.... forgive me if anyone has discovered this ahead of me......

Anyway, I like to cover my cakeboards in colored paper (particularly children's birthday cakes). The only thing, is that I cannot find ANYWHERE locally to buy grease resistant paper, unless it is gold, white, or silver, and even if I could, they are at least $8 a roll. While I was in Walmart today, a lightbulb went off, and I bought a hot pink plastic party tablecloth for a dollar. Anxious to see how this works out...

If anyone has tried this before me, and feels the need to stop me for a good reason, please do so... Preferably before Thursday!!!

I did this over the weekend for a wedding cake and grooms cake and I will DEFINITELY be doing it again. It is so much easier than trying to cover the board with fondant or some other expensive covering.

I do this, and I love it. You can cover several boards with it too!

I was hoping I was on to something.... good to know someone has "been there, done that" and done it successfully!!!!

Thanks for the feedback!

Haven't tried it but thanks for sharing the idea, will have to give it a try!!!

I've tried it before but don't know if I will again. After I iced the cake there was some on the cake board and when I wiped it off with a paper towel, some of the color from the plastic tablecloth was on the papertowel.

I use wrapping paper that I get at the dollar store and then just cover the paper with clear contact paper!! I love doing that and I like that there are sooo many options of colors, patterns, etc!!!

This sounds like such a great idea!!!! I do have a question, what is the best way to anchor the tablecloth to the board? No problems with any shifting of the cake?

Plastic tablecloths are all I use for my boards! I buy them from hobby lobby in EVERY color they carry! I just use a strong packing tape to secure it to the back of the board.
They are perfect, a variety of colors, and it doesnt absorb the grease from buttercream!

I also use plastic table cloths with holiday decorations that you can get after the holiday CHEAP!!!! They are a little thicker and hold up well.

Plastic tablecloths are all I use for my boards! I buy them from hobby lobby in EVERY color they carry! I just use a strong packing tape to secure it to the back of the board.
They are perfect, a variety of colors, and it doesnt absorb the grease from buttercream!

I use fondant, but I just add a strip of it around the cake after the cake has been placed on the board. It saves a lot of fondant compared to covering the whole board. I use foam core board and just place the cake directly on it. It works great.

OK, I have a dumb question. What is clear Contact paper and where can I get it? I would love to cover the cake board with gift wrapping paper to match the theme (not that I have decorated too many cakes) and cover it so that I can place the cake directly on it. I don't think gift wrapping paper is food safe. Is clear contact paper food safe?

TIA,

contact paper is the same stuff you line your cabinets with. You can get it at walmart, target, etcc. or any home improvement store. It comes in lots of colors, etc... they have one that is clear..

does that help?

Thanks Mcdonald. Can you tell me if it is self sticking or I have to tape it?

Contact paper is self sticking. You have to remove the paper backing from the sticky side of the plastic. There's clear and other ones (patterned).

Also, something I forgot to mention before, is I like to use freezer paper when I just want a plain white board. Works incredibly well.

I've used wrapping paper before, too, and love it... however, I have always used cellophane to cover over the paper. I don't lilke doing that because there is always a "seam" overlapping. I love the contact paper to cover over the wrapping paper. Thanks for the idea!

I have used both the plastic tablecloths and gift wrap for my cake boards and have found both to work equally well. I will also cover the gift wrap with just clear plastic wrap ie Saran Wrap and tape it down on the back of the board if I don't have the clear contact paper and it works almost as well. If you want to add a real spark of interest, use colored plastic wrap over metallic wrapping paper...gives it a little different perspective to the sparkle.

I used a double layer of tissue paper covered with clear contact paper for this cake board last night. Up until now I've been purchasing different color foils from a cake supply store. Tissue paper and wrapping paper comes in endless colors and designs. I wish I'd known about this method sooner. I hate to think how much money I spent on that foil.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1247530.html

Ooo... I bet you could also use the contact paper to cover decorative scrapbooking paper (if the cake board is on the smaller side)

I need to try this! Thanks for the tips

I forgot to mention that when you use the cellophane, you need to use the extra wide kind or you do end up with the "seam" issue that knel mentioned. Have fun playing with all the different options!!

Can I ask if the vinyl tablecloths and clear contact paper are food safe? I am not trying to stir up anything here, I have just never used either and am wondering ... ? They are a superb idea.

I've been using the plastic table clothes to cover my boards for a long time now. I got the idea from someone here and it works just fine. I attach it to the back of the board with regular 'ol scotch tape and never had a problem.

KimAZ

I do almost all of my cakes on boards covered with wrapping or scrapbooking paper, I have even used dress makers patterns http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1150080 and junk mail http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1181018

Almost anything cheap and appropriate for what I am doing. Sometimes it helps with the overall look of the cake and means I go into less detail with the decorating, it can really become a feature in itself. I have an embarrassingly huge collection of paper I cover my boards with whatever I am using and then contact plastic over the top. As for whether it is food safe, I heard that teflon and margarine cause cancer and people still use them...

I usually staple my fabric to the underside of the foamcore board. I might try scrapbook paper then just put a ribbon boarder around the edges.

As for food safe. Put your cakes on a board before putting on the base board & you won't have to worry about it b/c it doesn't come in contact w/ the covers/boards.

Hey amber!! Can I come and scrapbook at your house??!! LOL

Don't ya just love all the creative people in the CC!!!???

In my farmyard cake pic, you can see I tried using a heavy wrapping paper...forgot to cover it in plastic...can you say greasy ring???? Dang it!!

Lesson learned and boy do I have some really good new ideas thanks you all of you!! Woohoo!!

I thought I was the only one cheap enough to use colored tissue paper.

Got to try the colored cellophane over the metallic cake board... I'm thinkin' some green or red for Christmas........ definately add some dazzle... Thanks for the tip...

(chuckle...) I thought that I had really discovered something big and I was going to be famous for "my" idea of covering cake boards with plastic tablecloths... Oh well..........

I LOVE the ideas that you guys come up with!! going to have to try the plastic table cloth one for sure!

Amber - I added your dressmaker's cake to my favorites! And using junk mail on the cake board - super idea! I'm making a cake for two avid gardeners in a couple weeks. I'm thinking I could use some flower catalogs that I have around here.

I love this site!