Can you make piping bags

Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Get a resealable plastic bag and a pair of scissors. Resealable plastic bags make excellent piping bags because the frosting or sauce won't come out from anywhere but the point that you want it to.

Select a plastic bag based on the amount of frosting or sauce that you need to apply to the top of your dish. This can make it easy to determine whether a bag is big enough for the recipe.

A thicker resealable bag, like a freezer bag, is a good choice if you have a thicker frosting that will require a lot pressure to be applied to the bag. You can use a non-sealable plastic bag if that's all you have available, but you'll need to twist it at the top once you fill it to close it.

These bags also tend to explode when you squeeze them, so they're not great for thicker frostings. Open your plastic bag and add your icing or sauce with a spoon. Set your bag and other materials out on a cutting board or flat work surface.

Open the resealable plastic bag and start scooping your sauce or frosting into the bag. You can make a nozzle for your bag by cutting out a flexible strip of matboard or aluminum and wrapping it into a cone before cutting the points out with scissors.

Insert the nozzle from the inside before filling your bag if you want one. The pattern that comes out may not be perfect though. Seal the bag at the top to close it. Once you've added your frosting or sauce, seal your bag by running your fingers on the opposite sides of the seal and pressing it together. If you have a plastic bag with a zipper, all you need to do is slide it to the other end of the bag. Push the frosting, icing, or sauce down towards the corner that you're going to cut.

It'll make it easier to dispense the icing or sauce but it will also come out quicker. Use scissors to snip a corner of the bag off. Open your scissors and place the blades around the corner of the bag.

Line your scissors up so that there is 0. Close the scissor blades to snip a section of the bag off and make the spout for your piping bag. The bigger you make the hole when you cut the bag, the more icing or sauce that will come out. Lift your bag up with the opening pointing upwards so that your sauce or frosting doesn't spill out.

Hold the bag over your dish and squeeze the bag to use it. Put your nondominant hand around the top of the bag to control the pressure in the bag and move it.

Place your dominant hand lightly around the bottom of the bag to control where the icing or sauce comes out. Keep the opening of your piping bag 1—2 inches 2. Did you make this recipe? Leave a review.

Method 2. Cut a large triangle out of a sheet of parchment paper. Pull out a sheet of parchment paper and cut an isosceles triangle out.

The size of your sheet will determine the size of your bag. A triangle with a base of 12 inches 30 cm is a good general size for applying sauce or frosting. The advantage of using parchment paper is that it's extremely cheap and easy to cut. It also comes in rolls, so you can pull out any length to adjust the size of the bag.

Fold 1 corner over the middle of the opposite side. Hold 1 side in front of you with your nondominant hand. Grab the opposite point in your dominant hand and fold your dominant hand over the side that you're holding. Angle it slightly to any side to make one of the openings smaller than the other. Pinch the junction where your side and point meet your nondominant hand. Once you have cut your desired style into your piping bag, take a spoon and spoon in your buttercream frosting.

It is best to start with a small amount of frosting in the bag, as you do not want to overfill it. Decorate your cake however you desire. When choosing what bag to use for your piping bag , it is best to go with a Ziploc freezer bag.

Not only are they sturdier, but they give you plenty of room to hold your frosting. Be sure not to skip putting tape on the corner of your piping bag, as this provides much-needed reinforcement. This simple trick will make a big difference. If your bag has a lot of frosting, it can cause your hand to shake when you grip it, which can lead to uneven writing. When piping with buttercream frosting , it needs to be slightly thick in order to hold its designs.

You may have to add a tablespoon or more of powdered sugar to your buttercream frosting in order to make sure it is thick enough to decorate with. Another great advantage of using Ziploc bags besides being budget-friendly is that you can use them to store any leftover frosting in the fridge. Simply put the Ziploc bag in the fridge with your frosting and store it in there for up to one week.

When you are ready to use it again, allow the frosting to reach room temperature before decorating, as this will make it much easier to work with. With just Ziploc bags, tape, and scissors, you can easily create different piping tips.

I first shared this post showing the Ziploc bag icing trick in and it has been one of my most popular posts because it is the easiest way to frost cupcakes. Materials as basic as a Ziploc bag and duck tape turn will transform how you decorate cupcakes and cakes. I know I have done just that! Ziploc to the rescue! Freezer Ziploc bags work better than sandwich bags. And this is not a promotion for Ziploc, but honestly, Ziploc bags work far better than their generic counterparts.

The cake decorating aisle at craft stores can be intimidating. There are so many gadgets that appear to be necessary to pull off a bakery-worthy cupcake. Which icing tip to use? How do you use those icing bags? Should I get washable decorating bags or disposable? Will my cupcakes really look like the ones in the picture? Do I need a baking class just to ice cupcakes?

The list of wonders and frustrations go on. Simplify and use this Ziploc icing bag trick. Obviously I use this trick for frosting cupcakes and cakes all of the time. The short cut is also a time saver and a mess saver! Fold the Ziploc squares into triangles. Secure the edge with duck tape and you are ready to go. Filling any type of icing bag— Ziploc or pastry— can be a messy process.

Make it easier on yourself by placing the icing bag in a tall glass. Open the bag as wide as possible and use a spatula to fill the bag with icing.

A glass frees up your hand and provides a steady place for the icing bag to rest. Once the Ziploc icing bag is filled, push any excess air out and seal the top.

Making a pastry bag is only half the task— using it to frost cupcakes is easy! This icing bag will fill in for a purchased decorating bag in a pinch or all of the time if you find the method an easy one.

You can either cut a hole in the bag and decorate as is —without the metal icing tips— or go ahead and add the tips the same way you would with a regular icing bag. Decorating techniques are the same with this Ziploc Icing Bag Trick as they would be with a pastry bag.

Try decorating in a swirl from inside out like the cupcakes in the background of the above photo. Another suggestion is to hold the bag upright and squeeze with equal pressure so that the icing covers the surface of the cupcake. Pulling the bag straight up and releasing the pressure will create that bakery-like finish with a point of icing on top.