When I was young/younger lol... My mother cross stitched and we always went to the craft store to pick up supplies.. I went down the isle.. what I know call the 'wilton/cake decorating isle' and saw the wilton yearbook and I was in awe.. Thinking that I could never do that and at the same time one day I will do that... so years later, I finally got one of the yearbooks and I just love to look at the pictures.. and years after that, I took a course at the art institute and then years after that, I took my first wilton course and then a year or two later.. I finished the courses and that's that....

I was 13 when I saw my first wedding cake and I fell in love. I took a cake class from the only cake decorator in the small town I grew up in. My mom and she were good friends and the friend let a 14 year old come to a couple of her decorating sessions. I did a horrible job. But that didn't stop me. Here it is, 32 years later and loving it still!

I started doing cakes when I was in High school. My mom was a decorator, and she had taught me alot of the simple flowers. I worked for Dairy Queen through out high school, and so they had me do the icecream cakes. My mom had 7 children, and she made all of a very elegent and amazing wedding cakes. Mine fed 250 people and took her 4 days to do all the stringwork and borders. She passed away 6 years ago from cancer, and my little brother was still single. When he started getting serious about his now wife, he told me that the saddest thing was that my mom would not be there to make his cake for him. So, I sprang into action, and over that next year I learned cake, and gumpaste, and in November I flew to Idaho with 3 dozen gumpaste roses, and lilies, to do their wedding cake. It was the most joyous time of my life to give him the gift that my mom would have given him. And he still calls to thank me.

Many years ago I self taught myself enough from A wilton book to make my kids a decent birthday cake. My daughter was complainig as my Grandaughter's 2nd birthday was approaching. She said she didn't want to spend $50 for another Publix cake. I suggested taking the Wilton classes at our Micael's. I was convinced it would be cheaper. Well three classes and about $300 of equipment we did a fair job on Mackenzies cake. My daughter Lost interest but I found myself a hobby. I started doing cakes for all my co workers birthday's for practice. Things have blossomed from there. And of coourse Mackenzie gets a unique cake every year for her birthday.

I've enjoyed baking and decorating cakes since my oldest daughter's first birthday, when I attempted to make a cake that was shaped like a house. It fell apart, but it got me determined to do better the next time. Over the years, I made more cakes, took a class at our local tech school, and dream of getting around to taking a Wilton class at Michael's, lol. I really love doing it, and it's something I think I'm getting better at : )

My husband(second time around) wanted me to stay at home with our two kids so I wanted something to do to have some spending cash of my own. I have not taken any classes. I taught myself from watching the cake decorator st our local DQ 13 years ago when I worked there. So I decided to pick it up again and make my own cakes.

I fell in love with decorating when I was a little girl. I use to stand in front of the bakery window and watch the women do cakes for as long as my mother would let me. As a teenager I took a class at the local parks and rec. Did lots of family and a couple of wedding cakes. Then came my marriage and 2 kids left only time for the birthdays. And now my kids are 21 and 15 and don't require so much of my time. So now I'm getting back into the hobby again and with all the new products I am having a blast (and packing on the pounds )

Ohh the stories are soo interesting!

I started decorating because my best friend dragged me kicking & screaming to Michael's to meet her old Wilton teacher Mrs Gayle. I had hurt my back a few months earlier & had to quit my job. I was still recouping & bored out of my mind. My best friend came into town to visit & wanted to see Mrs Gayle while she was here. So I went along. When we were there she was giving a class. Well.. I fell in love with it! I signed up for her next class & the rest is history!! I've been decorating every since! Now I'm an ICES member & I'm going to the ICES convention in Nebraska!!! Wow!! I still can't believe it!!!! Funny thing.. my friend isn't into cakes anymore. So she passed the cake bug on to me! Sometimes I wonder if that's a good thing

I've always loved to bake - both my grandmothers spent time in the kitchen with me and passed on some great recipes. But watching the Food Network and finding this site really got the passion going for me! I've taught elem. school and sold homes, and this is so satisfying in seeing the end result of a project and then hearing the ooos and ahhs! My teenagers' friends are always big fans of any cake I bake, especially if it's a bday cake for them. There's so much to learn and to improve upon, but CC is a great tool and support and I love the creative outlet.

I've always baked from cake & brownie mixes and scratch cheesecake because I always loved goodies. I bought a Wilton video & kit once but never really watched it. About 2 years ago, I picked up a BEAUTIFUL roll cake for my brother at the grocery store. We cut it & started eating it & it was horrible. My brother had the best description - pumpernickle cake. We dumped it in the garbage - a 1st in our family's history! I said "that's it! I'm baking my own cakes, I don't care what they look like!" and I did. About 6 mos. later, I mentioned that AC Moore's was having decorating classes & I would like to take one. My brother & sister in law gave me gift certs for Xmas & I started class last April.

I swear I was the class dunce! I was always asking "what tip do we use?". My classmates were so helpful. I think all of them had a clue what a pastry bag was & I didn't. They were soooo much fun and I really enjoyed it even though I couldn't & still can't do decent borders, stars & I take "crumb coating" to a new level. Maybe I would have gotten it if they said crumbLESS coat? When I made my first rose, my instructor's eyes popped out because she didnt' expect it to be as nice as it was. I did the final cake & wrote "Voila!" on it. My husband & co-workers were impressed. I didn't plan on taking anymore since I was pretty awful. I figured I could get by with roses & leaves.

One of my classmates said "Oh no! We have to keep our group together, we have such a good group". So I signed up & discovered Royal Icing which I love except I didn't quite love it at the time. I thought they were fastinating. I broke my hand mixer, bought another & then bought the Kitchen Aid. We all loused up our icing 2 weeks in a row that we had our own remedial icing class on a Saturday at one lady's house. No one had made enough flowers for the final cake. My arm & hand were killing me! I wasn't going to take the 3rd because "I'm not going to make tier cakes!" Again, the lady said "oh no! We have to keep our group together & it's only $10". I told her I'll think about it but if I come, I'm NOT bringing icing! I'll just come and hang out". I brought icing.

I still can't ice a decent cake or do decent borders or stars but I'm having a ball baking for friends. It brought back my creativeness which I put on the back burner for years. The one who said "oh no!" is now a Wilton instructor as is another classmate and we're all friends including the instructor. And that July, I took Royal Icing on vacation & made flowers for my hubby's 50th "biker party" birthday. I wound up doing a Venetian table. My friend made the motorcycle mold cake, I made a 2 tier "flame cake" and motorcycle cookies & other goodies. The flames flopped because I was trying to decorate behind my hubby's back & didn't have time to let them dry but people were thrilled with the selection.

I have to go buy a lottery ticket now so I can quit my job & bake & decorate!!! And that $10 class has cost me a LOT more between the gadgets, pans and kitchen cabinets I had to buy to store all the stuff!!!

Jasmine

I started because I wanted to make my children cakes that were special and meant something. My mother used to decorate cakes when I was small (around 6 years old) and i have always wanted to know how. Mom wouldn't teach me (she never feels confident that she can teach things right). I took a community course when my DD was 3 months old and fell in love with it (this is also when I discovered that my gall bladder had to go - the first attack happened right after the first class where I happened to be sampling my icing as I worked lol!!). I only do cakes for family so far and I have never sold one. I am hooked and the cool thing about doing them for family is that I have freedom of design of every cake and I get to try out what ever techniques and recipes I want!! I think I won't be quitting this hobby anytime soon but I sure would like to learn how to do this without my kitchen looking like a tornado hit it. Plus it would be nice if I could find a way to be a little quicker at it -- I think part of it is having 2 preschoolers at home and trying desperatly to keep their fingers out of the cake!!

I had been wanting to do kiddy bday cakes since my son was in kindergarten. So, I decided to do what my mom, who passed away, used to do for me every yr, when I was little. She would make me a Duncan Hiney cake and serve it with ice cream EVERY yr! And, around here, NOBODY bakes their own cakes! So, JUST WITH THAT, I was "da bomb" around here, lol. Then, I started thinking, hmmm...I bet u, people would actually pay for this stuff. So, FINALLY, bc I got a car, I went to a ACMoore one day, and saw the class and signed up for it. Boyyyy, even though I was the worst one of the whole class, I was soooooo enthused! I was seeing what everybody else was doing, and even though I am STILL the last one to learn how to do the things "right", I get SUCH A THRILL out of it! I can sit here and look at pix of cakes forever and ever and try and try, I don't know if I'll ever be as good but, I try to come as close as possible. The other thing is...I am NOT a baker! I throw some of these recipes together and am searching for that "one kick-a$$" recipe to make it come true for me, so, I have my title as "cake decorator" on my biz cards. That is what I love to do, decorate. I am really not a cake person, myself, lol, meaning, I really don't eat cakes, I just love to decorate them! I get orders here and there from work, and have a small album at my son's school but, I am still hoping to get more orders. I am thinking about making myself a flyer and giving them out on the first day of school in Sept, hopefully, I'll get something out of it.

Like so many of you, I started decorating cakes for my children. My MIL made a few novelty cakes for them which sparked an interest in me. I remember thinking, "I can do that". My how far I've come yet I still have soooo much to learn. BTW ~ my first cake was a novelty pan of Thomas the Tank Engine. It was the most sloppiest thing ever - LOL - but I sure was proud of it

I started decorating cakes because I wanted to do something special for my sister-in-law's baby shower, and I had so much fun that I signed up for classes!

My daughter had a friend who was turning 24 who had NEVER in her life gotten a birthday cake!

I made her a 3D dragon with sparkly scales, and spouting flames while sitting on a pile of treasure.

It was my first cake that was more than just putting frosting and some candles on it.

I started doing cakes when I really discover that the local food store have there bake cake in the display stand for days. How old and moldly that sound. Anyway, I went to wiltons in May 2005 and started my homebase business. I wanted to specialize in wedding cake and fondant. Since I have been decorating and love it.

I started doing cakes my senior year of high school...cake decorating was an elective class at my school and so since I already had all my credits and knew my family couldn't afford college I decided to take the "fluff" course during my 1/2 days required. I must say that it was the best class I have ever taken and still use 25 years later! I quit decorating to put myself through college and work full-time. I picked it up again 7 years ago when I went into "early retirement - lol"...haha I really just got fed up and quit my job! Anyway when I started up again I did it for fun but it quickly turned into a fast-growing "hobby"...I've since returned to work full time and basically decorate cakes when I get home and on the weekends.

Just a couple of months ago I saw my cake decorating teacher in the cake supply house and went up to her...she still looked the same after all those years. I told her I was her student 25 years ago and thanked her because out of all those classes and most everything else I learned over the years I use and enjoy what she taught me the most. I told her that I thought decorating brought out the "artist" in me and brings me happiness when I see those happy faces when I deliver a cake. I hope I made her day.

me and my husband own an ice cream shop. i made him a carrot cake and brought it to the shop and people started asking "how much is a slice of cake?" after telling about 4 people that the cake was not for sale i looked at my husband and said "how much is a slice of cake?" and now we sell cakes whole, by the slice, and for special occasions. still practicing decorations though.

Funny, my mom was a cake decorator for a chain store for year - I had absolutley no interest in it. Then one day a few months ago my great niece (who is 5) saw an ad for the Betty Crocker cake kit and said I should get it - I thought "eh, why not". Little did I know! The cake supplies were not worth anything - but I like it, took a Wilton class - got compltelty hooked and am now on my third class - everyone at work has really been impressed and have started ordering (and paying!!!) for cakes. I agree with an earlier post - if not for having to have this full time job to pay the bills boy could I really indulge my passion!! (or is addiction? LOL)

I started when my kids started telling me that they wanted themed cakes that I could not get in grocery stores without having plastc figures on them. WhenI was young my Aunt and Grandmother (who have both long since past) used to make us kids 3D cakes like cookie monster (with a cookie in his hand) and firetrucks (that had licorice hoses!) and doll dakes with pretty icing dresses and hats on. I wanted my kids to have those kinds of cakes and sweet memories. I took a Wlton course 1 and had a horrible instructor! I knew I could do better than her at teaching the students! I signed up and after taking course 2 with her I replaced her! I taught Wilton for 3 years before realized I needed to spend more time with my kids. figure I will have plenty of years once the kids are grown and more independent to teach. Now I pretty much just do cakes for the kids and family and friends. The kids love to do cakes and gingerbread houses with me when we have the time. My husband is also very proud of me and lets me go over budget a lot on my cake stuff when I find something cool that will help me with the cakes. He also helps me clean up after I made a bg mess in the kitchen! Gotta love that! After 7 years I can't imagine life without cake decorating! It makes me happy and it makes others happy!

I started doing cakes because i loved watching and helping my mom make them. Like so many others, mom made all of our cakes so I wanted to do the same. Now I am addicted. I absolutely love baking so it works out great for me.

I have always liked baking and used to bake just for the fun of it. I haven't taken any classes, but have a few friends who have taken classes. I have done 3 wedding cakes (just as gifts to the couples) and a few for my church. Who knows, I may even get paid for a cake some day!

I swapped hobbies with a lady. She saw me crocheting a shawl (it was the 70's what can I say) and asked if I would be interested in giving her lessons. When I arrived for her first lesson she was decorating a cake. I thought it was fascinating, so she said we should swap hobbies. I wish I could remember her name. I would love to look her up and say thank you. I think her name was Judy, or Julie but can't remember her last name. Perhaps she's a member here!! I was living in VA at the time at some apts...I believe the name was the Palms apts. I was 10 years old at the time. Can't believe I have been doing this for 31 years. Wow!!!

I started making cakes because I have 5 grandchildren (from 1 1/2 yrs old up to 6 yrs), and I wanted to be able to bake their birthday cakes (just as my mom has done for me over the years).

I've always had the desire to learn, but until my girls left home... I couldn't find the time (or money)!

Now I'm hooked!!!!!

Well , ive been cooking since i was seven, i have always loved it and it has always been a way to rid my self of stress and day to day anger(the kind we all get from living in the city) cake recapies have always been easy, but when i decided to get into decorating it turned into an even better way to escape like a vacation without all the cost involved with traveling, it is a bonus that all the recipients of my cakes enjoy them and have adulations as well

I started baking cakes with my Mom when I was little. I was fortunate enough to be brought up in a baking household, and I had built in family taste testers. i love the satisfaction of making something delicious and beautiful for a loved one or for a special occasion.

I started making decorative cookies in High School. I worked at a grocery store when I was in High School and would write messages on cakes after bakery hours because no one else could do it with them being closed. I always wanted to learn how to decorate cakes. When I got married and had my own kitchen, I decided to try my hand at cakes. I taught myself everything I know, which isn't much. I love it and have started my own little cottage bakery.

I love all these stories!

I have always like to make desserts, since I was a child. I liked baking cakes but had no real skills for decorating, just the spatula swirl icing my mom taught me. My first real job out of school was as a commercial artist and I hated it so much...so much competition... I went back to school and became a nurse. I worked in the ER for 10 years & I baked for the ER staff as often as they would tolerate... and man! those nurses and doctors can eat some cake!

My husband and I decided I would become a stay-at-home mom after our baby was born, so I quit being an ER nurse. After my son was born, I loved being a mom but was craving adult companionship. A sorority sister of mine (we are both members of Beta Sigma Phi, an international women's social organization) had a coupon for 2-for-1 registration for the Wilton Course I classes at JC Penney. I went with her just to get out of the house one evening a week.

OMG! It was so much fun! I made all the class cakes and then started making cakes for every occasion. My husband took most of the cakes to his office. No doubt I am responsible for so many pounds on hips there.

When I started making birthday cakes for my son's birthday parties, his friends' parents would ask me where I got the cake..I'd say "I did it!" and they would ask me how much I'd charge to do one for them. At first, I'd ask them to buy the character pan for me and that would be enough. Then if I already had the pan, I asked them to just cover my costs. It grew and grew.

All the time my son was growing up, I refused wedding cake orders, because weddings take so much time away from my family. This past year, when my 19 year old baby son went off to college, I began telling people I would now do weddings. And I did my first wedding cake in April.

I have collected about 700 character cake pans. We no longer have a dining room, because all my wedding cake stuff is stored in there. Our laundry room has 2 walls of floor-to-ceiling shelves for cake pans, all sorted by category in big storage bins. I do 15-20 cakes a month and I charge a lot more. Cake #1940 will be coming this week. Some of my clients have been with me since the beginning. And I am still loving it.

And I really love CC! What an amazing & loving place this is, with amazing, loving & talented people! (BIG HUGS for everybody!)

i think the majority of us started when are kids were little. i started when my first child was 5 and now he's 17...and i'm stilll going strong.

Well, the first cake I made was for my daughter's Birthday. My friend had used a character pan to make Elmo and I thought, hey, how hard could that be. And since then I have been hooked. Mostly, because I stay at home with my kids ALL day long and need something to do besides chase kids that makes me feel good. Otherwise, I would probably lose my everloving mind. I have also tried a gazillion other hobbies and spent a fortune in the process and this one has actually stuck longer than one project. Makes my hubby happy...