Unusual Items Turned Into Cake Decorating "tools".

Decorating By tanyap Updated 30 Aug 2011 , 9:27pm by laceylady

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tanyap Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 2:49am
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Hi all -

I had leftover royal icing from my course II so I thought I'd practice making some roses...well, my icing must've been too stiff because my bag burst mid-petal!! icon_confused.gif Well, my usually helpful daughter was already in bed and DH is not at home so I stuck my flower nail in the d. coke can that I was drinking to free up my hand to replace my bag....The can worked great because the little metal tabby thing prevented the nail head from laying flush on top of the can and gave me enough room to pick up the nail and finish the rose where I'd left off. icon_smile.gif I think from now on I'll be drinking more d. cokes while making flowers!!

What cool and unusual household (or otherwise) items have you turned into a cake decorating tool????

265 replies
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aliciaL_77 Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 2:54am
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putty knife for smoothing....the plastic ones

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debsuewoo Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 2:57am
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Well, it isn't exactly household, but a styrofoam block is great for holding flower nails.

Also,

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beccal Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 3:04am
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I use a large floral vase *clean, of course* to hold my bags in between uses while I'm working on a cake. It holds them upright so they don't get in the way while I'm using a turntable. icon_lol.gif

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TMM2001 Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 3:12am
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I use an empty and clean pringles can to put my bags in to fill....

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lastingmoments Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 3:28am
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pizza cutter for cutting fondant- I used the fondant cutter and it didnt give me the clean edge I needed so thats no longer used. my husbands tools for cutting dowl rods.

A playdoh fun factory (clean of course) for fondant ropes......ran to walmart in the middle of the night because i got tired to rolling out and get ugly ropes.....

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tanyap Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 3:44am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lastingmoments


A playdoh fun factory (clean of course) for fondant ropes......ran to walmart in the middle of the night because i got tired to rolling out and get ugly ropes.....





I'm going to have a whole new perspective of play doh toys...I may have to fight my two girls for them!! icon_lol.gif

Great ideas so far...my wheels are turning and I'm starting to look around the house for more "possibilities"...is this the sign of an addict?!? icon_biggrin.gif

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ThePastryDiva Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 3:49am
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Plastic spoon heads glued to peg board for gumpaste flower making...

Putty knife for chocolate tempering.

Reptile warming light for sugar pulling.

Plaster tools for texture...

Styrofoam cups, upside down to hold flower nails, right side up to hold gumpaste flowers

Buttons to stamp fondant

Clean disinfected tweesers

make up sponges...

drafting tool...

Need I go on...?

* Shut up Diva..lol

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TheCakeShak Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 3:59am
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icon_cool.gif what do you use the make up sponges for?
I bought a little bag of them, and I totally forgot what they were going tobe used for.

I don't wear make up,, so that was out hmmmmmmm........ icon_cry.gif

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ThePastryDiva Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 4:01am
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crashdummy2

I sponge wet or dry color onto the fondant.

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Cake_Princess Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 4:20am
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Vinyl tablecloths = diamond impression mat
Styrofoam = flower drying station and flower nail holder
Putty Knife = buttercream smoother
Paper towel roll tube = flower former
Mini cleaning supplies caddy with damp sponge in the bottom = No Clog Royal icing bag holder
Jay cloth = Icing sugar dust puff
Flat Toothpick = Frosting applicator for small areas
Foil Strips = Leaf Formers
Balloons = Chocolate Bowl formers
Egg Cartoons = Flower transporters
Water Bottle Box = Flower drying station + Flower transporter

These Are just a few I can think of off the top of my head. I will Add more As I think about what I have used in the past

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cakemommy Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 4:20am
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Not too strange but I use polymer clay tools!

Amy

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bonnscakesAZ Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 4:39am
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Pruning shears for cutting wood dowels.

paper punches

pinking shears

play doh toys.. I have some that roll edges... different kinds of ribbons

used to use vinyl to roll out fondant.

I use all kinds of trims and ribbons

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aliciaL_77 Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 4:56am
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i need to get some playdo toys and start saving egg cartons.. goodness know i use enough eggs thumbs_up.gif

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lastingmoments Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 5:23am
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Funny how once you get into that mode you can imagine just how to use anything for something else.....2-3 weeks ago I used my DH MR POtatoe head "darth tater" for a mold for my Darth vader cake .....worked really well......

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ThePastryDiva Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 6:07am
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Use the apple trays if you must, even those are not really good to use, apples have pesticides.

You may be cross contaminating with the egg cartons, all it takes is just ONE bad egg contaminated with salmonella

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MissBaritone Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 6:14am
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A piece of threaded screw to make a smocking embosser

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IHATEFONDANT Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 11:15am
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I used to work for a Dentist...I've got all kind of old instruments I use to carve into flowers..fondant...gumpaste....you name it.

He also gave me sample suction tips...I use them to make folds in fondant for drapes etc.

Like MissB...I use a large threaded "bolt" to give baby blankets and such their texture.

My DH cut me great rolling pins out of PVC pipe...he makes them any size I need.

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ge978 Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 12:00pm
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Cake Princess-This might be a dumb question but how do you do the diamond impressions from the vinyl tablecloth?

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MominSC Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 12:04pm
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I know I am still a newbie, but I figured I would add some of the things I have used to help me..lol

A tall kitchen glass - I put my bags in there and pull the sides of the bag around it and fill my bag with icing. Then I don't have the mess around the edges.

A vinegar bottle - for making my sand. I use it almost like a rolling pin to get my cookies to crumble really fine.

Reynolds Oven bags - when making my MMF, I pour my powdered sugar into this as it is much eaiser to pour. You can cut a snip at the bottom and it acts almost like a funnel.

And that is about it....or all I can think of at the moment thumbs_up.gif

Beth

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Esther Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 12:13pm
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I always check out first the clay tool section (somehow the tools are cheaper) and the woodsection. I bought three smaller "rollingpins" for $2 at the wood crafts section. to curl the flower pedals, I use the back of my rounded brushes.

I also use my grater to hold up flowers on toothpicks (if they are not to many)

ziploc bags for decorating. I always leave the coupler in and close them up after i use them with a piece of cleas plastic foil

I have to go today and check out the play doh toys LOL

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stylishbite Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 12:50pm
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These are great! Thanks for sharing. I don't really do anything clever. I use knee highs one with cornstarch and one w/ PS for dusting. I'm sure that's nothing new.

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marilyn Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 12:51pm
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A 30-60-90 deg. triangle from drafting for smoothing the sides of buttercream.

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tanyap Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 1:18pm
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Esther - I've used the grater too to hold my toothpick roses....my instructor taught us how to use hershey's kisses to make the roses and so you have to stick a toothpick in the base of the kiss so that you can turn and make the petals...I used to hold them for a few minutes before I tried to remove them off the toothpick but that got old so I started using the grater also!

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Liis Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 1:40pm
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thats a nice topic here. I got some really good ideas that i will defenetly trie out.
So, what do i use myself.
1. I have one garlic press to do the hair.
2. Stole some of my kids lego pieces. Washed them and now i keep them separately just for me. (Icc hiding from the boys.) Legos have so cool different stamp pieces. I did a brick wall on fondant with them. also really easy to press the windows in. Just look at the different pieces and let the imagination run
3. i couldnt find a mold for a baby face. so for a long time i tried to do it without a mold. it was really time consuming and never came out the way i wanted. So i bought one little baby doll. pressed the gumpaste in its face and left it to drie. now i have a perfect mold for the nose , mouth and eyes.
4. play doh toys are really cool too. Bought also kids plastic scisors which cut different shapes on the sides. works great too for a ribbon or something.
5. i also use the piping tips to do stamps on the fondant. some are really nice.

thumbs_up.gif

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Mac Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 1:44pm
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lastingmoments--
I never would have thought about using a playdoh machine. Look out Wal-Mart here I come.

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Mac Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 1:49pm
post #27 of 266

I use the spongy kind of shelf liner for making a blanket texture on my baby blanket cakes.

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Misdawn Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 1:54pm
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I was watching the WEdding Cake contest the other night on Food Network and one of the bakers had a great idea for using a light bulb to form flowers. I tried it and it works great!

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bubblezmom Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 2:55pm
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Thank you for the playdough idea. I bought the wilton fondant cutter and it is dull beyond belief. I like my pizza cutter much better.

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frogfiend Posted 12 Oct 2005 , 3:01pm
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Wow you guys are so creative. I am on my way to the store right this minute to buy some play doh toys, I never even thought of that one, keep the ideas coming, I am learning so much from you guys.

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