No Idea About This! Gumpaste Carnations Pricing
Decorating By young9 Updated 19 Feb 2010 , 3:00pm by kansaslaura
Up to this point, I've really only made cakes for friends and family. I was asked the other day to make gumpaste carnations to top cupcakes for a wedding and she wants to know how much I'll charge for that. I won't be making the cupcakes, only the carnations to top them with and I really have no idea. I bought all the things needed to make them but I've never done gumpaste before. I purchased the wilton gumpaste powder stuff in the canister and was going to do a trial run here soon just to see how difficult they are. Do you guys charge per carnation or how do you figure it out. I've never done it before so I don't really think I can go by time since its probably going to take me longer. I'm also scared she is going to freak when I tell her the cost regardless..she is one of those, "we are already over budget" type people.
Thanks for your help!
oh and she said around 300 cupcakes.
Haha 300 carnations for someone on a budget that doesn't want to pay. And you haven't made any yet... each flower can take you 5 minutes and that is being quick. Add that time up and the cost for your materials guessing you will need that whole can and then some and about 5lbs or more of powdered sugar to make them all... 300= $$$
I would send her to a website that sells ready made RI and gum paste flowers and say, "Bu-bye."
I'm not sure you want the stress of making carnations x300 plus extras to allow for breakage especially when you have never made them. When is the wedding?
Do like said Sarah said, tell them to order online somewhere, because they are not going to want to pay what it is worth to do them.
By all means practice flowers and learn something new, just don't give yourself added stress when you do.
Here is an idea of what she would be paying:
http://www.discountsugarflowers.com/detail.aspx?ID=37
there is NO way I would make those for .72 each. 
i made 9 carnations . . yes 9 lol, only small ones, and each one took me almost ten mintues what with all the frilling and layering, i couldnt begin to imagine doing 300, i really couldnt give you a base price on them though, but if you do go ahead and charge, make sure you charge her for your time too!
Ahhh, I love the money saving ideaqs of a discount bride. They NEVER seem to save money. 
300 x $3 = $900...and some would consider $3 a carnation generous! Ohh Boo, imagine frilling all those, cause you got to frill them to look right.
that is exactly what i was thinking. even if i charged $1 a carnation and $300 total..i know that is going to be way more than she ever imagined for cupcakes!
i'm on the verge of telling her to take a flying leap anyway because now she called and wants two fake cakes..one in the shape of a purse and one in the shape of a basketball jersey. i realize that i'm not a professional but how many people do you know that will let someone else make the cupcakes and carve the fake cakes and then only do the decorating? what if her cupcakes taste horrible and my name gets attached to them. i've been thinking of trying to branch out and rent somewhere to make big orders and if my name gets out there negatively then there is no way to take that back!
arrgh, i hate small towns sometimes!
I would direct her to that website mentioned earlier in the thread for the carnations--why would you even consider making 300 of them if you've never ever done it before? I see nightmare written all over that one!
As far as the carving fake cakes etc.,I've said this before, it's all me or no me. I don't do bits and pieces for someone else to construct. If anything goes wrong with the finished product you can be sure the decorator is going to blame you.
Run, run away!!
that is exactly what i was thinking. even if i charged $1 a carnation and $300 total..i know that is going to be way more than she ever imagined for cupcakes!
i'm on the verge of telling her to take a flying leap anyway because now she called and wants two fake cakes..one in the shape of a purse and one in the shape of a basketball jersey. i realize that i'm not a professional but how many people do you know that will let someone else make the cupcakes and carve the fake cakes and then only do the decorating? what if her cupcakes taste horrible and my name gets attached to them. i've been thinking of trying to branch out and rent somewhere to make big orders and if my name gets out there negatively then there is no way to take that back!
arrgh, i hate small towns sometimes!
I had someone ask me two weeks ago, if I would decorate the cakes they supplied. My answer, "absolutely NOT." I find it quite nervy of people to even suggest something like that, and I don't want my name on anything I didn't accomplish, start to finish.
I wouldn't direct her to the website at all. I wouldn't even mention that one can purchase ready-made GP flowers. I would buy them myself for cheap, and then charge her enough per piece so that I make a good profit.
Heheheh love it! I see nothing wrong with making a profit off of people trying to take advantage you in the first place 
I had thought about her cashing in on the stupidity, but my experience says it's far better to wash your hands of those types. Believe me they will end up making you wish you had! *insert pulling hair out emoticon here*
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