How to Make a Pastry Bag Out of Wax Paper

Make frosting flowers with a pastry brush

Pastry bags are used for piping custards into pastries such as cream puffs and eclairs, decorating cakes with icing, and stuffing vegetables with fillings. Use a pasty bag to top custard pies with whipped cream, casseroles with cheese toppings, and to make meringue baskets for desserts. If you've misplaced your pastry bag or just need an additional bag, Liv Hansen, a professional baker and author, suggests making a pastry bag out of waxed paper.

Things You'll Need

• Wax paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Cellophane tape

Instructions

1. Unroll the waxed paper as long as the paper is wide. For example: If the waxed paper is 12 inches wide unroll it to 12 inches long.

2. Cut the waxed paper so it is a square shape. For example the square would 12 inches long on each of the four sides if using a 12-inch roll of paper.

3. Fold the square in half diagonally so it is a triangle.

4. Mark a short line in the middle of the longest side of the triangle. The point of the pastry bag where the filling is squeezed out will be at that mark.

5. Hold each corner of the triangle with the mark on the top. Roll one corner of the triangle over itself to make a cone shape with your left hand. The corner will line up with the point of the cone. Do the same thing with the other corner. Both of the sides will line up with the middle of the cone.

6. Place a piece of cellophane tape around the cone about 1/2 inch from the point to keep the two sides from unfolding.

7. Fill the pastry bag with frosting or filling by scooping the frosting up with a flat-edge spatula. Place the spatula and frosting in the bag. Squeeze the frosting off the spatula by using your fingers to press the wax paper down the spatula. Fold the top of the bag over on itself to trap the frosting inside.

8. Snip off the point.

Tips & Warnings

• The wax paper will eventually get wet from the frosting or filling and start to disintegrate. Make another bag when that happens.

• Hot fillings won't work with wax paper.

References

• "Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: Cupcakes, Small Cakes, Muffins, and Other Mini Treats;" Kaye Hansen, Liv Hansen; 2008
• Betty Crocker: Decorate and Pipe with Frosting

Resources

• Pastry Wiz: Decorate with a Paper Cone