Royal Icing for decorating

My baby was turning 2 and in love with giraffes. I am not an artist and was at a loss as how I could make something I would be happy with.  After talking to my very talented artist/ cake decorating sister, she suggested using royal icing to make it.  I haven't worked much with it so I was unsure but willing to try it out.

First I found cartoon clip art that was about what I wanted, sized it and then printed it off.  Next I made a batch of the Wilton Royal Icing. I split up the batch into different bowls according the amount I needed for each color. I used the Wilton color gels for all the colors except brown, I used the Hershey's Extra Dark Unsweetened Cocoa to get the desired dark brown.

To begin drawing your design, place wax paper over the printed design. Tape down to your surface, I used a cutting board to make it easier to move for drying. Next pipe the outline using at 3 or 4 tip and allow to dry for several minutes. Then fill in each area, allowing the icing to flow and fill each section. I did go back over the outline a second time to better show the details.  Set aside in a warm, dry place for at least 48 hours. They need to be completely dry all the way through. Otherwise it will be hard to peel the wax paper off.

When it is time to place the decorations, gently peel the wax paper off. If you look really close at the tree, it broke but ended up adding to the details. The bigger the design, the more fragile it will be. Carefully plan your placement on the cake because you won't want to move it once it is on the cake.  Then set it in place and finish decorating.

Enjoy a beautiful creation!