I'm doing a 12, 9, & 6" stacked cake for the weekend. (The bottom 12" tier is the one w/ the stripes.) I'm wondering when I should apply the fondant stripes---before or after stacking? I'll be using the SPS & didn't think the legs would push through the fondant very easily, since it's stripes & not a solid piece of fondant.
And is there an easy way to cut them once you've placed them? My thinking is if I apply them after stacking how do you get them to line up w/ the 2nd tier? Or do you start at that tier & go down to the board?
Sorry so many questions.
Have you ever stored fondant accents (polka dots mainly) in an airtight container a few days ahead? I'm thinking to cut down on rolling & cutting I might go ahead if they'll not turn rock hard.
I've made polka dots a few days ahead, then covered in Saran wrap and then a air tight container - and I think it actually works better. This way, the circle remains a perfect circle, rather than being soft and appyling to the cake and possible (slightly) losing it's perfect round shape. Plus, by working on a day or two ahead, you can cut off the 'fringes' from the cutter and not worry about altering the round shape.
Hope this makes sense!! Sorry... trying to type fast at work, as my 'break' was over 1 minute ago!! 
~ Jaime
Boy I'm watching this topic but haven't seen one email notice! 
Yep I always stack my cakes and then add the stripes. You can make a clean cut at the base of each tier with your knife. I do dots ahead of time but not stripes because they will not be bendable.
Another ?
Do you guys cut the stripes & let them air dry a few min before applying them to the cake or do you just put them on. I'm nervous I'll end up w/ crooked stripes if I handle them too soon, but don't want them to crack on me either.
Can you get sharp bends in the stripes or do they have a more rounded look where they go over the corner of the cake?
And my last ? (for now anyway). They're going on a crusting buttercream. Should I wet the stripe then put on or some other way?
You ladies are great
This is what works for me.. I cut my stripes on wax paper. Let them sit for a couple minutes while I continue to cut other stripes. I found that if I try to pull them up immediately after cutting they will stretch and get crooked. I have never wet mine with anything if applying to buttercream.
I have never wet mine with anything if applying to buttercream.
Even with a crusting buttercream? I'm afraid of them falling off
You can definitively do fondant accents and store them provided they are well sealed. The pirate cupcakes in my photos were done like that. I made the faces ahead of time, and covered them in a greased (I used a smear of Crisco) clingfilm, then I wrapped the whole tray up in some more clingfilm. When I came to use them they had not dried out at all.
If you find it not sticking so much you can dab your "glue" gumpaste/water mixture.. to the back with a paint brush.
I just did this for the first time. I made the stripes and circles ahead of time. When I went to put them on the cake they wouldn't bend as much as I needed without cracking. I ended up puting each one in the microwave for about 5 seconds and it worked really well to get them soft enough to bend around the cake but not too much so they would stretch or become misshaped. I don't know that I would want to make a habit of doing it this way, it might not work next time! But in a crunch it worked for me.
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