I know I have read where some use a vinyl tablecloth as a fondant mat?
I have been having issues with tears and such when transferring my fondant to my cake.

I was wondering from anyone that uses this method.
1. Do you use anything on the vinyl, crisco, powdered sugar, cornstarch?
2. can you flip and peel as you put on cake?
3. Does this work with homemade fondant or only store bought?
Hope someone can help.

Thanks,

Vicki

I use a silpat-ish made for food mat. I know a lot of people use that vinyl.

I don't put anything on mine neither fat nor powder.

It should work for both homemade and store bought.

Flip and peel, baby, all the way, flip and peel.

k8memphis where do you get that? Never heard of it but would like something other than a Wilton one that I have...it's sorry.

Geraldine Randlesome's Creative Cutters

https://creativecutters.sslpowered.com/index.php?option=com_simpleshop&Itemid=42&task=viewprod&id=872

She's got smaller sizes, I got this one.

Sue and I both use the tablecloth - I prefer crisco lightly smeared on it, Sue prefers the sugar/corn starch mix. Both work well. This will solve your problem quickly!

......2. can you flip and peel as you put on cake?
3. Does this work with homemade fondant or only store bought.....

Yes you flip the whole thing onto your cake and peel off the vinyal.
It works w/homemade just fine

Go to JoAnn's Fabrick or WalMart and buy a piece of *heavy* weight vinyal that comes on those *wide* rolls Don't! let anyone fold it; keep it rolled on/in a cardboard tube. Folding it iwll cause creases that will appear on the rolled fondant.

kakeladi, how do you keep the vinyl from rolling up on you? i hate that about the wiltons mat. it kept rolling up on my so i had to tape it to my table cloth w/ duck tape. lol

many use the vinyl but i LOVE the blue ateco mat sold at global.

Has anyone ever tried the sewing mats? The ones with the inch grids on them? They are a thick plastic.. no texture on the top. I've been trying to decide whether this would work..or if I want a silpat.

The vinyle is a softer texture than Wilton's wich is a hard, thin plastic. It is much more flexable than sweing mats. Go look at it - touchy, feely

I switched to vinyl and love it! I use crisco.

Wow so I can just use a vinyl table cloth???!!! Fantastic!!!!

......can just use a vinyl table cloth???!!! Fantastic!!!!.....

UUUuuummm NO, not 'just a vinyl tablecloth' but the *heavy* stuff that is used in many resturants to cover the tables *over* the tablecloth.
As I said before....go to JoAnn's Fabric or WalMart and 'touchy/feely'
You soon tell the differece.

If I just plan on using it for cookie decorating and 3d figures does it still have to be 'HEAVY' as I only plan on using it for that and not covering cakes?

If you only need it for smaller projects as you mention, you might get by using a place mat. Just be sure to get one that is perfectly smooth and flexible. They are sometimes recommended for gp flower work.

Wow, I would have never thought about that. I think that I have some in my sewing stuff. It's folded though with that what could I do to get the wrinkles out of it?

I just love the WalMart vinyl but I really needed to see the grid pattern from the wilton ones when I am making fondant flowers. I took a ruler and fat Sharpie pen and traced the grid onto my new squares of vinyl from WalMart. I wrote "right side" on it and flip it over when I am rolling my fondant on it so I don't pick up any of the ink. I do fold them in half for storage but gently so I don't get a crease.

I loved that vinyl tablecloth tip. I was using my bench until then (before I made cakes for anyone else) and found it didnt matter how I cleaned it first I couldnt get it clean enough to work on - my fondant would always pick something up. Now I cover my bench with a foot or so of the table cloth and it gives me a huge space to work on. I then just wash it off with hot water and its ready to use again. It also does not take up colour so if I accidentally get some food dye on it it wont stain like my bench.

Sugarshack which size do you use? I was thinking of getting one but I am not sure which would be better.

I use the heavy duty vinyl that I bought at WalMart...I just bought enough to cover my entire table and it works awesome! I thought about buying a smaller amount that I can take out when I just need to make figures or smaller decorations. I also use Crisco shortening and you can flip it over the cake, I have way too big of a sheet right now though to do that.

I use the heavy vinyl also. I bought a large piece and made two size mats with it. I also bought bristol board and made my own measuring grid. Just mark off 1' squares in black and do circles in red. I then covered the bristol board with clear conatct paper so I would be able to wipe it. I just place this under my clear vinyl and roll away. I store my vinyl on a cardboard tube so it remains smooth.

wow u guys are such a big help!!

I bought mine from the fabric store...it's got a bluish tint to it. They sell different weights but you want one that's pretty sturdy. I bought a few yards and cut it into workable sizes. Make sure to roll it on something though. I rolled it up and didn't put it on a tube and at one point it fell over and ended up folded in the middle. When I went to use it again, it had a huge crease down the middle. I turned my iron on low and put a towel over it and got out the big crease. I taped together two 20 x 30 pieces of foam core and put the large sheet of vinyl on that to roll out large pieces of fondant for 14" cakes and up. I've used crisco or corn starch. It helps to have someone lift the other side of the vinyl when it comes time to flip.

I use vinyl mats all the time for MMF when I do cookies. Go to any fabric store and buy 12 gauge . It is nice and sturdy. It is also cheap compared to just about any other mat, you can cut it to the size you need. If you do get wrinkles in it, just put it in really hot water, imediately lay out on a towel on a flat surface and dry with another towel. The wrinkles should come right out.

hmmm... is this the same with acetate sheet used in wrapping a cake with chocolate?

hmmm... is this the same with acetate sheet used in wrapping a cake with chocolate?

No it's not like the chocolate wrapping acetate--this stuff is flexible like a plastic fabric.

My silicone mat is 30 x 30.