I am making my first cake dummy (actually 2) this week. Can anyone give me suggestions for the best way to cut your styrofoam and prepare it for covering in fondant. I bought the styrofoam cutter (looks like a long stick that gets really hot) from Joanns and just tried cutting an 8" x 4" round out of a chunk of styrofoam. The end result is pretty bumpy around the edges. Will that matter once the fondant is on? I assume it will, but I'm having a hard time smoothing it out. Any suggestions? Do you all cut your "cakes" out of styrofoam chunks or can you find pieces already cut to the size that you want? Thanks for your help!

That is why I alwasy invested in ready to use styro dummies in the sizes, shapes needed
To smooth what y ou cut....take a chunk of unneeded styro and use it like sand paper to smooth off the bumpy edges. Yah, it will matter that is is not smooth to begin with. Ust rub the two pieces of styro together.

I buy my cake dummies... time is money and I can't afford to be futzing around measuring and cutting styrofoam cakes lol. Definitely worth the price!

I also buy my cake dummies. It is so time comsuming to cut them out yourself. The cake dummies are worth the investiment.

Well, I obviously didn't use common sense when planning out my cakes. I didn't realize that you can buy the cake dummies already cut. So now I am down to the last minute and do not have time to order the dummies, and there is nowhere around that sells them. All that to say...does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix the pieces of styrofoam that i have already cut? I will try the rubbing together technique that was mentioned above. Any other suggestions?

A fine sand paper will do the job.

Find sandpaper or a microplane can help. When it gets down to it if you're still not smooth, you can "spackle" the surface in royal icing to smooth it out.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fine sandpaper had crossed my mind, and I feel much better now knowing that that should work.

I just had to use some odd shaped styrofoam pieces to make a cake myself and when I cut them, those nasty rough edges are really a pain.

After you get it as smooth as you can, use a wide paint brush and paint on shortening over the whole dummy. It will sink into the creases or divets and smooth them out. It might need to be painted on pretty thick if the divets are bigger. (a nice tip I learned at a class I recently took) The shortening also acts as "glue" so the fondant will adhere rather than using buttercream or piping gel.

For those without a hot knife cutter like me, another tip I just read about is to "wax" a serrated knife before cutting styrofoam by running the knife blade over an old candle. I haven't tried it but it was a tip I read on one of those free project flyers at Joanns for making styrofoam cakes.

KimAZ

Ok - so i dug out my microplane instead of going out and buying some sandpaper, and it worked better than I had imagined!!! Thanks for the tip!

try a hot wire cutter you can cut any shape you want without any mess only £34.99 on ebay and made in the UK