How To Make Gumpaste Rose Leaves & Calyx | Sugar Flowers |Part 2

Part 2 - Once you have completed your beautiful roses (or rose buds). You’ll want to make some rose leaves and the calyx to complete the look. The rose looks gorgeous on its own, however, some greenery, will bring the look together and make it look more realistic.

YouTube video tutorial for the Leaves & Calyx starts at 10 minutes 54 seconds.

Equipment Required For The Rose Leaves

Tools

• 28G -gauge florist wire for the leaves

• Wire cutters - If using florist wire

• Ball tool (plastic or metal is fine)

• Rolling pin (6” or 9” length)

• Florist tape in deep green

• Leaf - Silicone veiner

• Paint brushes – For edible glue and dusting petal dusts.

• Calyx cutter

• Foam pad

• CelBoard

• Small Cel pin

• Tweezers

• Zip lock bags/cling wrap/air tight container/a glass cup - Gumpaste dries quickly, so it will need to be stored away while you work.

• Something to insert your leaves into as you work, such as a cake dummy, polystyrene or florist foam blocks (Oasis).

Edible Ingredients

• *Gumpaste - My gumpaste recipe is easy to make and great especially if you live in a hot climate.

• *Sugar glue - Container for storing sugar glue if you make it yourself. My super easy sugar glue recipe is simple to make.

• Petal dust Colours - To colour/dust leaves

• Edible Colour paste/gel colours - Sugarflair Foliage Green Extra

• Corn flour/Corn starch – To prevent gumpaste from sticking.

• Vegetable Shortening: Trex/Crisco – For conditioning gumpaste.

Colour Your Gumpaste

1. On both versions you will need to colour your gumpaste green, before starting.

Calyx

I have two methods to teach you for the the calyx, a handmade version or using a calyx cutter. Both ways work well and look great.

Method 1: No Cutter

1. Take 5 small pea sized balls.

2. Roll the each ball into an elongated tear drop shape.

3. Use the ball tool and flatten each one. These are called sepals.

4. Using a toothpick, begin to put random cut lines into each tear drop shape. Then gently separate each strand that has been cut between your fingers.

5. Brush each calyx strand one by one with sugar glue, add them to the rose one at a time. Manipulate each strand into place once it has been attached.

6. Roll a small ball of gumpaste into a tear drop shape. Pass this up the skewer/stem to the base of your rose/rose bud, bush some sugar glue on and attach it into place. This is called the receptacle/hip part of the rose.

Method 2: With Calyx Cutter

1. Roll out the gumpaste thinly. Using the calyx cutter, cut out the calyx.

2. Place the cut out calyx onto a foam pad and thin the edges.

3. Like the handmade calyx, use a toothpick to put random cut lines into each section. Again gently separate each strand that has been cut between your fingers.

4. Place the calyx back on the foam pad, pass the ball tool from the tip of each sepal section to the centre. This will create a soft curve.

5. Turn the calyx over, this will cause the each sepal to fall softly when attached the rose.

6. Brush sugar glue over the surface, pass it through the centre of the calyx up the skewer/stem and carefully attach it to the rose, you can use a toothpick to help you manipulate it into place and look as natural as possible.

7. Do the same process again - Roll a small ball of gumpaste into a tear drop shape. Pass this up the skewer/stem to the base of your rose/rose bud, bush some sugar glue on and attach it into place. This is called the receptacle/hip part of the rose.

Rose Leaves

I have 2 methods again to share for the rose leaves. First method creating the groove by hand, second method using the cel groove board.

We are also going use the small and the mid size rose petal cutters (or tear drop shape cutters). You will need 1 large leaf and 4 small leaves.

Method 1: Hand Rolled Groove

1. Roll out the gumpaste, you can use a pencil or a small cel pin. Roll on one side and push towards the centre, do the same to the other side. This will create a groove line.

2. Position the petal cutter (that we are now using as a leaf cutter), over the top and cut it out.

3. Place the leaf onto a foam pad, thin the edges.

4. Rose petal edges are quite jagged - Use a toothpick to make small lines around the very edge of the leaf.

5. Cut 28-gauge florist wire into 3-4 pieces. Add sugar glue to one end (brush off any excess glue on the back of your hand). Carefully insert the 28-gauge florist wire, into the groove, holding the leaf carefully in your fingers.

6. Place the leaf into the leaf silicone veiner, squeeze down gently. Once the leaf veins have been made, carefully remove from the veiner and pinch the base of the leaf to secure it in place, also pinch the top of the leaf to make it more pointy.

Method 2: Using Cel Board To Create Groove

1. Roll the gumpaste over the small groove.

2. Repeat the process the same as ‘Method 1’ steps 2 - 6.

Rose Leaf Method 1 & 2: Hand rolled groove and using the CelBoard

Assembling The Leaves

1. Use half width mid green florist tape. If your florist wire was white, tape all of the wires.

2. Layout the 5 leaves - Take the large leaf, begin to tape half width mid green florist about 1 cm down.

3. Take 2 of the small leaves, position them both at the same height and tape about 1 cm down.

4. Take the last 2 small leaves, position again at the same height and tape them in place.

5. Use tweezers to gently open the leaves and move them into position. Take your time doing this, so the leaves do not break.

6. If you want to - Dust the calyx and leaves with edible petal dust, to finish.

With your completed sugar flower set, comprising of rose, rose bud(s) and leaves, these can be beautifully positioned onto a cake. For safety reasons (food hygiene), never place wires directly into a cake, always insert them into a posy pick/flower pick or straw, before add them to your cake.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you make these leaves or roses please remember to tag me - #arisecakecreations - @arisecakecreations on Instagram or Facebook, so I can see your beautiful work.