Quick Fondant Rose
  

Supplies needed:

 
Step 1, adding gum-tex to your fondant
Exact measurement of gum-tex to fondant is 1 teaspoon to 12 oz fondant.  Since I never use that much fondant, I just guesstimate and put a bit in the fondant.  Knead it together thoroughly.
 
Note: gum-tex strengthens the fondant to make it more stretchable and dries the fondant harder, quicker.
 

 
Step 2, making the bud
After you have kneaded the gum-tex into the fondant, roll the piece of fondant very thin, until you can almost read thru it.  Take the largest blossom cutter from the set and cut at least 4 blossoms (you can cut more in case you mess one up) and put all but one of the blossoms under the plastic on your practice board or in the baggie.  Take the blossom and make it into a ball, then into a cone and thread onto a toothpick.  Put the bud into the Styrofoam block to dry.  It is ideal to let this dry a few hours or overnight.
 
Note: if you did not roll your fondant very thin, you may need to make the bud smaller by removing some of the fondant.  You’ll know when you get down to attaching the first petal if you’ve made it too big.
 

 
Step 3, making a rosebud.
Remove a blossom from under your practice board.  Using your tapered spatula or dinner knife, make 5 cuts about ½” long between each petal as shown on the lower blossom.
 

 
Place the cut blossom on the thin foam.  Using the ball tool, gently “brush” the edge of each petal to thin the edges.  Your ball tool should be half on the fondant and half on the foam.  Do not press too hard or brush too much or the edges will ruffle too much and end up like a carnation petal.  You should also not roll your tool on the edges, it should stay firm in your hand as you would hold a paintbrush and make strokes.
 
Note: some plastic ball tools have a seam, look for the seams and make sure that you do not brush with them down, they can sometimes cause wrinkling or tearing in the fondant.
 

 
After all petals have been thinned, move the piece to the thick foam.  Envision the piece to have a head, arms and legs and turn it so it sits upright.  Using the ball tool, cup the center of the blossom by gently pressing the blossom into the pad and lightly turning the tool a couple of times.
 

 
Next, put the blossom in your hand on your fingers so the center is between your middle and ring fingers.  Paint* the center with your glue.  Thread the bud thru the center of the blossom and adhere the blossom to the bottom of the bud.
 
* anytime you are painting on the glue, do not soak your piece.  Too much glue will break down the fondant and will either disintegrate or tear beyond fixing.  Your brush should be damp and not dripping.
 
Note: be careful not to pull up too hard, buds are known to pop off their picks easily.
 

 
Paint the “head” petal almost entirely and wrap it around the bud.
 
Note: if your bud is too large, you won’t be able to get the petal all the way around it.  If this has happened you can try to remove the petal and remove part of the bud and reshape into a cone.
 

 
Next, paint 1 arm and the opposite leg almost entirely.  Gently bring each petal up and adhere to the bud.  Think of making a sandwich here.
 

 
Paint the remaining two petals and adhere.
 

 
This completes a rosebud.
 
Step 4, a medium rose.
Take the next blossom from your practice board, cut and thin it as you did before.  After that is complete, put the blossom on the thick foam.  Position the blossom on your foam to have it sitting upright, head at the top; do not lose your head when you have to flip the piece.  Cup the two arm petals only by using the ball tool to gently push and lightly turn it on the petals.
 

 
Flip the piece over on the foam; remember where your head is at.  Next cup the head and 2 leg petals as you did before.  Flip the piece over again and cup the center.
 

 
Paint the center of the blossom and thread onto your pick, adhering it to the rosebud.
 

 
Paint the 2 arm petals about 2 thirds of the way up.  Adhere the petals covering the seams of the petals on the previous row.
 

 
Paint the remaining 3 petals in the same manner and adhere to the flower spacing evenly around.
 

 
This completes the medium rose.
 
Step 5, Large rose.
Take the last blossom from your practice board, cut and thin it as you did before.  After that is complete, put the blossom on the thick foam.  Position the blossom on your foam to have it sitting upright, head at the top.  Cup all petals by using the ball tool to gently push and lightly turn it on the petals.
 

 
Flip the piece over and cup the center.
 

 
Paint the center and all the petals 2 thirds of the way up.  Thread the pick thru the center of the blossom and adhere only the very bottom of the blossom.  Turn the flower upside down and let the petals fall where they may and adhere.
 
Note: it is a common occurrence to lose the rose off the toothpick when inverting.  If the toothpick is not secure, you can gently hold the rose on at the top and fix the petals afterwards.
 

 
After the petals have been secured to the flower, turn back over right side up.  Using a toothpick gently furl the edges of the flower to curl outwards.  Do not furl all petals and do not furl every petal the same size/shape…nature is irregular so your flowers should be too.
 

 
After you have finished furling the petals, set in the Styrofoam block to dry at least overnight.
 

 
This completes the large rose.
 
When you are ready to use the roses, it is your choice to remove the toothpick or leave it in.  I leave the toothpicks in and especially when I need to do a cascade down the side of a cake, it helps the roses stay put.
 
If you wish to make the calyx, you will need the calyx cutter (looks like a star) and green fondant.  Cut the calyx, very lightly thin the edges on the thin foam; paint the piece entirely except for the very tips.  Thread the rose thru the center and adhere.  Using a toothpick, furl back the tips of the calyx.  Let dry.

 

Copy written © 2004
 By Karen Stewart - LaMaestra the author of the above work