How to Fill Pastry Bags

Once you have read about choosing different pastry bags, also known as decorating bags, the next step is learning how to fill one. We'll teach you step by step with these cake decorating instructions.

Tips and Tricks of using Decorating Bags

Preparing Your Bag

What you will need:

1. Decorating Bag - either reusable or disposable

2. A coupler

3. Scissors

The first thing you want to do is screw the ring off the base of the coupler. The coupler base is what will go inside your bag to hold your pastry tip in place.

Coupler and Ring

Ok, now drop the coupler base with the narrow end down into your pastry bag. Push it down as far as it will go.

Using a marker or pen, mark the outside of the bag where the bottom thread of the coupler base is pressing against the outside of the bag.

Push the coupler back up into the bag. Using a pair of scissors, cut straight across on the line you marked.

Now, push the coupler back down through the hole you have just made. The end of the coupler base and one thread should be sticking out of the bottom of your bag.

You can now add a pastry tip to the coupler base. Hold the tip onto the end of the coupler base and place the coupler ring over the tip. Screw the coupler ring onto the base of the coupler until it is tight.

You are now ready to fill you bag!

Filling Your Pastry Bag

The most important thing to remember when filling your bag is that you do not want to overfill it. A good amount to start with when using an 8" or 10" bag is about a half a cup or a few good spatulas full. With a 12" bag I would use more like 3/4 cup. The reason for this is that if your bag is overfilled, the icing will poof out of the top of the bag instead of through your tip.

Holding the bottom of the bag with your left hand, fold down the top like a cuff over your hand. Using your spatula, fill the bag until the icing reaches the top of the cuff. This is another good way to judge the amount of icing going in your bag so as not to overfill it.

Another way to fill your pastry bag is to place it in a tall glass and fill your bag with frosting.

Closing Your Bag

Fold the cuff back up and twist your bag until it feels tight. This will force the icing down into your bag.

I always burp my bag to get the air bubbles out. Simply squeeze the back until it bursts the icing, and then you are ready to go.

Holding Your Bag

You want to hold the pastry bag in your hand with the twist of the bag in between your thumb and forefinger.


The palm of your hand and other fingers should be resting on the bulkiest part of the icing in the bag. This will allow you to easily squeeze the icing out using this hand.