Just a mom here and new to CC ~ I have been making flowers to be used in a cake on Memorial they look wonderful, but I have noticed in the last 24hrs the are getting really fragile and beginning to look dried out or crackish - Is there something I'm doing wrong?

I'm using Wiltons premade paste and they are on wire in foam.

Thank you to everyone in advance for your help!

if i don,t make nicholas lodge gumpaste recipe.. i use wilton premade all the time.. i teach gumpaste flowers at michaels. and i and the students use this gumpaste.. when i take it out of the package.. i break it up into around 4 logs.. i knead and stretch and knead these logs with little shortening on my fingers. then i roll these logs seperate and wrap in saran wrap and then into freezer bags.. then into the frig or freezer.. that is how i keep mine.. doing this to gumpaste keeps it pliable and soft. and easy to work with.. anytime , you go back and need to work with it.. you put a little shortening on your fingers and rework it into the gummpaste.. then it should not be cracking and dry looking.. hth

Mine never do, I use Wiltons premade also (though if there is some hard dried gumpaste on the top of the package I break that off and put it in my "glue" then I knead it alot with Crisco on my hands. They will be fragile after drying though, especially the orchids. I make double what I need because I know they will break on me.

Try using a 50/50 gumpaste fondant mix. It is easier to work with since it doesn't dry so fast, but it still dries just about as hard as gumpaste. I also find that it gives a bit more of a softer edge/look, & since it dries slower it's at least a little better about cracking.