i will be doing a few for a cake next week and was wondering when would be the best time to make them??

Ohhh, next week? I was going to suggest the "paper" butterflies from Fancy Flour. I'm using them on a cake in a few months...they look awesome!

I don't know how to make them myself short of using a mold.

I do them in gumpaste..and handpaint them. But they can be time consuming.
Edna

Hi

I've made them from rice paper, coloured them with edible pens and painted with piping gel and glitter.

If you were making that kind I'd do them just a few days in advance, enough time to dry into shape...but after a week they start to curl up.

Here's a pic before I added a black fondant body

Lyndsey xx

I made mine out of color flow. Once the wings dried, I colored them by hand with food color markers (then let dry over night and did the other side). I used royal icing to attach the wings. Good luck!

-Courtney

I think Leah mentioned that you googled real butterflies pictures, and have them printed in rice paper. Maybe you could pm her for more details and intructions.