Hi All,

I am completely new to cake decorating, I have bought a few books and subscribed to a magazine. I am lost as to where to start, there are so many tools out there.

Would anybody be able to tell me a list of beginners tools please? The basics and then I can go from there maybe. Also would it be best to get all the named tools, Wilton is popular from everything I have seen or is it ok to use cheaper brands?

Thanks in advance

Helen :) xxx

An offset spatula, a bench scraper and a turntable. I would not invest a lot of money until you decide if it is something you enjoy. Michael's offers classes. Best of luck!

Oh and a leveling knife!

What tools are you referring to?  Gumpaste tools?  Fondant?  Or are you just wanting to do piping?  It depends on what you are trying to accomplish as to what tools you need.

I think to start, piping and fondant, I would just like to start with fairly basic cupcakes and small cakes. This is all completely new to me apart from some very amateur cupcakes :s

ok thank you, I will have a look :) all advice in much appreciated :)

AIf your just experimenting buy some second hand tools off eBay. I agree with other comments, a smoother, a turntable, a good rolling pin, a couple of nozzles to try stars and pipe straight lines and lettering. A Stanley knife or disposable sharp blade knife. A lily or rose cutter to try gum paste flowers. Watch lots of YouTube tutorial sand basically practice, practice, practice. Oh and a dummy cake to practice icing it smoothly. Good luck

AWhen I started decorating I bought a cricut, molds, tons of impression mats, hundreds of cutters, that huge Wilton decorating set, a turntable, isomalt, glitters, dusts, I could go on and on. Don't do that! I still don't use half of it and I've only just recently made room to properly store it all.

My fiance got me a subscription to MyCakeDecoratingSchool.com, it's like $30/year. They have free tutorials to teach you the basics of baking to carving a topsy turvy cake, they have a forum, recipes, a q&a, etc. I really found that helpful, as well as Cake Central, Cakes Decor, and I have some favorite blogs. There are tutorials all over the Internet that I use still. Personally, I preferred the online school to the Wilton curriculum. But some people rave about those classes, some people learn better with a teacher in the room, just a personal preference.

My problem was I wanted to do everything all at once, there are so many different mediums, and styles-it can be very overwhelming! Definitely work with icing first, get some disposable piping bags (I don't have a dishwasher yet :( and I hate washing those large bags out), some basic piping tips (which can double as cutters), and everything batter up suggested. If its something you want to take further check out the clay tools as well as the fondant tools, the ones I can get, locally anyway are typically cheaper. I use both. And depending on what you want to do you'll know what to purchase by then.

Everyone has made really good suggestions here. Before you get tools, I would check with Michael's or JoAnn's stores and take their basic classes. The first class introduces you to how fill a bag, pipe and all the basic things you'd never think of. In taking that class, you will purchase a kit that has all the beginning tools you'll need. From there you can move into the other three or four cake decorating classes they offer. Often times, you can use a coupon for the classes. The classes run for about four weeks. And just think it'll be two-fold: if you are at the very very beginning stages you'll learn the basics and acquire basic tools to get started. Like Smckinney said you don't want to go overboard buying a lot of different tools at once. The more comfortable and experienced you become with cake decorating you'll learn what tools you need and most importantly don't need.

Many tools are not cheap!!

AI started with taking a michaels class, as others have said you get the basics in those classes, and as you move on you will acquire more tools. I never buy any tool from michaels at full price. They always have couons, sign up on their email list and you get special coupons sometimes. I started 8 years ago and i definitely dont have everything, but i just bought some new tools on amazon, things that arw not available from michaels. Buy slow and what you may like to use or try when you get more practice in. Good luck and have fun.