Cakes By Lexie Project Gum flowers

Gum flowers and gumnuts are very popular flowers for men's cakes. They are easy to make and look most effective with their bright colors.
Open Gum Flower 1 Hook two 26 gauge green wires. Wrap cotton around two fingers about 100 times.
2 Remove cotton from fingers and hook a wire on each end. Twist to secure.
3 Cut the cottons through the middle to make two flower centres. Wrap half width green florist tape around the base of the flower.
4 Make a small ball of modelling paste. Hollow slightly then dampen inside with gum glue. Thread the cotton centre down through the ball and pinch at the base to secure.
5 Spread the cottons evenly and put a minute ball of paste down in the centre of the flower. Cut a white cotton stamen in half and insert into the ball of paste.
6 Lightly brush gum glue on the ends of the cottons and central stamen. Gently dip into semolina to make pollen.
7 Paint the base of the flower with green liquid color mixed with a little cake decorators alcohol ( vodka can be substituted). While still damp brush a little diluted rose pink on the very base and one side of the cone.
Half Open Gum Flower 8 Wrap the cottons and attach the wires as for the open flower. Cut in half. Fold the cottons back down the wire and tape then trim them.
9 Make the cone and insert the cottons as for the open flower.
10 Paint the cones as for the open flower.
11 Gum flowers come in red, pink, yellow and cream.
Gum Leaves 12 Color some paste pale green. Roll thinly. Cut with a gum leaf cutter. Dip a 26 gauge green wire in gum glue and insert into the leaf.
13 Using a ball tool thin the edges on a petal mat. Mark the central vein. Allow to dry.
14 Dust the leaf with green chalk then pass quickly through some steam above a kettle or saucepan. Allow to dry.
Gum Nuts 15 Form a small cone of modelling paste. Hollow out with a ball tool. Insert a hooked 26 gauge wire which has been dampened with gum glue. Pinch paste firmly to the wire. Allow to dry.
16 Paint as for gum flowers.
17 Gumnuts can also be made in a greyish brown paste and left as they are. Don't worry if there are cracks as these occur naturally on the real plant.
18 An unopened gumnut is formed from a larger ball of paste. Insert a hooked 26 gauge wire which has been dampened with gum glue. Mark an indent around the centre of the gumnut. Pinch ridges up the top half of the gumnut. Point the top.
19 When dry paint as for the gum flower.