Beginner · about 8 minutes · 4 strokes
Stars practice sheet (tip 21, free PDF)
Quick answer
The stars sheet is free to download and print. It is a beginner sheet for open star tip 21 with 4 strokes of stars and takes about 8 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.
Plain stars in rows, a pyramid and a ring. The easiest way to learn pressure and how to lift straight up.
You need a piping bag with tip 21 (open star).
Free for personal practice. Print at 100% scale ("actual size").
What the stars sheet trains
Stars are the easiest way to learn pressure and a straight-up lift, which is why they come second in the 30-day plan. The sheet has stars in rows, packed into a pyramid and set in a ring like a wreath, all with the open star tip 21.
Every star is the same move: hold the bag straight up, squeeze, stop squeezing, then lift straight up. Use the same pressure each time so every star matches its neighbour. In the pyramid, pack them close so the points just touch; for the wreath, start at the top and go round clockwise.
- On the sheet
- 4 strokes of stars, 36 single squeezes
- Bead size
- 10 mm wide
- Speed
- 20 mm a second
- Bag angle
- straight up (90°)
- Squeeze rhythm
- squeeze → stop → lift
- Separate starts
- 36: 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 | 8 stars, each about 10 mm across | 10 mm | 20 mm/s | 90° (straight up) | squeeze → stop → lift | Hold the bag straight up, squeeze, stop squeezing, then lift straight up. |
| 2 | 8 stars, each about 10 mm across | 10 mm | 20 mm/s | 90° (straight up) | squeeze → stop → lift | Same pressure each time so every star matches its neighbour. |
| 3 | 10 stars, each about 10 mm across | 10 mm | 20 mm/s | 90° (straight up) | squeeze → stop → lift | Pack them close in a pyramid: the points should just touch. |
| 4 | 10 stars, each about 10 mm across | 10 mm | 20 mm/s | 90° (straight up) | squeeze → stop → lift | Make a wreath: start at the top and go round clockwise. |
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
Hold the bag straight up, squeeze, stop squeezing, then lift straight up.
Mistakes to watch for on this sheet
Look at the tops of the stars: a pulled tail means you lifted before you stopped squeezing. In the pyramid, uneven gaps show which stars got more or less icing.
- Peaks on dots
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (stars). Stop squeezing before you lift, then flick the tip sideways to break the icing off cleanly.
- Different sizes
Most likely on strokes 1 to 4 (stars). 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 (stars). Hold the bag at 45 degrees and aim the tip right on the grey line, not beside it.
The stars sheet in the 30-day challenge
The 30-day piping challenge uses this sheet on days 2, 12 and 27. It comes after lines and dots and before zigzags and waves.
- Day 2 · New sheetHold the bag straight up. Squeeze, stop squeezing, then lift straight up so no peak is left behind.
- Day 12 · RepeatRepeat of day 2. Same pressure on every star so they match.
- Day 27 · RepeatThird star sheet. Pack the pyramid close so the points just touch.