The look of an icing rosette is determined by multiple factors, including the size of the tip, the angle you hold the piping bag and the movement of your hand and wrist. But the most important factor is the style of tip you use. Here are three different closed star tips and their effect. The first, with its heart-shaped holes, has a very standard rosette effect (top right) with lots of pretty, yet even, ridges. The "kiss" (bottom  left) isn't as interesting and resembles a plain star, but this tip really does offer the best shape of the three for a scalloped effect (bottom right). The second is a less elaborate-looking tip, but the effect is a bit more special when it comes to the rosette (top right), which has a bit more of a floral look, with soft, folding, almost petal-looking ridges. The "kiss" (bottom left) also has the most lovely and floral effect of the three, in my opinion. This tip doesn't offer as neat and tidy a scallop (bottom right) as the first tip. The third is a less complex-looking star tip, with fewer ridges. However, the rosette (top right) is a nice halfway point between the first and the second example. The kiss (bottom left) is also a little less fancy than the second, but more shapely than the first. And the scallop (bottom right) is very simple -- almost too simple with its limited ridges. To see how we make the perfect butter icing, click here! Photography: Annabelle Waugh