This is the first fondant bow I have attempted. Thought it was pretty easy, but couldn't figure out how to make it without all the buttercream showing in the middle. Anyone have any suggestions or tips on how to make this look more professional.

Thanks.
Heather

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1511758.html

It's a really cute cake, bow included Most people use candy melts to glue the bow together if they're not making one with wires. Since this was brown, it would have been easy to just melt some chocolate chips to use as glue...no need to try to match the color with candy melts.

first of all, the cake looks amazing!!! but since you want to improve the bow a little I have two suggestions:


First, maybe let dry the loops a little bit more, a couple of them look like they are loosing the "loop" and getting flat.
Second, maybe when you assemble the loops, put a toothpick at the end so you can stick them into the cake.

Still the cake looks amazing! the colors are great@ congrats!

Thank you both for your ideas and suggestions. I will definitely remember this the next time I make one.
Vagostino - How long do you dry your loops. I made these Thursday night and put them on the cake Saturday. I wanted to use 50/50 gumpaste and fondant, but my gumpaste was acting up.

Thanks again.

Dry for three to five days.

I would do as Texasrose said and use choc candy melts, or brown RI.

I'm a big fan of the wired loop. That way I can place each loop exactly where it needs to go.

I am so glad that you posted this question because I have seen some amazing bows on here and mine look so awful. I really like the idea of the toothpicks but leah_s how would one go about using the wires. Where would the wires be placed?I know that this may sound stupid but I am totally lost. I am having a hard time visualizing it

I use toothpicks and mix gumpaste with fondant - they dry hard enough within a couple of hours using Wilton's premade GP. I only use toothpicks in some of them, as a few loops will stay put because they are suppported by the other loops.

I use 50/50 fondant and gumpaste. usually unless is raining a lot, mine are dry after a day.
Now if they are all fondant that is different, sometimes they dry with no problem, sometimes they never completely dry!

i cut out a 3"-4" round disk. from g/p.. maybe 1/8" thick. let that dry. make my loops.. let them dry. i don,t dry over a round forner.. i just sat up on edges ..looks more realistic.. when i cut the peices for the bow loops .. i run down the edges with a ball tool. and also the tails. i dry the tails over crumpled foil.. then i take 6" cake board. and build by bows. using r/i of the same color or candy melts of same color as bows. leave to dry at least a day. then the recepient can keep this bow. they love it.. i use tooth pick in my loops and tails...if i just need some on edges of cake tiers with the flowers ,etc i might have on them.. hth your cake is very pretty and love the color..

.........How long do you dry your loops.........

I have often used straight fondant for bow looks and dry them overnight w/o problems. It does depend on how humid your area is.
Perhaps you need a way to make the loops more open. Maybe use toilet paper cores or other rolls.
When you use more loops it looks better. Maybe add a few more next time.

icer101 has some good suggestions

I used straight Wilton fondant and dried them for 2 days. I made the loops and laid them on their sides to dry on a cake board. I'm in Northern Michigan so not very humid here.
I can see now there are many ways to improve for the next time. This is why I love this site
Thank you all for your helpful insight.

Here's my most recent bow:


I hang up a 1" dowel and dry the loops hanging over it. I used gumpaste for this one and they were dry in a few hours, but I left them hanging up overnight just to be sure. I used white chocolate to glue it together.

When I used marshmallow fondant, it took about two days to completely dry. It doesn't feel as crisp when it's dry as gumpaste.

Here's a link to a great step by step tutorial that might give you a couple new hints or tricks that may help:

http://cakecentral.com/articles/77/how-to-make-a-fondant-loop-bow

That's an adorable cake!! Your bow looks good, too. One suggestion I'd make right off is to spread the bottom row of loops out more. That will give it more fullness.

I always use melted chocolate, tinted to match the bow, to attach my loops. Always let each row set up in the frig before starting the next.

I have a tutorial in my sig below that might help.