Easy Royal Icing Bows

With my step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn how to create beautiful royal icing bows using a leaf piping tip. This simple piping technique allows you to achieve realistic bow designs. Edible bows are perfect for adding elegance to your cookies, cakes, and other baked creations.

LEAF-TIP ROYAL ICING BOWS

THINGS YOU NEED

• Royal Icing Recipe
• Vegan Royal Icing Recipe
• Piping Tips: large leaf tip#115, small leaf piping tips #67 or #68
• Small 2-in-1 decorating tool, or a small knife, palette knife, or scissors(optional)
• Parchment or acetate
• Masking take or shipping tape – to secure parchment or acetate on a flat surface(tray, baking sheet, plexiglass)
• Other decorating mediums: luster dust, jewel dust

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PIPING TECHNIQUE

• Secure parchment or acetate onto a tray, baking sheet, or plexiglass with masking tape.
• Use thick consistency royal icing to pipe the bows. Learn more about different consistencies.
• Squeeze the piping bag and anchor the icing onto the parchment. Move the piping bag slightly forward. Let the icing create a slight curve, kind of like tucking the anchor end (steps 1-2).
• Allow icing to fan out, then move the piping bag back towards the first fold and repeat the motion, (steps 3 -4).
• Slowly release the pressure and pull away, create the tails of the bow, (steps 5-6).

TRIM THE BOW TAILS

When you pull away the piping bag, you’ll be left with the bow’s tails with uneven edges. You have two options for fixing the edges.

• 1. OPTION: Use small scissors. Dip the blades in corn starch to prevent icing from sticking to the scissors. Carefully trim the ends (steps 1-4).

• 2. OPTION (recommended): Use a decorating tool with a straight edge to trim the tails’ ends. You can use a boo-boo stick (2-in-1 decorating tool) or a palette knife.

Using a small leaf tip, #67 produces significantly smaller bows.

When trimming the ends of the bow’s tails, gently push the straight-edge tool down to remove the portion of the edge, and then carefully slide the tool down the middle not to the side. This way, you won’t mess up the other bow’s tail (steps 1-8).

APPLY EDIBLE DUSTS(luster dust, jewel dust, petal dust)

You can use edible dust to enhance the look of the bows. Try luster dust in the pump spray and spray the bows right after you pipe them. Don’t allow icing to crust, or the dust won’t stick to it (steps 1-2).

You can also use jewel dust and dust the bows with it to make them shimmer (steps 3-4).

PAINT THE BOWS

Alternatively, you can paint the bows. To paint royal icing, you need to let the bows dry completely, about 8-12 hours. To prepare your own luster dust paint, mix dry edible luster dust and clear grain alcohol like Everclear or Vodka, or use a non-alcoholic activator or McCormick’s Lemon Extract, (step 1). Alternatively, you can use pre-mixed edible metallic paints.

Paint the edges with gold edible paint (step 2).

STORAGE

After the bows dry, about 8-12 hours, you can remove them from the backing material. Use a metal spatula or a decorating tool with a flat edge to lift the bows off the parchment.

Dry royal icing bows should be stored in an airtight container away from direct sunlight and moisture. If you live in a humid climate, use a food-grade silica packet to help mitigate the effect of humidity. Learn more about royal icing transfers (detailed guide).

If you notice light residue icing on the tails’ edges, use a scribe tool and gently run it along the edge to remove the icing residue (steps 1-2).

ROYAL ICING BOWS SUCCESS TIPS

• Use stiff consistency royal icing. Icing that is too runny and soft will not support the folds that form the bow loops. If your icing is too soft, you can amend it by mixing in some sifted powdered sugar.
• Use gel food coloring to color the icing. After coloring, recheck the consistency.
• It’s perfectly normal to practice so you understand the piping motion you need to follow to create the bows.
• Allow bows to dry completely before removing them from the backing layer.

VIDEO TUTORIAL