Stars... in your multitude..

Sorry, I couldn't resist, I'm a theatre buff!

So you've probably heard the terms "open star" and "drop flower" tips, but what do they do, and when do I use them?

What's the best tip for piping rosettes?

Open and Closed (Drop) Tips

From their name, you can gather that open tips are open, and closed tips are closed, but what difference does it make?

Open tips are ideal for rosettes, most borders, and for use in overpiping styles.

Closed tips, also known as drop flower tips, are used to create star or "flower" shapes, piped directly onto cakes or cupcakes. They can be piped straight, or piped with a twist to create interest. They are also perfect for use as filler flowers on cakes, or for adding small bursts of colour.

Below is a picture of the more commonly used small star tips, followed by some examples of how they perform different tasks. As you will see, open and closed tips pipe rosettes and stars very differently.

Large Star Tips

Large tips are generally used for rosettes or large borders. Rosettes can be piped directly onto cupcakes, or onto cakes for a simple, yet very effective technique.

Depending on your piping style, you may prefer to use a different tip than other pipers. I prefer to use a 1B tip for cupcakes, as I bake larger style cupcakes, whereas 1M tips are popular with other decorators. For piping onto a cake, or mini cupcakes, I use a 2D tip, which is the same as a 1B, only smaller.

Below is a picture of the most popular large star tips, and examples of the rosettes they create.