I have only used cardboard circles for between layers, drum or cake pedastal, plate, stand etc for my cakes.

I hear people talking about the foam board as the base. I am assuming this is like what they use in the framing department of the craft stores. The questions are what do you use to cut it in the shape you want? How would you get a perfect circle? What do you cover it with?

Sorry for the questions...just would like to know how it works.

In Michaels or Jo Anns the foam board is usually where they sell poster board and paper products. I usually just cut it into squares and rectangles. If you want a circle you could trace around a round cake pan and use a serrated knife to cut it....you will probably cover it with something anyway so the rough edges, if any, will be covered up...i would double up on the thickness depending on the size of the cake...one sheet probably wouldnt support the cake when carried....some dollar stores even carry it..Bonus!! I go to the dollar store and buy up plastic table cloths....they carry so many different colors and can be used to cover several cake boards....i just duct tape them on the bottom of the foam board....hope this helped

i cut my foam core with a box cutter.. then i cover with freezer paper most of the time.. hth

They carry the foam board anywhere they have office supplies. Walmart - Staples - Michaels It is a dense foam sheet with paper surface on front and back. I do a two layer, half sheet cake that causes a cardboard base to buckle. The 1/4 inch sheet holds up perfectly. It cuts easily with scissors. If perfect circles are required. There are specialty circle cutter tools that have bleds on the end for that. Otherwise, trace and cut.

They are so much more sturdy than their cardboard counterparts.

Thanks for the info.

Other than to give layers more height, why would you use this between layers?

I use the 1/2" foam board for the cake base (covered of course), and I get it at Hobby Lobby. You can get one 20"x 30" sheet for $4.99. I use the 1/4" thick foam board for between my layers when I stack cakes (instead of cardboard), which BTW I get at Just A Dollar. In this area, the only place I've found that carries the 1/2" board is Hobby Lobby.

Yup...not sure if you ever come to Longview much, but I go to the one on Hwy 80 just past the hospital. The other on Gilmer Road doesn't have it all the time.

You know, Sugarshack has a stacking video that goes into all the details of foam core. I believe it's mentioned in her fondant video as well. Some great ideas there!

I don't use foamcore for cakes but I use it for crafts. If you do a lot of cutting, it's worth picking up a woodburning tool (use your Michael's coupon and it's fairly inexpensive). It comes with an attachment that is just like an exacto blade. The heated blade cuts smoothly and quickly through the foamcore and leaves no rough edges. You can also use the tool to seal the ends of grosgrain or other synthetic ribbon so it doesn't fray.

Bec

A hot knife has the Exacto knife-like tip. Works for me for 1/4 inch foamcore...any thicker, and I really have to do pull on that sucker. Hurts my hand. I use a humongous box cutter most of the time.

Thanks for all the info.

Maybe it's the hot knife I have, and I swear I let that sucker warm up for an hour once. Not only that, but it gets HOT all the way up to the handle. I haven't used it in a long time now that I think about it. A big fat super sharp box cutter has been my tool of late.

Yikes! Sorry for the multiple postings...Windows has been messing up and multiplying on me - oops!

Bec

Yikes! Sorry for the multiple postings...Windows has been messing up and multiplying on me - oops!

Bec