Hi guys,

I have a bride that wants burlap around each layer of her cake. Any ideas how I do this? Where do I buy the burlap? is it food safe to do it? How do attach it?

Thank you!

I saw someone does this on a blog and I have a real problem with burlap on a cake. Cut burlap sheds terribly. Can you imagine taking a bit of cake with burlap fibers in it. Yuck...even if you wash it, I would be concerned that it would shed. I don't know if it's technically unsafe but I would be hard pressed to put it on a cake. I would take a sample of cut burlap, treated the way you wanted and dried and play with it around cupcakes or a small 4 inch cake and let the bride know how it will work.

The one I saw was wrapped around fondant but that doesn't mean people aren't going to eat the fondant. At the very minimum, I would like the back with something food safe like wax paper. It just seems icky to me.

Could you just make the fondant look like burlap? If you press a clean tea towel onto the fondant (pattern on some are very similar) you can get a burlap look! There are even some weave look impression mats that would work. I'm sure that Duff has one at Micheal's. I wouldn't want to be using burlap either. But then again, I'm just one of those decorators that aims to make everything edible!

Fabric stores should sell burlap. If not, visit your local feed store.
Ugh! Burlap has a smell to it. I definitely wouldn't want it anywhere near cake. Seriously, I have some burlap that's over 50 years old and it still smells!

Yuck. It is so linty! Tint pieces of lint will be all over the cake. I would look for a synthetic fabric in the craft store that does not shed so much.

I too would stay away from real burlap on a cake, for all the reasons mentioned above. I once recreated burlap in fondant by pressing the fondant into a very finely woven (and clean) window screen. Then I "frayed" the edges with an xacto knife. Worked great!

I had the same thoughts as Sassyzan - a linen weave or similar as a substitue. Maybe look at curtain and dress fabrics. I have seen a cake with a fabric wrap around the middle of each tier (approx 2/3rd the tier height) with a fine satin ribbon (same color as bridesmaid dress) around the middle with a neat small bow to secure. It was a woven fabric that I would have said was a heavy linen, not as course as burlap. A more refined look and no smell.

Here is a link to another burlap cake. An earthy look!
http://thecharitywedding.com/2011/06/16/burlap-thursday-cake-decor/

yeah, that is the look she is going for. I found burlap kind of ribbon in Walmart that I might use. thanks for the feedback!

Check this link out on how to make fondant  burlap .

http://thefashioncaker.blogspot.com/2013/06/recently-friend-of-mine-asked-if-i.html?spref=fb

I AM HAPPY TO SAY,I HAVE TALKED MY BRIDE OUT OF PUTTING BURLAP ON HER WEDDING CAKE. I TOLD HER WE WOULD HAVE TO ANNOUNCE AFTER CAKE CUTTING FOR THE GUESTS TO CHECK THEIR PIECE OF CAKE FOR FIBERS BEFORE THEY EAT. SHE DECIDED ON A PRETTY SATIN RIBBON THE COLOR OF WOOD OR BURLAP AND LACE OVER IT. I'M SO HAPPY!

Good for you!  looking forward to your pics :)

I was wondering if anyone had ever used burlap ribbon on a cake?  My daughter-in-law to be is wanting burlap used on her wedding cake I found burlap ribbon but am not sure how safe it would be to use. I found it in colors but wondered about the die in it and how safe it would be. I did see where someone said something about putting tape on the back of burlap wondered what kind of tape you would use.

Thanks

Bert

I had started a post on this a while back. There were no good solutions. So I made a dummy cake with 2 inch wide satin ribbon the color of burlap,with a one inch lace running down the middle of it,my bride decided to go with that. I think when I told her she would have to make an announcement to the guest to check the cake for burlap fibers before they eat it, she decided the ribbon was just as nice.

I just came across this post as I am making a cake with burlap as well.. but instead of using real burlap I am going to try Sugar Veil on their woven mat and cocoa powder for the color.  Once this is cut it looks so similar to burlap.