This post is all about how to make beautiful gum paste roses. Using a few tools, gum paste, confectionary sugar, and a little bit of time and patience, you will learn to make incredible and edible sugar roses that will have your friends accusing you of buying them! These gum paste roses are perfect for almost every occasion and add a little something special to wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and party desserts.
I was inspired to do this post because of what an impact these gum paste roses make. They add a serious wow factor to any dessert and look totally professional! I also chose to do this post because of the misconception that these sugar roses are way harder than they actually are! It’s just a little practice – I promise!
Hooray! Let’s get started! Firstly, I highly recommend purchasing a kit for these gum paste roses. You will need one large 5 petal flower cookie cutter, one smaller 5 petal cookie cutter, floral wire, one foam pad, one styrofoam pad, and a large/small ball tool. I know it seems like a lot but it’s a worthwhile investment since you can use them for years. Wilton makes some nice products and you can find them pretty easily at your local craft store.
You also want to make sure to generously powder your workspace with confectionary sugar. You may also use corn starch for this but it is more expensive and less tasty!
Alrighty. The first step is making the gum paste rose bud. To do this, simply roll a small ball (about the size of two fat peas) and pinch the top to make a teardrop shape. Attach to your floral wire by bending the tip of the wire into a a small U-shape and pushing it halfway into the gum paste. Pinch a small amount of gum paste at the base of the bud onto the wire so that it stays in place.
Now that you have your beauteous bud in place, it is time to cut the petals for the rose bud. Roll out your gum paste to about 1/8″ thick, making sure to powder both the work surface and rolling pin so that nothing sticks.
Note: Rolling your gum paste thinly will ensure that the rose looks more realistic and less cartoon-y but be warned – it also makes it harder to work with.
Once you have achieved a thickness you feel comfortable working with, simply use the smaller of the two 5-petal flower cookie cutters to cut the gum paste.
Next, use a knife to make small cuts in between each petal. The goal here is to cut to about halfway to the center of the flower.
Simple enough, right?! Now to make this thing look more delicate! To do this, first place the flower onto the thinner of the two foam pads. (The one that looks less like styrofoam and more like those foamy letters you stuck on everything in school!) Use the smaller end of your ball tool and roll gently from side to side on each petal.
The edges of each petal should be nice and thin when you’re done. Next, gently move the flower onto the larger foam. Use the large end of the ball took to press in the center.
After that, gently hold the flower by cupping the petals on your fingertips before sticking the end of the floral wire through the center.
Use a small amount of water on each petal to attach the petals around the bud. Start with one petal then attach the two across from it. (So, skip the two on either side of the first petal you attached.) Then, attach the two remaining.
Great! Now onto the next layer! Repeat the process, only this time using the larger floral cutter. Use the small ball tool to roll side to side on each petal and then move to the thicker form. This time, use the large ball tool to press from top to bottom on two of the petals. These petals should not be next to each other. Choose one petal to do this to and then repeat on the one 2 to the right or left. Flip the flower over and repeat on the remaining petals.
Note that at the end of this step, two of your petals should be cupped upwards and three downwards. Attach the flower in this position to the rose bud, using the same method as before. Use water to first attach the two petals cupped inwards, before attaching the remaining three facing the other way.
At this point, you should have a small gum paste rose! If your rose is less than beautiful, simply use your fingers to tweak the tips of the petals in the directions you’d like. And don’t worry – this process takes practice! By your third or forth rose, however, you’ll definitely have a better hang of it!
As you can see, this is kind of a skimpy looking rose. Everyone likes a nice, full rose and luckily, this is easy to accomplish! Simply repeat the previous steps with the large flower cookie cutter!
Yay! Use this how-to guide to make roses in a whole bunch of colors and of varying sizes for maximum prettiness!
…I may have gotten carried away.
The good news is, these things last forever! I mean for.ev.er: these gum paste roses can be stored for six months in an air tight container. So, you can make a whole bunch at once and use them for decorating later! I did this with the orange, creamsicle-y gum paste roses on some cupcakes and I thought they came out so delightful, I had to share the decorating ideas!
Lovely and so simple once you get the hang of it! Plus, they’re totally edible (minus the wire) which is a big bonus since I’ve seen so many guides that call for glue. Yuck!
There you have it, friends! You just learned how to make gum paste roses! Go celebrate because from now on, it’s all coming up roses!
