I am making a graduation cake due next weekend.  Here is what I "want" to do:  Make a big star in the middle with graduating smaller stars to the sides in an arch.  The stars would be out of 50/50 gum paste and mmf.  I have wires that you can stick into cakes (I would put them inside straws for stability and to keep the metal away from the cake). 

Now, how can I do this and have it be stable so I can arch it over the cake?   The big star fills and piece of printer paper.  Do I pre-shape the arch and then attached dried stars to it with more gum paste?  So that it isn't very heavy, otherwise it will pull the wires down, the stars will likely need to be pretty thin.

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

Anyone have any ideas on how to make an arch of stars over the cake?

i would make thin stars and sandwich the wire in between two of them with a brush of water that you blot off so the surface is not too wet--let it all dry up and arrange them-- maybe i would bend the tip of the wire so there's more surface adhering within the two stars-- 

maybe something like that

you could even place a few wired stars coming out of the big star too--and since you're using different sizes -- you could possibly put more than one on one wire --

Sounds like a good idea.  Possible attaching small stars to the bigger ones also.  Working on the wire now to make an arch that will stay together....me and wire don't mix, lol

Ahttp://www.ehow.com/how_8350531_make-cake-topper-arch.html

maybe this can help with some ideas

is your wire coated with paper or something porous so there's something to stick to? --if it's just slick wire it can be most frustrating-- 

Thank you all for your help!  I love CC