Fondant Loopy Bows

It's been another busy day of cake decorating. Sorry, you'll have to wait to see the finished cake that I did today.

But, I thought maybe I'd post a little tutorial for any of you who are looking for an easy way to decorate a cake and make it look impressive.

Fondant Loopy Bows.
Anyone can make them! Even you!

First off, you need some fondant. Any kind of fondant. I'd even say, you're fine to use the gross Wilton fondant... cause it's more for looks and less for eating.
Next, stretch and play with the fondant til it's soft and workable. The, roll out on a lightly greased surface. Then, you'll want to cut it into thin strips. Thin, as in 1/8". And it doesn't matter what you use to cut the fondant. Sometimes I use a knife, sometimes I use a pizza cutter. Whatever.

Then, you're going to want to pick up each strip and wrap it around a skewer or a paintbrush handle, chopstick or something else that's thin and long. Twist it around like this...

Then, slowly slide it off and let it dry. Repeat with the rest of your cut strips.

Next step is to make the bow loops. I usually like to make these in advance. That way they're nice and firm and they're not going to lose their shape when you build the bow. Sometimes I'll make this the day before. Anyways, roll out some fondant and cut into thicker strips. Thicker as in 1", give or take. It's very flexible and you don't have to worry about them being all the same width. Oh, and the length will depend on how big of a bow you want. I usually make mine around 5" long. Like so....


This is a handy tool. I think I picked it up at Walmart for a couple dollars. Or you can find it at Michaels. This can make stitched looking lines. This part is optional. Make stitch marks along both sides of the strips....


Next, pick up each strip, shape it into a loop, pinch the ends together and leave on it's side to dry.


You'll want to make 15-18 of these. When you're done, set them aside for now.


Okay, when your loops have dried enough that they'll hold their shapes and not collapse, go ahead and start assembling your bow. You'll be surprised at how quickly it comes together and how pretty it looks. Start by arranging the bottom layer of your bow, like this....


Now, start making a second row. Ideally, it's nice to have the second loop fit kind of between the bottom ones, but it won't always work out since you'll be using less loops. Use a little icing to help hold them in place.


Ignore the fact that you can see my lovely nail polish totally chipped and coming off. I rarely wear polish, and this is why.... cause it usually looks like this. Anyways, focus on the bow. We're done the second row, now go ahead and fill in the remaining top gap with a few remaining loops. If it doesn't seem to fit very good on the bottom, go ahead and cut some of the corners off the attached part to help them fit better.....


Looks pretty good, but just wait. Now, add some of the curly strips between the loops, to help fill in some of the empty space....


So pretty!! You can make this bow on any cake.... butter cream covered cakes or fondant covered cakes. Doesn't matter. Seriously, give it a try on your next cake.

Oh, and for a different look, try coloring your fondant two different colors, rolling out each seperately, layering them and rolling out again. That way you have one color on one side and a different color on the other side. It'll look more like this....