I am having a hard time with this one- a large sheet cake for two people, one, a retiring oboist, and another a woman who got her doctorate. So, there will be a picture of an oboe (black and silver), and a graduation cap (also black). Letters will be black. The only color is an orchid spray that has very pale cream petals (the oboist is an orchid fanatic). I want to do a basketweave on the sides that climbs up over the top, but also want some color. I don't want to be stuck with an ivory basketweave and the rest blah.

Any ideas?

could you maybe add some color into the basketweave? i've seen on here where the vertical stripes were done in a one color and the horizontal stripes were done in another. they look really awesome like that.

Maybe instead of a basketweave you could do varying sizes of colored fondant stripes. Or do the upright splints in a different color then the weaving. Good Luck.