Free printable plan
30-day piping challenge
One practice sheet a day for 30 days. You start and finish on the same sheet, with repeat days in between, so the score on day 30 shows how far you have come.
How the challenge works
- Print the day's sheet. Every day links to the A4 and US Letter PDF. Print at 100% (actual size).
- Pipe it. The sheets take about 8 to 14 minutes each, so the whole month is around 5 hours of piping.
- Photograph it and score it. One photo from straight above, all four corner squares in view. You get a score out of 100, a heat map and a replay of the fix.
- Write the score down. The checklist has a column for it. Repeat days are there so you can compare the same sheet with itself.
The plan runs from the easiest sheets to the hardest and uses all 12 sheets. Missed a day? Do not skip ahead: pipe today's sheet and carry on. The repeat days are your catch-up days.
Week 1: steady hands
Round and star tips, the five beginner sheets. Pressure first, shapes second.
- Day 1
Lines and dots
BaselineTip 3 · Beginner · about 8 min
Do not try to be good. Pipe the sheet as you would today and keep the score: it is your starting line.
Film: Your first score reveal. Show the sheet, the photo and the number. Save the clip: you will need it on day 30.
- Day 2
Stars
New sheetTip 21 · Beginner · about 8 min
Hold the bag straight up. Squeeze, stop squeezing, then lift straight up so no peak is left behind.
Film: A close-up of the pyramid of stars going down, row by row.
- Day 3
Zigzags and waves
New sheetTip 3 · Beginner · about 10 min
Keep squeezing through the sharp corners and move your whole arm for the waves, not just your wrist.
Film: The ghost guide on screen next to your own hand piping the same wave.
- Day 4
Shell border
New sheetTip 21 · Beginner · about 10 min
Squeeze, ease, pull. Tuck each new shell just over the tail of the last one.
Film: One shell in slow motion: squeeze, ease, pull. Then the whole row.
- Day 5
Drop flowers
New sheetTip 2D · Beginner · about 10 min
Squeeze while you give a quarter twist, stop, then lift. Twist the same way every time.
Film: The flower ring being built, then a top-down shot of the finished sheet.
- Day 6
Lines and dots
RepeatTip 3 · Beginner · about 8 min
Same sheet as day 1. Look at where the line lands, not at the tip, and stop squeezing before you pull away.
Film: Day 1 sheet next to today's sheet. Do not show the scores yet.
- Day 7
Shell border
CheckpointTip 21 · Beginner · about 10 min
Week 1 checkpoint. Compare with day 4: are the shells more even in size and spacing?
Film: Week 1 recap: the five sheets in a row, ending with this score.
Week 2: rhythm
Loops, letters, reverse shells and your first rosettes. Repeats begin.
- Day 8
Loops
New sheetTip 3 · Improver · about 12 min
Keep the squeeze constant and let the loops roll along. Same size loop every time.
Film: A time-lapse of one full row of loops.
- Day 9
Block letters
New sheetTip 3 · Improver · about 12 min
Lift and start fresh for every stroke. Round letters first, then the straight ones.
Film: Spelling CAKE and LOVE letter by letter.
- Day 10
Rosettes
New sheetTip 1M · Improver · about 12 min
Start in the middle, spiral out, close the outer ring. Keep the squeeze steady and stop before you lift.
Film: A single rosette from above, then the eight of them on the sheet.
- Day 11
Reverse shells
New sheetTip 21 · Improver · about 12 min
One shell leaning left, the next leaning right, tails tucked in.
Film: Reverse shells going down the long columns.
- Day 12
Stars
RepeatTip 21 · Beginner · about 8 min
Repeat of day 2. Same pressure on every star so they match.
Film: Day 2 and day 12 stars side by side.
- Day 13
Zigzags and waves
RepeatTip 3 · Beginner · about 10 min
Repeat of day 3. Slow down on the tight zigzag so each peak stays crisp.
Film: The heat map from today with your top problem spot circled.
- Day 14
Rosettes
CheckpointTip 1M · Improver · about 12 min
Week 2 checkpoint. Compare with day 10: are the rosettes closed and the same size?
Film: Day 10 rosettes vs day 14 rosettes, with the scores.
Week 3: new shapes
Scrolls, leaves and the ruffle, then back to old sheets to see what stuck.
- Day 15
C and S scrolls
New sheetTip 21 · Improver · about 14 min
Firm squeeze at the fat end, ease as you curve, pull into a thin tail.
Film: The S scrolls drawn in one flowing move.
- Day 16
Leaves
New sheetTip 352 · Improver · about 10 min
Squeeze to build the leaf, pull gently toward the tip, then stop and lift away.
Film: The wreath of leaves, filmed from above as it closes.
- Day 17
Ruffle border
New sheetTip 104 · Confident · about 14 min
Wide end of the tip against the sheet, wiggle as you squeeze, move forward steadily. The hardest sheet: expect a lower score.
Film: A "first try at the ruffle" clip, wobbles and all.
- Day 18
Loops
RepeatTip 3 · Improver · about 12 min
Repeat of day 8. Keep the lean of the tall loops the same all along.
Film: Day 8 loops and day 18 loops on the same screen.
- Day 19
Reverse shells
RepeatTip 21 · Improver · about 12 min
Repeat of day 11. Aim for matching shells down the whole column.
Film: The fix replay for your worst zone, then your attempt at it.
- Day 20
Drop flowers
RepeatTip 2D · Beginner · about 10 min
Repeat of day 5. Same twist direction, same squeeze length.
Film: Day 5 flowers vs day 20 flowers.
- Day 21
Shell border
CheckpointTip 21 · Beginner · about 10 min
Week 3 checkpoint. Third time on this sheet: compare with days 4 and 7.
Film: Your shell score across days 4, 7 and 21 as three photos in a row.
Week 4: prove it
Repeat the sheets you like least, then finish on the sheet you started with.
- Day 22
Ruffle border
RepeatTip 104 · Confident · about 14 min
Repeat of day 17. Follow the rolling wave and keep the frills the same size.
Film: Day 17 ruffle vs today, with the scores.
- Day 23
C and S scrolls
RepeatTip 21 · Improver · about 14 min
Repeat of day 15. Mirrored scrolls: keep the tails thin.
Film: A satisfying top-down shot of the finished scroll sheet.
- Day 24
Leaves
RepeatTip 352 · Improver · about 10 min
Repeat of day 16. Pairs of leaves from one point: one left, one right.
Film: The fan of five leaves, one leaf at a time.
- Day 25
Block letters
RepeatTip 3 · Improver · about 12 min
Repeat of day 9. Smooth the O, then finish with the straight strokes.
Film: CAKE and LOVE from day 9 and day 25.
- Day 26
Rosettes
RepeatTip 1M · Improver · about 12 min
Third rosette sheet. Release right over your starting point.
Film: Your best rosette of the month, close up.
- Day 27
Stars
RepeatTip 21 · Beginner · about 8 min
Third star sheet. Pack the pyramid close so the points just touch.
Film: Stars from day 2, day 12 and day 27 as a score timeline.
- Day 28
Zigzags and waves
RepeatTip 3 · Beginner · about 10 min
Third time. Aim for peaks that are all the same height.
Film: The smoothest wave you can pipe, in one take.
- Day 29
Loops
RepeatTip 3 · Improver · about 12 min
Your choice: pipe the sheet with your lowest score so far (open the app's progress page to find it). Loops is the suggestion.
Film: Your weakest sheet, one last go. Say what you changed.
- Day 30
Lines and dots
FinalTip 3 · Beginner · about 8 min
The sheet from day 1. Same paper, same tip, same light. Do not rush it.
Film: The big finish: day 1 vs day 30, same sheet, both scores revealed.
What to film for TikTok and Instagram
The challenge makes a short series almost on its own. These are ideas, not rules, and nobody can promise how any video will do. Tag your score card so other people can try the same sheet.
The score reveal
Pipe the sheet, take the photo, then show the number and the heat map. The reveal is the hook: put it in the first seconds, or tease it.
Day 1 vs day 30
Same sheet, same tip, same light. Show both photos side by side, then reveal both scores. Film day 1 properly: you cannot reshoot it later.
The fix replay
Screen-record the ghost nozzle replaying your worst spot, then show your next attempt at it. Good for "this fixed my wobbly line" clips.
Weekly checkpoint
On days 7, 14, 21 and 28, line up that week's sheets in a row and say what changed.
Bloopers
The ruffle on day 17 is hard. A first try that goes wrong, followed by day 22, is a story with an ending.
Want a share card for your score? Try rate my piping.
Questions
Do I need all the piping tips?
The plan uses the round 3, open star 21, open star 1M, closed star 2D, leaf 352 and petal 104 tips. See the tip guide if you are not sure what you own.
Why does day 1 matter so much?
Because it is your starting score. Keep the photo and the number. On day 30 you pipe the same sheet again, so the two scores compare like with like.
Can I do it in more than 30 days?
Yes. The order matters more than the dates. Keep the same sheet for the first and the last day, and keep the repeat days: they are where you can see yourself improve.
What if a sheet scores badly?
That is information, not failure. Open the score, watch the fix replay for your worst spot, and look at the common mistakes for the one-line fix. Then try again on the next repeat day.