I need to make a palm tree for the top of a cake. Any tips on creating this? What kind of materials do you use under the fondant to make it sturdy?

Thanks!

I combined a couple of differtent methods that I had read about: I cut "fronds" with a wilton leaf cutter, snipped up the edges of each frond with scissors, and let them dry on flower formers to get the curved effect. To assemble, I used large pretzel sticks, and used candy melts to attach ritz bitz peanut-butter crackers to the top of the pretzel stick as a hub to attach the fronds to. Then I used small amounts of candy melts and added a leaf or two at a time, and popped into the freezer in between to set (turned upside down on wax paper). There is a pic in my photos - sorry, I don't know how to link to it.

Rice Krispies (treat recipe) make a great trunk. Cover it with fondant and add some texture to it. Stick a dowel in it and leave a good measure out of the bottom to secure it into the cake. Fondant with gumtex or use gumpaste for the frons and brown for the coconuts and secure to the tree with royal icing.

Thanks! These are great ideas!