Hope you’re enjoying the holiday hustle and bustle, and hope you have some time to fit a little cookie decorating in. The cookies I’m about to show you in this video are great in that they’re versatile… Make your icing to match the theme and voila, colour co-ordinated decorated cookies for any type of event! The icing lines may seem daunting at first, but with a few tips and tricks, you’ll be able to make these too.
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{Video} How to Pipe Straight Lines with Royal Icing
Click here if you can’t see the video.
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If you’d like to try making these, here’s what you’ll need…
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What you’ll need to make decorated cookies with royal icing lines:
- Gingerbread or Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Royal Icing Recipe
- Cookie Cutters of your choice
- Piping Tips
- Piping Bag Coupler
- Piping Bags
- Icing Bag Ties (You can use elastic bands)
- Toothpicks
- Damp cloth
If you prefer written format to video, here’s a summary of the main points which have helped me improve my line piping technique:
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How to Pipe Royal Icing Lines – Top 10 Tips
1. Royal Icing Consistency is Key
One of the most important tips has to do with the consistency of your royal icing. Too thick and your lines might curl, crumble and break. Too thin, and they’ll look like a soupy mess. I use the 10 Second Rule to help me find the right consistency for piping. You can find a post and video on the 10 second rule by clicking here.
2. Piping Tip PME #1.5
My favourite piping tip is #1.5 made by PME. It’s fine enough to be able to pipe details, but large enough so that it doesn’t clog like piping tip #’s 1, #0 or #00 often do. If you don’t have access to the #1.5, #2 is the next best thing (in my humble opinion). One thing to note – If you’re using a tiny piping tip, such as #00, #0 or #1 you should let the icing come together (See Consistency Video), at about the 5 second mark, instead of the 10 second mark. You might also want to check the post on Avoiding Clogging in Piping Tips.
3. Don’t Overfill your Piping Bags
It’s easier to pipe detail when your piping bag isn’t too full. Much like writing with a pen, a large, fat pen would make it more difficult to write nicely.
4. Practice First
Your hand may need a little practice to get the feel of the piping motion, and practicing on parchment paper first ensures that you’ll be piping nicely when you’re ready, instead of possibly wasting a few cookies.
5. Let Your Icing Fall
Gently squeeze the icing out of your piping tip, let the icing catch on the surface you’re piping on, lift the tip away from the surface, and let your icing fall, while guiding the piping tip/bag. You’ll end up with a smoother line which is easier to control.
6. Piping Pressure
When you’re piping, try and use the same amount of pressure on the piping bag to squeeze the icing out.
7. Piping Direction
Pipe in the direction you feel comfortable with. I prefer piping from left to right, probably because it’s similar to writing. You can pipe right to left, top to bottom or bottom to top. Have fun experimenting!
8. Avoid Pulling
While you’re piping and letting the icing fall into place, it’s easy to move your hand a little too fast, while not pressing enough icing out. The result is usually a broken line.
9. Speed
Tying in to #8, sometimes piping too fast can lead to icing lines breaking. I find that mistakes happen more when I’m going too fast, and piping at a slower speed gives me more control over how the icing falls.
10. Mistakes Can Be Corrected
Toothpicks are a great tool to fix mistakes with. Anything from a broken line, a ball of icing at the beginning of your line due to too much pressure, or just general mistakes. Use your toothpick to remove excess icing, move icing around or scrape your mistakes off.
These tips are what have helped me improve in terms of piping lines – now I just need help lining up my lines so that they’re symmetrical… maybe I could have measured out the angles/spacing and marked the edges with a dot of icing and then just connected the dots with the lines. Buuut, was having too much fun to bother doing that. Maaaaybe next time. Could also use some help in the photography department. I have got to get a better handle on my camera settings, lighting and editing. Oh well. Hope you like the pics anyways.
Thanks to the über-talented Yukiko of Rosey Confectionary Sugar Art for letting me use her Christmas ornament design (above in pink – top right of the photo), and for basing my fan cookie design on hers. I absolutely adore her work, and have a hunch you might too.
If you’d like to see another video on piping lines, the lovely and witty Gail of One Tough Cookie has a fantastic video here, on U of C. You’ll enjoy seeing her amazing cookies and ‘cookie cakes’ too! Click on over here to take a peek at her site!
Piping lines doesn’t have to be a daunting or intimidating decorating technique. It can actually be a fun experience! Granted, that’s coming from a cookie-obsessed gal, but I hope you try it out and drop me a line letting me know how it went.
If you enjoyed today’s tips, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought or if you have any questions.
xo,
Marian
p.s. Please let me know in the comment section below on facebook or twitter, what you’d like to see in the next video. Happy decorating!
p.s.s. I’ve linked this post to the talented Tidy Mom’s I’m Lovin’ It. Check out what the talented Cheryl is sharing today – she always has the best ideas!
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Heleen says
Thank You for this wonderful tutorial! I am always reading your posts! As I mentioned earlier in the comment in your latest giveaway (but it is impossible for you to remember it among so many comments) about my gingerbread doll house; I have it now in the English version off my blog. It would be an honor for me if you watch it.
Merry Christmas for You and your family!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
@ Heleen: Aw, thanks! I tried to go to your link but it didn’t work. Maybe there was a typo? Would love to see your gingerbread dollhouse if you’d like to try and share the link again. Merry Christmas to you and yours too!
Heleen says
Hi Marian! I think today there is some problem with the service provider and I can’t get to my blog either. If try again later and I can post You the exact link later when it is working.
Isabel says
Hi Marian!
Your cookies… really wonderful, as usual and the video is so clear and nice…! (I really love the music you choose… my childen got crazy and kept on dancing the whole morning ;o) …)
Congratulations for your work… it’s amazing!
Happy holidays from Spain!
Heleen says
Hi Marian!
Now the link is working; there was a very bad storm yesterday in southern Finland and it is still stormy winds here in the middle parts too.
Here is the direct link to the dollhouse: Gingerbread house Villa Rosa if this is not working please copy this one: http://heleens.com/blog/3110575.
Me And My Sweets says
The cookies looks supercute! It’s really inspirational to visit your blog!
Lisabeth Rosenberg says
BTW, your photos are more than adequate and this blog looks great. Did someone help you set up your blog or did you do everything yourself? Is this blog providing an income? Just wondering as I embark on my new journey since closing our luxury linen shop. I’m sort of a boat without a rudder but trying to enjoy the ride. Thanks for the piping tips. Looks like fun.
Sofía says
Tienes unas galletas preciosas, divinas, no sé que calificativo ponerle porque son una preciosidad. Felices Fiestas.
Kimberly says
Perfect, absolutely perfect as always. Your cookies are so sharp looking! They have perfect edges! Gorgeous!
Christina says
Your cookies are always absolutely gorgeous! I have learned so much from your blog. Thank you so much for this video. I used it as inspiration for my Christmas Tree cookies http://mrsfoxssweets.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-tree-cookies.html Have a wonderful New Year!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
@ Isabel: Yay! I’m so glad they like the music too… I loved it the first time I heard it. =) Happy holidays from Canada!
@ Heleen: Wow, wow and triple wow! BEAUTIFUL work!
@ Me And My Sweets: Thank you!
@ Lisabeth Rosenberg: No problem. Gisele Jacquenod helped me set the blog up and now someone else (Arthur) helps me with the new designs etc. He’s in school for design and doesn’t have a site yet. In terms of income, it pays my costs. I’d do it no matter what though – love blogging here!!
@ Sofía: Gracias y Felices Fiestas!
@ Kimberly: Thank you!
@ Christina: Gorgeous cookies – I love the colour combo.!
Michelle says
THANK YOU!!!!!! Great video!!!
Sue says
Sorry one question…how long can the icing last in the bags?
marian says
@ Michelle: Thank you!
@ Sue: This post will help you:
https://sweetopia.net/2011/01/how-do-you-store-royal-icing-and-how-long-can-you-keep-it/
Denise says
I just stumbled on your blog and am enjoying it so much. Your cookies in this post are so beautiful, but they look really think compared to mine. I would love to get that uniform look and that thickness to my cookies. Do you roll these out to 1/4″ thickness or is it thicker?
Thanks.
Etty Barus says
Hi Marian,
I’m Indonesian and live in Jakarta. I’m beginner in cookies decorating, your website is very helpful, thanks for the tutorial. You are very talented…:)
Etty Barus
marian says
Hi @ Denise: Yes, these are about 1/4 of an inch. Honestly though, you can roll them out to any thickness you like.. they’re crispier of you make them thinner and vice versa. Of course, you can’t go thicker than about 3/4 of an inch or they won’t bake well.
marian says
Hi @ Etty Barus: Thanks for dropping by! I sent you a facebook mail with what we communicated with on email.
michele says
Hi Marian! Do you use your 10 second icing for all of your decorating? Even the fine lines in your tutorial or is that icing thicker? Everything you make is just beautiful and inspiring! Thank you!
marian says
Hi @ michele: Most of the time I do, yes, and for these lines I did yes. If you wanted your lines to be thinner or smaller you’d have to make the icing thicker. You’d probably want to use a smaller piping tip as well. Clogging can then happen more, so if you like, just in case, here’s a post you might want to check out: 😉 https://sweetopia.net/2010/03/how-to-prevent-your-tips-from-clogging-and-what-to-do-if-it-happens-top-10-tips/
Another time I’d use a different icing consistency is for stencilling. Here’s that example if you like: https://sweetopia.net/2012/02/video-how-to-stencil-on-cookies/
Hope that helps!
michele says
Thank you Marian!!!
Mariné says
Thanks for share all your knowledge …. God bless you!!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
You’re welcome, @ michele!
Thanks @ Mariné!
Paula Ferreira says
Hi, please , when I prepare a royal icing and add a color and start my decorating cookies, if I stop my decorating and start again the next day, I can use the same icing or I need to make a new one? Tks
marian says
Hi @ Paula Ferreira: Here is a post for you on storing royal icing etc.;
https://sweetopia.net/2011/01/how-do-you-store-royal-icing-and-how-long-can-you-keep-it/
Christy says
Hi Mirian,
I have really enjoyed all your videos! Could you please tell me what the name of the song is that is playing during the “fast forwarded”part of the video? My kids heard it and they’re going crazy looking for it, but I’ve had no luck!
Many thanks, and Happy Holidays,
Christy
Cecilia says
I love your work! You are amazing! Your videos are fantastic, sometimes I fail, thou. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your talent!
Warm regards
Ceci
marian says
HI @ Christy, I’m so sorry for the delay! I’m still catching up on answering questions/comments. The song is called Adventures Of Darma by Cybordelies.
marian says
Thanks @ Cecilia!
marian says
@ Christy: I should mention that I got the song from a stock site that did their own version of the song (I need to buy music for YouTube videos so that I’m not infringing on Copyright).
rick says
Very nice instruction. I hope to practice before my first set of desserts ordered later this month that need to be set with a gazillion straight royal icing lines per individual desserts. Thx. I feel this helped plenty.
Rick
Sabina says
Thanks for taking the time to explain your techniques thoroughly and the reasons behind why it works. Makes it easier to absorb it if one understands why they are doing something, instead of just “this is the way something is done”. You are a good teacher and very talented:)
marian says
Awww, thanks Sabina and Rick!
Decorating Ideas says
I would definitely eat that. So sweet.
Natalia says
Hi Marian, I just recently found your blog as i was looking for information about royal icing and im so glad i did. Your blog is amazing and i have learned a lot from just reading your tutorials. Thank you so much for sharing with us 🙂
I just have one question regarding your fan cookie, i really love the details and i want to try to create something similar, can i please ask where do you find the cookie cutter for that? or are we able to use another cookie cutter that might be a similar shape? if so, what shape can i use? I can’t seem to find an actual fan shape cookie cutter here in New Zealand 🙂 Thanks so much in advance for your help on this xoxo
marian says
Hi Natalia, I’m sorry, I’m not sure where you could find one in New Zealand… I got mine from ecrandal.com; http://stores.ecrandal.com/search.php?search_query=fan&x=50&y=5
Maybe using a circle cookie cutter adn trimming it to look like a fan shape?