Improver · about 14 minutes · 4 strokes
C and S scrolls practice sheet (tip 21, free PDF)
Quick answer
The C and S scrolls sheet is free to download and print. It is an improver sheet for open star tip 21 with 4 strokes of scrolls and takes about 14 minutes: print the A4 or US Letter PDF at 100%, pipe over the grey shapes in the numbered order, then photograph it for a score out of 100.
Curved C and S scrolls from a star tip. They tie shells and borders together.
You need a piping bag with tip 21 (open star).
Free for personal practice. Print at 100% scale ("actual size").
What the C and S scrolls sheet trains
C and S scrolls are the curved strokes that tie shells and borders together, piped with the same open star tip 21 as the shell sheets. The first row is four C scrolls and the second pairs them up facing each other, like brackets; the last two rows are S scrolls, then mirrored S scrolls that lean the other way.
Each scroll starts with a firm squeeze at the fat end, eases as you curve and pulls into a thin tail. On the S shapes, swing one way and then back the other in one flowing move, and keep the tails thin on the mirrored row.
- On the sheet
- 4 strokes of scrolls, 89 cm of piped line
- Bead size
- 8 mm wide
- Speed
- 14 mm a second
- Bag angle
- at 45°
- Squeeze rhythm
- squeeze → ease → pull
- Separate starts
- 18: every line, unit or letter stroke begins with a fresh squeeze
Stroke by stroke
Bead is how wide the icing should be (or how big each unit is); speed is how fast to move along the line.
| # | What you pipe | Bead | Speed | Bag angle | Squeeze rhythm | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 scrolls, 185 mm of piping in all | 8 mm | 14 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → ease → pull | Start with a firm squeeze at the fat end, ease as you curve, and pull into a thin tail. |
| 2 | 6 scrolls, 245 mm of piping in all | 8 mm | 14 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → ease → pull | Pipe pairs that face each other, like a pair of brackets. |
| 3 | 4 scrolls, 232 mm of piping in all | 8 mm | 14 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → ease → pull | S scrolls: swing one way, then back the other in one flowing move. |
| 4 | 4 scrolls, 232 mm of piping in all | 8 mm | 14 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → ease → pull | Mirrored S scrolls: lean the other way and keep the tails thin. |
Print the PDF at 100% and check the bar at the bottom measures 10 cm, fit tip 21, pipe strokes 1 to 4 in order, then photograph the sheet from straight above with all four corner squares in view. Printing and photo tips.
Watch the ghost nozzle
Press play and pipe along with the green ghost: it moves at each stroke's target speed.
Stroke 1 of 4
Start with a firm squeeze at the fat end, ease as you curve, and pull into a thin tail.
Mistakes to watch for on this sheet
Compare the fat ends and the tails across a row. If the tails are as thick as the heads, you did not ease off; if a scroll breaks in the middle, you eased off too early.
- Thin then thick
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (scrolls). Keep the same squeeze and the same speed from start to finish, following the pacer.
- Wobbly line
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (scrolls). Lift the tip about 1 cm and let the icing fall onto the line while you move a little slower.
- Drifting off the line
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (scrolls). Hold the bag at 45 degrees and aim the tip right on the grey line, not beside it.
- Gaps and breaks
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (scrolls). Keep the same gentle squeeze all the way and only stop squeezing at the very end.
The C and S scrolls sheet in the 30-day challenge
The 30-day piping challenge uses this sheet on days 15 and 23. It comes after reverse shells and before leaves.
- Day 15 · New sheetFirm squeeze at the fat end, ease as you curve, pull into a thin tail.
- Day 23 · RepeatRepeat of day 15. Mirrored scrolls: keep the tails thin.