Even expert cake decorators sometimes have dribbles of icing puddle or pool around the base of the cake. To create a clean edge between your cake and the surface it rests on, place the corners of four pieces of wax or parchment paper under your cake so the paper skirts the bottom edges of the cake. You should be able to easily remove any drips or messy frosting around the cake's base by pulling free the paper from underneath it. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that you put on your cake before the main layer of frosting. When frosting your cake, crumbs can get stuck in your frosting, making it look less than great. Your crumb coat will trap these crumbs and keep your main layer of frosting looking clean and professional. Use a knife or offset spatula to apply your frosting, spreading it until you can see the cake underneath. Give your crumb coat a few minutes to set before you move on to your main layer of frosting. Vanilla buttercream frosting, as delicious as it may be, is fairly simple to make. For more complicated versions of icing or frosting, you may want to check out how to make icing or frosting. The following recipe only needs to be beaten together to a regular consistency in a mixing bowl: Softened butter ( cup)Confectioners' sugar (4 cups)Vanilla extract (1 teaspoons)2% milk (5 to 6 tablespoons) A few drops of food coloring in your icing can change plain white buttercream into whatever color best suits your cake design! To keep your frosting equally distributed, you should start from the top and spread small amounts frosting across your cake with your knife or offset spatula. As the frosting thins, you should scoop more of it from its container or mixing bowl with your knife of spatula, and continue to spread the frosting on you cake little by little until it is completely frosted. Try not to apply too much frosting at once. This can sometimes make it difficult to achieve an even look. Wait until the top of your cake is done before frosting the sides. This way you'll have a more consistent look for your entire cake. A piping bag is flexible plastic container that you can fill with frosting. After loading the bag with frosting, you should cut the end of the bag that comes to a point to create a nozzle. Then all you need to do is squeeze the bag to force your icing out in a controlled stream. If you have trouble finding a suitable piping bag at your local grocery, you can make a homemade piping bag with a zippered plastic bag. Put icing in your baggie and seal the top firmly. Cut off the tip of one corner of the baggie and voila! Your homemade piping bag is finished. Beginning pipers might not yet feel confident piping a message freehand onto a cake. If you're one such person, you may want to sketch out the message in your frosting with a toothpick. This way you can follow your sketch with your piping bag and limit mistakes. You can use the end of your piping bag to direct your stream of frosting, or you can buy special tips to create special effects with your frosting. Some special effect tips you can use with your piping bag include: Round tips, which are suited for lines, dots, and writing messages. Star tips, which are mostly used to create stars shapes, decorative shells, flowers, borders, and rosettes. Basket-weave tips, which are fitting for making lattices and lines that mimic ribbons, and other borders. You may need to wait until you graduate from beginner before you tackle any designs that are too complex, but with your piping bag you can create all sorts of shapes and designs. You can also make clever designs from a special, hardened sugar substance called fondant. You might even try: Icing flowers Icing roses

Summary: Prevent frosting splatter and runs with wax or parchment paper. Protect your frosting from crumbs with a crumb coat. Buy some icing, or make your own. Frost your cake evenly. Make or buy a piping bag. Model your messages before writing with frosting. Add details and a message with your piping bag. Border your cake, and add other edible designs.

You might have to save up a little bit of money or ask your parents for help, but summer camp is a great way to meet people from other neighborhoods! These days there are camps for just about any kind of interest you can imagine, including: Music camps Creative writing camps Zoology camps Filmmaking camps Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) camps There are endless volunteer opportunities available to teens during the summer. Whether it's working at a summer camp or a soup kitchen, find something that fits your personality. Chances are you'll meet some cool people in the process! Colleges love seeing volunteer work as an added bonus. Check out your community center or ask friends for some ideas on how to get involved. Get a few friends together to hit up a concert this summer. No matter what kind of music you're into, be sure to snag some tickets to a show early in the season. If a friend asks you to go see a band you've never heard of, it can't hurt to give it a try. You may end up finding a new favorite artist. It's even better if it's an outdoor show! You don't need to live on the coast to have a solid beach day! Heading to a lake in your area can have the same effect. Grab some friends, a towel, a beach ball, and plenty of sunscreen and get ready to enjoy the weather. Don't be afraid to mingle with the other teens at the beach too; you could end up making some new friends!

Summary: Sign up for a summer camp. Volunteer for a local charity. Go to a concert. Have a beach day.

Whereas making a stud relies on glue, making a hoop requires a bit more effort. You'll need a pair of pliers, a pen or pencil, a file, and either some wire or a headpin. Use wire or a head pin depending on how you want your nose ring to look. For example, do you want your hoop to be thick (head pin) or thin (wire), gold or silver. Florists wire works well if you're interested in a thin hoop. These supplies can be purchased at any craft store. It may take a few tries to get your nose ring just right, but once you become comfortable working with these materials, you'll be rocking a unique hoop in no time.
Summary: Gather your materials.