pales in comparison. I don't want to give anyone something thats not beautiful. All I've done is the one cake in my photos for my sons birthday. He was one so it didn't matter to him. Thanks for your replies.
I really like the birthday cake you made. You did a great job smoothing the icing, and your candy clay bugs have personality 
You could always make your practice cake and post a photo of it on the site, and ask everyone here if it's good enough (which I'm sure it will be). Then when you make one for the baby shower, you'll already have practiced it and you'll know it can be done.
You did a great job on your son's b'day cake!
You are ready to take on another creation
Start by reading up on and looking at any and every bassinette cake you can find.
Practice making royal icing so you can make the hood. It looks really good made in basketweave but can also be done in a loop design using a star tip. Practice; practice; practice! You have time to make it good. Once you are satisified w/the hood, the rest is easy. And a royal iced hood will last for months and months so if you make it (say) this week it will still be great for the cake next month
The cake that you made for your son is very CUTE!!! 
It wikk take practice, but think how special it would be to your sister that you took the time for her special day. As someone who just had a baby girl herself that would have meant the world to me, but noone in my family can bake Good luck and make sure that you post a picture
. . . I'm absolutely sure you can pull this off . . . your son's cake is adorable . . . if you have time, go ahead and do a practice cake first . . . we all learn our best lessons from our mistakes (we always know what we would do differently "next time") . . . go for it . . . if you SIL is anything like me, she will be absolutely thrilled that you thought enough of her to make it yourself . . . (although many people who do not bake/decorate have no idea what really goes into making something of this magnitude) . . . either way I'm sure you will learn valuable lessons from this . . . go for it . . . . . . but just give yourself enough time to do it so it still is "fun" . . . don't put yourself in a stressful situation with the clock ticking . . .
Hiya
I'd say the fact that yo have the confidence to upload your pic and ask on here means you are ready. My question would be about your SIL - is she the kind of person who would accept a less than perfect cake ( i'm not saying your cake won't be very nice, but there is very nice and perfect -i'm not explaining myself very well 
but hopefully you'll know what i mean). If she is not a total control freak who expects perfection then go for it - the best way to learn is by doing. If she is a bit funny about things being 'just right' (not saying there is anything wrong with that!) then I would avoid it - you will save yourself a whole heap of worry, time and wasted energy only to feel awful that she is disappointed at the end result. On CC there are cakes like mine, which are ok (IMO 
)and clearly done by someone who is learning and others by decorators who rightly charge big $$ for their standard of work because they are selling perfection. All of my cakes have been gratefully received for what they are - a cake done by someone who makes cakes for a hobby, had someone been expecting perfection or paid money for them then they would rightly be disappointed. I say go with your gut feeling on this one.
Good Luck
marksmum....just checked out your cakes. Certainly way, way better than okay! I'd comment on all of them, but I have to get back to work. Your talent is obvious, and I can't believe anyone wouldn't be thrilled to receive one of your cakes. (And that's PAYING for them, too).
Make it, I'm sure it will be great. Your son's cake was just adorable with all of the little bugs. When I first started learning I made my SIL bridal shower cake. It was my 2nd time doing basket weave, first tiered cake and only 2nd time I made royal icing flowers and butterflies. I was scared no one would like it, but to my shock they all loved it and thought it was made by a high end baker in town. (I don't have that one posted on here though)
It was great and stressful all at the same time. It will re-confirm why you like doing this and give you the confidence to move on.
I say go for it. You can do it.
Thankyou everyone for the encouragement.
My sister in law doesn't expect perfection and this is going to be a small family baby shower for her. I think I will make a practice cake and see how it goes. IF all goes well and I'm able to learn from the mistakes I know I will make then I'll make the cake for the shower. I guess worst case scenario we have a bad looking practice cake to eat. Thanks for the boost of confindence!!
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