I've got a cake to do by next weekend, and my friend wanted to do the drama masks as a freestanding decoration, to lean up against the cake. I've not ever done anything like that before being new to the hobby, and had originally planned on making them from fondant well in advance and letting them dry and out harden. Due to the rounded shape I had planned on laying them over a coke bottle or pitcher or something after cutting them out to dry. I don't have a large kitchen at all, so they would be in the way as I was doing other stuff.

So my question is, is there a better medium to construct them out of? They will be thin, so I didn't know if modeling chocolate would work. I've not done gumpaste or any sugar stuff before.

I turned on "Fabulous Cakes" on TLC today and happened to hear this last bit of a sentence: "... which is made from powdered sugar, gelatin, corn starch, and cream of tartar, and dries quickly into a something like edible ceramic." I have no idea what it was, but it rolled out like fondant, they shaped it in a bowl, and used it to make a globe. Any clue what that was?

Thanks for your help! I'm going ingredient shopping tomorrow.

It was probably pastillage. Its similar to gumpaste, but it has no stretch to it. It is often used for architectural elements. It may not be the best for masks, but you could use it.

I would use gumpaste, or mix some tylose powder or cmc into your fondant. (It will help it to set up firmer and be less likely to break.)

I'm making a mask for a class project and I will probably use pastillage although I think gumpaste or fondant would also work. If using fondant, you can also mix in some Fixodent powder (yes, the denture kind!) instead of tylose powder to help it dry faster. I've been testing it this week and it works great! Don't think you'd want to eat it though . . .

I've done mardi gras masks before. I went to Pat Catan's and picked up a cheap plastic one (less than $1) and then molded gumpaste over it. Decorate when dry. Works great

I saw a demo one time where the instructor took plastic masks (cleaned and dried well) and then brushed melted chocolate on the insides of the masks...one white and one reg chocolate. Chill and set, and they popped right out with the impression of the mask perfectly!