these hints are just way too cool! Keep 'em comin'!

Okay, I have one more that hasn't been mentioned yet... you know the little plastic containers that you get cream or milk in (single serve size) for your coffee?

They are great for mixing colours! I use them for mixing airbrush colours, or for mixing powdered colours with alcohol or extract. The are a little big if you just need a tiny amount, but they're jsut the right size if you have a lot of details in one colour!

One of the guys I work with goes through about 10 a day, so he keeps me well supplied! LOL

I use those Q-tips with the pointed ends to clean my tips (normally used for eye make-up I think). They work very well.

I use distilled white vinagar (less then $1 for a bottle) to take away all the grease from my mixer when I need to make RI. I also use it to take away grease from everything else i grease up, lol.

I took apart an old cheap pillow made with synthetic fibers - and the insides are what I use to dry my gumpaste on (the fibers). My GP teacher tought me that one though - can't take the credit. Gives GP flowers/leaves that "natural look".

Oh - and I use one of those gel-filled face masks that you freeze to get rid if headaches for keeping my BC cool when traveling to a wedding reception site (in my "emergency kit").

Anyone else's kitchen look like you have a "thing" for collecting garbage? Mine does. LOL. My mother came over and was about to toss my egg cartons - I was like "NOOOO! I need those!" She looked at me like I had lost my mind.

I don't have much to add..being a newbie but here goes...

- ice cube tray for mixing luster dust and such
- you know those "thingy's" that are plastic and go around your shower curtain rod to hide the metal? I cut it in half (lenghtwise) and use as a small flower former...holds up to 100 flowers!!

I was out shopping last night and found those window gling pictures ( the ones for like halloween and Christmas ) well I started last night and did a color flow and a bct and finished them up this morning well I just checked them out WOW they worked !!! I am going out to get more IT was like a cartoon color page ..but to me it was better them a color page..
Lisa

Do you have a pic of it? I am trying to get a mental picture...must ...drink...more...coffee....

Thanks!

I will take one as soon as my camra charges we took our kids to the st. louis zoo took lots of pics and we hit a nasty strom going back home and I video taped it 20 min of it but will definately post them
Lisa

I got one for yas,
I bought one of those huge quilters self healing cutting mats to roll out the fondant. Used the shiny side and the fondant simply won't stick (used a wee bit of crisco too) not to mention once the fondant is rolled out you can "take" the fondant to the cake!

I forgot about this one - I use some of those pumpkin carving tools for small cakes. The small thin saw works for getting small 2-3-4" cakes out of those mini round pans.

I purchased and use a carpenter's level (the one with the "bubble") to ensure my tiered cakes are truly level and square.

All these ideas are great, I have some to add.

For FBCT, I have a the glass from a broken picture frame. Not for cakes, but I use shaped ice cube trays for chocolate molds. You know those stencil letters kids use... I use those for fondant lettering.

Thanks
Krista

Thank y'all so much for all the ideas!

I made my own impression mats, by using the plastic light covers. You can get them at Lowe's, and they will cut them. You know the clear ones that go over the commercial, office or school lights, they go in the ceiling, they are flush with the ceiling tiles. Hope I was able to explain that right. Anywho, they come in different textures. I also made my own gumpaste caddy, using the old style tool boxes, they are open rectangles with a tall side and handle. I put floral foam in the bottom to stick flowers in, and I hang my gumpaste roses upside down from the handle.

Mine's not too strange. My husband saw a nice big tackle box on clearance at WalMart and suggested that I get it because my Wilton box was just too small to hold all my stuff.
I can't think of anything else odd that I use............yet! Thanks to your ideas on here my boys-and husband -better start watching their toys. I'm going to be looking at everything a little different now.
Thanks Guys.
Tabby

Great ideas! I need to go get me some playdoh toys!

Here's a couple things I use.

My MIL ordered some handmade large blocks that are basically just cut wood. Well I was looking at them one day and realized that the round ones would make great rolling pins. So I confiscated one of each length and now use those to roll everything!

The little plastic containers that gerber baby food come in are awesome for transporting small amounts of icings in different colors. I also use the lids for water, extract, colors, anything I'm painting.

The little cages you buy for your dishwasher to was bottle nipples and rings work great for washing tips and coupler without losing them in the bottom of the dishwasher.

I also use brush meant to clean bottle nipples for cleaning my tips.

Keep the creativity rolling!

This has been such a great post to read! The only weird things I use are plastic letter stamps from a cement steping stone kit - never used in cement of course.

I made my own large balling tool from a $3 back massager, I use it all the time and it saved me stacks of money!

just sitting here browsing the forum, snacking on almonds and couldn't think of anything to add that i use. Tossed the almond can in the trash (I'm at work and should be working) (oh, well i own the company, i'll do what i want) anyway when the can hits the trash with a clunk, i think that can is metal, would make a very cut cake pan. I could use it for the mini wedding cakes as the top layer!!!!!

Okay really weird tool I use is a dog comb, you know the kind that are metal and have long roundish tines to detangle the fur........I cut one down to four tines to make a tool that would make the marks on my baseball cap and my shoe which look like stitching......because I didn't want to sit there all day with a toothpick poking the little holes.....

I cover a heating pad with foil and rest my piping bag with melted chocolate on it so it won't get hard.
Clear flower vase under the top tier: fill it with rose petals or a candle, tie a ribbon around it. Use royal icing around the rim to glue the upper tier board to it.
I now tie small bungie cords around my plastic tip trays. Tips everywhere when I dropped the case!
Twice was all it took!

I use a frozen beer stein to cool my buttercream while I am making flowers! I put the piping bag in it while i remove the flowers from the stick. I keep tow or three in the freezer and change them out while I am making my flowers.

Another good use for a beer stein is to hold a piping bag while filling it.

How about those scrapbooking supplies?

I use the embossing boards on forndant and the Fiskar stencils for fondant.

My daughter saves her applesauce and snack pack containers-great for color flow and small amounts of icing.

food dehydrator for drying fondant, gum paste and royal

cookie press as an extruder with washers as cutting dies

pasta machine for rolling fondant fast, cutter for strips to make curls

sheet vinyl for large fondant mats (full sheet size)

detailed cookie cutters on cake for characters-Sesame, Garfield, etc.

Junebuggey



I

I use one of those freezer packs like you put in lunch boxes to keep things cool.......I keep one next to me when I'm piping (I have hot hands) and I lay my hand on it every so often to cool my hands off so I don't melt my icing!!! I also have a toy football, which I cut so it would lay flat and I use that anytime I need to make something look like leather! It works great.

Look at the shape cut into the discs for your cookie press. Just think outside the box, so to speak.

The cookies which are dots that bake together to make a flower cookie for example. Fill the press with fondant and assemble like you were making cookies. Instead of holding the press at 90 degrees, place at 45 and keep pressing until the desired length. You will have a stack of strings you can use as piping or twist to make a rope. Sometimes I use them to form letters or monograms.

The ribbon cookie die makes great ridged or pinch pleated ribbon affect.

I hope this explanation is clear.

Junebuggey

I couldn't find the flower nail (gremlins??) so I used a bolt. The head was large enough to hold the waxed paper, and it is easier to hold as the larger "nail" part is thicker. Good for arthritis, I would think!