Easy Realistic Gumpaste Rose | Sugar Flowers | Part 1
Part 1 - As a starting point to learning how to make sugar flowers, I am going to take you through the process of making this Easy Realistic Gumpaste Rose, which is very beginner friendly.
This rose is not a specific species, so this is a hybrid rose, however it does look very realistic and will look gorgeous adorned on a cake or as a centre piece.
I will be splitting this tutorial into 2 parts - Part 1: How To Make The Rose, Part 2: How To Make The Leaves & Calyx.
What makes this rose ‘Easy’, I’m going to teach you how to make this rose on a wooden skewer (or the option of using florist wire). Building the rose on a bamboo skewer instead of a wire is a simpler way to start as a beginner!
I must be honest! Although it is a beginner friendly rose, it will required time from you, patience and some effort, but trust me, the final reward of what you will produce, will be well worth it!
These roses are stunning and will make your cakes look fabulous! The roses I made on this cake in the picture, are on bamboo skewers.
You can either watch the video or if you prefer read my written step by step instructions.
So, if you are ready lets get started!
JUMP TO VIDEO
Equipment Required For The Rose / Rose Bud
Tools
Bamboo skewer or 18-gauge florist wire for the stem
Spoons – To rest your cut petals to firm up
Styrofoam ball – 2.5cm/1 inch size (try to purchase compressed styrofoam it is smoother)
Wire cutters - If using florist wire
Ball tool (plastic or metal is fine)
Rolling pin (6” or 9” length)
Ruler - For measuring wire length
Paint brushes – For edible glue and dusting petal dusts.
A glass cup
Zip lock bags/cling wrap/air tight container - Gumpaste dries quickly, so it will need to be stored away while you work.
Something to insert your flower into as you work, such as a cake dummy, polystyrene or florist foam blocks (Oasis).
Edible Ingredients
Petal dust - Colours according to the colour of the flower you do.
Edible Colour paste/gel colours - If you colour your gumpaste.
Corn flour/Corn starch – To prevent gumpaste from sticking.
How Is This Rose Made?
Stem
Wire Method
Tape three 18-gauge wires together to create the rose stem.
Bamboo Skewer Method
Have a bamboo skewer ready, for creating the rose bud.
Rose Bud
NOTE: Gumpaste dries very quickly, so make sure to wrap it with cling wrap, store in a zip lock, air tight container or pop it under a glass as you work.
Rose Bud: Gumpaste or Styrofoam Ball
Gumpaste Bud - Take some gumpaste roll it into a tear drop shape, brush some sugar glue onto the wire stem or bamboo skewer and add the gumpaste bud to it. Make sure to secure the bottom of the bud by rolling it through fingers. You will need to allow this dry and firm up over night before you can start your flower.
Styrofoam Bud - Take a styrofoam ball that is at least 2.5cm/1 inch in size. Use the bamboo skewer to make a hole in the styrofoam. Using a glue gun, add some glue to the hole, then quickly insert the bamboo skewer, hold until it adheres. The glue dries quickly, so this bud is ready to use straight away. This same process can also be followed if you have a stem made from florist wire.
Condition The Gumpaste
Rub a small amount of vegetable shortening in your hands, then knead and soften your gumpaste. This is to prepare it so it is easier to work with.
Colour Your Gumpaste
This is completely your choice, you can choose to leave the gumpaste white or use food colour paste/gel colour to colour it. I coloured my gumpaste with Sugarflair - Skintone. Make sure what ever colour you use, it is throughly kneaded in.
Rose Petals
Use either rose petal cutters or tear drop shaped cutters, in a small, mid and large size.
Thin petal edge, Vein petal, Glue petal at ‘V’, First Petal attached
If needed, lightly dust your surface with some corn flour/starch. Begin to roll out your gumpaste, if the surface of your gumpaste is sticky, lightly dust it with some corn flour as well. Roll out the gumpaste very thinly - when you hold it up to the light you should be able to see your fingers behind it.
Take the largest size petal cutter, cut out 1 petal - store away the rolled gumpaste into a zip lock bag, while you work with the petal you have just cut.
Place your petal onto a foam pad. Using a ball tool, to thin the edges, and make the petals wider, do not elongate the petal too much.
Lightly brush some sugar glue all over the surface of the petal.
Begin to wrap the petal around the styrofoam ball. Curl in one edge towards the centre, then curl in the other side. You need to make sure this is done tightly, so you get a really tight swirl at the centre - it should look like a pointy hat. This is the start of the bud. Make sure to sick the underside of the petal to the styrofoam ball.
First Row of Petals
First row of petals attached
Use the smallest petal cutter - cut 3 petals. Don’t forget to store away your excess gumpaste, so it does not dry out.
Place your petals onto the foam pad, using the ball tool again, thin the edges of the petals then make them slightly wider.
Place your petal into the silicon rose veiner or use a veiner tool to create the delicate surface detail on the petal.
Brush sugar glue onto the ‘V’ section of the petal only. Attach the petal slightly higher than the starter petal (bud), place the first petal where the starter petal (bud) ends, push the petal on at the ‘V’ section where you brushed the glue.
Repeat this process for the other 2 petals. Make sure to attach each next petal where the last one ends, ensure they are all attached to the same height (level).
NOTE: WITH THIS NUMBER OF PETALS, YOU COULD USE THIS AS A VERY TIGHT ROSE BUD.
Second Row of Petals
Second row of petals attached
Use the mid size cutter - cut 5 petals. Store cut out petals in your zip lock bag, this will give you time to work on each petal.
Follow the same process for each petal:
Place petal onto the foam pad, using the ball tool thin the edge of the petal, make petal slightly wider.
Place petal into the silicon rose veiner or use a veiner tool to create the delicate surface detail on the petal.
Brush sugar glue onto the ‘V’ section of the petal only.
Attach the petals slightly higher than the first row of petals, make sure to attach each petal where the last petal ended, going round in a clockwise direction.
NOTE: WITH THIS NUMBER OF PETALS, YOU COULD USE THIS AS SLIGHTLY OPEN ROSE BUD
Third Row of Petals
Curl edge of petals with toothpick, petals firming up on spoons
Use the mid size cutter - cut 7 petals. Again, store cut out petals in your zip lock bag, this will give you time to work on each petal.
Repeat the process of thinning petal edges, make wider, vein petal.
Take a clean sponge (I used a clean washing up sponge, that I only use for cake decorating). Using a toothpick/cocktail stick, use your index finger to gently roll both sides of the top edge around the toothpick - this gives a lovely curl to each side.
Turn the petal over, using a ball tool gently push into centre of petal. This provides the petal with a soft shape
Place the petal into a spoon (tablespoon size), allow the curled edge to rest on the edge of the spoon.
Leave the petal to firm up slightly for 10 - 15 minutes, before gluing and attaching it.
Ensure you follow the process of brushing sugar glue onto the ‘V’ section of each petal only. Attach petal where the last petal ended. This row of petals needs to be attached agin slightly higher, that the second row of petals
You will notice that when you attach these petals, even though you are attaching them slightly higher, because these petals are slightly firmer, they will start to fall slightly outwards. This the flower starting to open.
Third row of petals attached
NOTE: WITH THIS NUMBER OF PETALS, YOU COULD USE THIS AS A SMALLER OPEN ROSE.
Forth Row Of Petals
9 Petals firming up on spoons, 9 petals attached
Use the largest size cutter - cut 9 petals. Don’t forget to store cut out petals in your zip lock bag, this will give you time to work on each petal.
Repeat the process of thinning petal edges, make wider, vein petal.
Follow the same process, that was done for the 7 petals on the 9 petals.
Using clean sponge and toothpick/cocktail stick, use your index finger to gently roll both sides of the top edge around the toothpick - this gives a lovely curl to each side.
Turn the petal over, using a ball tool gently push into centre of petal. This provides the petal with a soft shape
Place the petal into a spoon (tablespoon size), allow the curled edge to rest on the edge of the spoon.
Leave the petal to firm up slightly for 10 - 15 minutes, before gluing and attaching it.
Ensure you follow the process of brushing sugar glue onto the ‘V’ section of each petal only. Attach petal where the last petal ended.
This row of petals needs to be attached slightly lower than the third row of petals - this will result in flower starting to look much more open.
If you want to - Dust the rose/rose bud(s) with edible petal dust to finish.
NOTE: THIS IS A LARGE ROSE WITH A TOTAL OF 25 PETALS, HOWEVER, YOU COULD CONTINUE TO ADD MORE ROWS TO MAKE A GIANT ROSE OR DO LESS PETALS TO MAKE A SMALLER ROSE.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you make this rose, please remember to tag me - #arisecakecreations - @arisecakecreations on Instagram or Facebook, so I can see your beautiful work.
