This was for my Daughter's 30th Birthday. I did this in buttercreme. First smooth the white icing & then with a large plain tip piped the stripes on. I let it set for a few minutes , then smoothed with a cake hankie. ( mens large handkerchief) I This is the method I was taught 30 years ago. I have tried some of the newer methods, but like the results of the hankie better. These are kept seperate from My husbands & laundried seperate & hung to dry to prevent lint.