I have tried to make fondant bows a couple of times and it seems that even if I let the loops sit for a day to dry, as soon as i pick them up to assemble they start getting soft again and droop. I try not to handle them too much because I know that the heat from my hands will do this, but is there something I can mix with the fondant to make it harden? I have heard of people using Tylose, but what about Gum-tex? does this do the same thing? How much do I use?
thanks again for any help!!

Yes, gum-tex does the same thing. Also put paper towels in the holes to prop them up. Then let them dry. But gum tex will not work in marshmallow fondant (MMF). It works well to harden wilton fondant. If you're using mmf then blend it with a 50/50 mixture of gumpaste/fondant. It will dry on its own.

What she ^^^ said
How much - depends on the size of your fondant lump Actually I don't measure w/GumTex. I just dip my piece of fondant into the GumTex and knead it in. If it doesn't seem to get 'tight' I dip it again and again until it feels right. Sorry I can't be more helpful but it doesn't take much.

When I teach the loopy bow in Lesson 1 of the Fondant & Gumpaste course, we make the loops and lay them on one side to set up for about 20 minutes, then flip them and lay them on their other side.

We use a 50/50 fondant/gumpaste blend. I am not a fan of Gum-Tex.

Believe it or not, Wilton Fondant is good for something.....I use it to make my bows and figures because it is easy to work with and it dries hard as a ROCK!!!! Give it a try, I don't add anything and it dries solid every time.

I'm no fan of Wilton fondant either, but you are absolutely right - it is great for making figures, flowers, bows. Not only does it dry rock hard, but it also dries fast.

The drawback is that there isn't a lot of stretch to it, and it has to be cut pretty thick to prevent cracking and breaking, as compared to gumpaste, which has gum trag or tylose in it.

Theresa

What type of fondant are you using, what is it made of? I have never had a problem with making bows using wiltons fondant and adding some gum-tex, about 1 teaspoon. I have also made bows and ribbons using just gum paste. The weather play a big role in how your fondant ( icing) works also.

I made a bow and stuffed the loops with pillow fiber fill from the craft section. It worked beautifully and gave me a soft curve like a fabric ribbon. But UHHHG it was more then a PITA to get it all out! I must have spent 45 minutes with extra long tweezers and a flash light to pull all the loose fibers out. Some wanted to stick and I had to use moiten the inside a touch by paint brush to pull them out. But the bow was just what I had hope for.

That cake is beautiful!

Oh, and the next time you want to use fiberfill, stick it in a cheap plastic bag first. You know, the store brand sandwich bags which have twist ties instead of a zipper on them?

Theresa

I agree that gumtex is not the best option but it WILL work if it is the only thing you find available for use. I used it to make a "gift box" (present) cake box lid and it hardened up fine after several days.

That said I would still go for the 50/50 fondant gp blend, and if you know nobody will try to eat the bow, I agree to use Wilton for it as it's much firmer than homemade fondant.

Playingwithsugar - Thanks thats a fabulous little tip! Those cheep baggies are so soft and usualy don't have hard seams. Super.
Royalty -Thanks that was my first bow and pro-looking-wanna-be cake and let me tell you... your cakes are Amazing and so clean and crisp! That's what I really worked on in doing my last cake clean and crisp. This site is wonderful and soo much to learn be such loving and generous people!


Oh joy Yet another keep on hand ingreedient for the pantry. I tell you that list just keeps getting bigger and bigger! But that just means the cake prices can get bigger too right?!