I just picked up a few pieces at Michaels because I have an 11x15 cake and wanted a board that wasn't much bigger and thought i could try foam core as I've heard so many people talk about using it.

I bought 3 pieces that are 20"x30"x3/16" because I thought that thickness would be easier to cut, and I thought I could glue them together. They have a white, smooth sort of shiny paper covering which I am assuming is not food safe.

Can I get away with a) using a glue stick to glue them together, b) covering with contact paper rather than fancifoil and then wrapping the edge with ribbon>? Or is it better to use fancifoil?

The cake isn't being covered with fondant, but it's still going to be almost 3" high so there will probably be some weight to it. Is two glued together enough or should I do three?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks

When i buy that thickness, i just tape them together(after cutting them the size i need. They also come in a thicker size(1/2" , think) I use foam boards alot. I then cover them with white freezer paper(from grocery store) use shiny side up. Always looks good . I press all around on table top, and then put my ribbon around edges. hth I cut the slits on back and tape up several slits at the time. don,t cut the slit right to the board, maybe 1/8-1/4" from board. That is how i was taught for any paper..

Thanks, that does help.

They did have a 1/2" thickness but I wasn't sure how easy it was to cut. What do you use to cut them?

For the thickness I got, would you use 2 or 3?

Freezer paper sounds like a good idea. I am looking for the least amount of effort here. LOL.

I usually buy the thicker 1/2" thick ones from Hobby Lobby. When I checked at Michael's they didn't carry that thickness. You can definitely wrap them with some kind of food-safe paper or just use fondant. I usually have the cake sitting on a cardboard round before I put it on the foam core board so that really doesn't matter to me. But if you are going to ice it right on the board then definitely use food-safe paper.

I use an Exacto knife to cut my boards and it works great. I think for your thickness I would use three and use some hot glue to hold them together. But I am all about overkill when it comes to that kind of stuff.

I use 3/16" foam core for every single cake I do. I tape them together, cover with fanci foil, and then I even cut out contact paper in the size/ shape of my actual cake so that when it's cut the foil doesn't get sliced up and served along with the cake. I've seen some pretty aggressive cake cutting and serving, so I decided to add that extra layer of protection. For 9x13's, I use 2 boards, for 11x15, I'd use 3 or maybe even 4 depending on if it was going to be heavy or covered in fondant. I use an exacto knife to cut them.

I use foam core all the time, 3/16 single thickness for two layer 11x15 cakes. They are very heavy and I have never had one flex too much. I cut them in half for the 20x15 and cover with fancifoil. You can do thicker if you want a drum effect, but it is not at all necessary.

Do those cutters handle 1/2" thick foam core? I gotta start cutting some costs, and I'm thinking about going to these instead of drums for 12" and smaller. I can cut it nicely with a real box cutter, but not if I want to start stocking them. Too hard on the wrist!

The drywall cutter that I use does not cut all the way through the 1/2" board, but I use it to cut my circle and then go around with an exacto knife to finish cutting.

My Michaels has always sold 1/2" foam core. I buy both thickness. Depends on what i need. I cut with box cutter. No, it isn,t always pretty, but the freezer paper hides it all, as i would assume foil, etc. would. I also have the gold and silver cake boards also. I use as to what i am doing.

Thanks everyone. All of your input has been very helpful.