Improver · about 10 minutes · 4 strokes
Leaves practice sheet (tip 352, free PDF)
Quick answer
The leaves sheet is free to download and print. It is an improver sheet for leaf tip 352 with 4 strokes of leaves and takes about 10 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.
Leaves with a leaf tip in a row, in pairs, in a wreath and in a fan. They frame any flower.
You need a piping bag with tip 352 (leaf).
Free for personal practice. Print at 100% scale ("actual size").
What the leaves sheet trains
Leaves frame any flower, so this sheet pairs well with the rosette and drop flower sheets. It uses the leaf tip 352 and arranges the leaves four ways: in a row, in pairs from one point, in a wreath and in a fan of five.
Squeeze to build the base of the leaf, pull gently toward the tip, then stop and lift away. For pairs, pipe one to the left and one to the right from the same point. For the wreath, start at the top and pipe each leaf outward from the middle; the fan goes left to right.
- On the sheet
- 4 strokes of leaves, 42 cm of piped line
- Bead size
- 7 mm wide
- Speed
- 12 mm a second
- Bag angle
- at 45°
- Squeeze rhythm
- squeeze → pull → ease
- Separate starts
- 27: 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 | 6 leaves, about 15 mm long each | 7 mm | 12 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → pull → ease | Squeeze to build the leaf, pull gently toward the tip, then stop and lift away. |
| 2 | 8 leaves, about 15 mm long each | 7 mm | 12 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → pull → ease | Pairs of leaves from one point: one left, one right. |
| 3 | 8 leaves, about 15 mm long each | 7 mm | 12 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → pull → ease | A wreath of leaves: start at the top and pipe each leaf outward from the middle. |
| 4 | 5 leaves, about 18 mm long each | 7 mm | 12 mm/s | 45° | squeeze → pull → ease | A fan of five leaves from one point, left to right. |
Print the PDF at 100% and check the bar at the bottom measures 10 cm, fit tip 352, 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
Squeeze to build the leaf, pull gently toward the tip, then stop and lift away.
Mistakes to watch for on this sheet
A good leaf is full at the base and comes to a point. Leaves that split or stay blunt usually need a smoother pull; check that the pairs and the fan are the same length on both sides.
- Different sizes
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (leaves). Count the same rhythm for every one (squeeze, ease, pull) so each gets the same amount of icing.
- Drifting off the line
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (leaves). 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 (leaves). Keep the same gentle squeeze all the way and only stop squeezing at the very end.
The leaves sheet in the 30-day challenge
The 30-day piping challenge uses this sheet on days 16 and 24. It comes after C and S scrolls and before ruffle border.
- Day 16 · New sheetSqueeze to build the leaf, pull gently toward the tip, then stop and lift away.
- Day 24 · RepeatRepeat of day 16. Pairs of leaves from one point: one left, one right.