Basic Decorating Techniques - Clowns

Tips: 21, 67

Bags: Featherweight or Disposable decorating bag with tip 21,
parchment paper with tip 67


Positions:

Bag: 90° angle

Tip: slightly above surface when piping body; inserted into body when piping arms and legs

Icing: medium consistency

Sequence:

1. Squeeze out icing with steady even pressure to cover an area about the size of a 50 cent piece.

2. Begin raising the tip, allowing icing to build up, but keeping the end of the tip buried in the icing.

3. Stop at desired height, pull tip away.

4. Insert tip at base of body for leg, squeeze to draw leg out. Relax pressure, pull to a point for foot. Repeat for other leg and foot.

5. Insert tip into body at shoulder, squeeze as you draw arm out.

6. Relax pressure, pull to a point for hand. Repeat for other arm and hand.


Make the body: Use tip 21 in upright position and the basic icing build-up technique to pipe body. Squeeze hard to builld up a generous base, then slowly fill out the body by drawing the tip straight up until you reach the desired height.


Pipe the legs: Insert tip into the front base of the body and draw the icing straight out. Add the feet, drawing to a point as for the hands. You may vary the position of the legs. Draw the legs straight up at the knee and back down again to the foot, or cross the legs back down again to the foot, or cross the legs (bend the crossing leg at the knee for the natural look.)

Pipe the arms: Insert the tip into the body at the shoulder, then squeeze as you draw the tip straight down and then across the body. To form the hands, squeeze a little harder, then relax pressure, drawing them to a point. Stop squeezing entirely before you pull tip away.


Add details: Using leaf tip 67, pipe ruffles for arm and leg cuffs using a zigzag motion. Add the head: Insert a small derby clown head into the top of the body.

TRY THIS: Make color-striped clowns for your cake or cake circle by brush striping a parchment bag fitted with tip 21 in the colors of your choice.