I'm making a jungle themed birthday cake for a friend soon.
I'm really excited and could go home TONGIHT and make the animals lol. The party is April 10th.

Plus. Making them ahead of time would definitely save me decorating time the night before. I a newbie and have never done intricate figures so i wanna be able to work slow and steady and get them just right So.

Suggestions on when to start making them/ how to store them?
TFYH!!!!

Unless you're in florida then they should store just fine out on the counter, or in a box. I generally dont put them in an airtight container so that they can firm up.

The only caveat is that any pink/purple will really fade.

You can make them weeks in advance and let them air dry. To keep them from fading store them in an area that doesn't have any bright light. I have found that fondant starts to give off an unpleasant odor, like shortening going bad, if you make figurines too far in advance. I think you'd be fine making them now.
Sandy

Yay! sounds good!!! I'll definitely start playing this weekend!!

You can make them at any time. I had figures stored in a cake box for years with no problem. I would avoid a plastic container or something air tight. The one time I did that I had the black color gel I used for the eye bleed everywhere. To me they need some air to breathe.