Hi all,
I need to cover my cake board (1/2" MDF) in fondant and ribbon - can you tell me if I need to do this in advance and let it dry first? Or do I do it fresh before I place the cake? Thanks for your help!

Dawn

You can do it either way. If you do it ahead of time and let it dry then you don't have to worry about leaving finger prints or knuckle prints when you are picking it up or placing your cake on it.

That's great! Thank you TexasSugar, I was hoping to do it in advance!!

Yes by all means you can do it in advance. Though you should store it in an unlit room so the color (if any) doesn't fade to be lighter then the cake you make. I had pink and purple and black in a room with blinds that were closed and it still faded! So in the dark room it goes for me! I was so mad because I had spent so much time on that stuff!

One thing you can do if you're going to use a color that fades is to store it in a box, or paint the fondant after you've applied it to the cake board. I've never had it fade that way.

Wow! Thanks for the tips! I'm planning on making the board and the bow on top at the same time - if they fade, at least they'll still be the same colour as eachother! Thanks again for all the tips - you guys are awesome!

Fading wouldn't be so bad if it happened evenly-which it really doesn't. It winds up looking like one side is ligther and patchy.

LOL - Into a dark room it goes then! Thanks! Does that go for the fondant figures too?

I too am planning on wrapping a cake board with fonant. I was thinking about doing this a week before I assemble my cake. Should I wrap anything around the fondanted board or do I just leave it to dry? Will it attract bugs? I live in Florida, and I don't need roaches coming into my house to eat my board.

Thanks.

If you have an existing issue with bugs then NO absolutely not. You should never leave anything out. I have been fortunate to not have roaches. We still deal with ants but are successful at keeping them outside the house. FL is one big giant ant hill. The only bugs in the house we have are the occasional daddy long legs and usually just in the garage and laundry room or flies that come in when the door is left open too long. And the tiny flies that hatch off the bananas. Those can be avoided by washing the fruit with mild soap paying attention to the ends.
I loath and detest bugs and won't have them in my house. Regular pest control outside will keep them from coming inside. If you have them inside then you need to drive them out of your home by starving and dehydration. Then keep them at bay outside with regular pest control.

I wash the baseboards inside down once a month with Clorox cleanup and it helps deter any thing that wants inside without endangering my children or cats. I won't spray inside ever.

I live out in the country, so we have a plethora of all kinds of animals and critters running around outside our house. Sometimes we see black widows in our garage and only once in our house. Because of that, my husband is always afraid that my cake decorating will bring in roaches and ants. I have no idea why. He is crazy I guess. So, is there a way I can store this board so it doesn't go bad but I can also save myself the headache of listening to my husband's nagging?

If it is stored in a tight container condensation will be a problem and it will not dry. It needs to be stored open. Just sock ya hubby on the head...LOL Until you see a problem there isn't one. Spray around the perimeter of your home once a month and that should keep everything out.