My mom is making my brother a graduation cake and we found the haybale cake and we thought it would be SO cool to do mini loafs of cakes and have several hay bales stacked and then a cowboy hat to the side hanging on the corner of one bale... So what I need is any tips on how to make a cowboy hat! Should we do mmf or gumpaste or is there something out there that would be better. Also anyone ever make a cowboy hat and give us some guidance. We've never used gumpaste and only used wilton's fondant like 2x with poor results.

Also we were going to make a Tassel to drape on the hat so ideas on that as well....

AND (I know I know shut up already Connie ) - we thought a pair of cowboy boots made out of cake would be cool too, to have sitting next to the hale bales. I was thinking using the little mini loaf pans again and just carving? Any better suggestions????

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!!!

HAVE YOU TRIED MAKING THE FONDANT ON
YOUR OWN? SATIN ICE MAKES A GOOD ONE.
YOU CAN GET THAT AT ANY GOOD CAKE
DECORATING STORE. ON THE HAT AND BOOTS,
USE A SEARCH ENGINE AND SEE WHAT COMES
UP ON COWBOY HAT CAKE AND MAYBE YOU
CAN GO FROM THERE. I ALWAYS FIND THE INTERNET AND THIS WEBSITE AND THE BIBLE!
VICKI

I was just looking at chocolate molds for a top hat the other day and found lots of chocolate molds for cowboy hats and boots. That might be an easier way to do it!

I can't comment too much on how to make things from fondant as all I have made so far are the pearls, but I have to say that making MMF is really, really easy, it's cheap and it tastes good. Why not try some and see if it gives you the look you're after.

Thanks for your help
Cakey - I think chocolate molds might be on the small side, but I will look into it and see if they come bigger than I remember....

We've just never molded w/ fondant really and have never used gumpaste - so is there any one willing to give tips or even directions on how to make the hat???

just think of it as playdough- you will need something to prop up any bits till they dry. I think the cowboy hat you might need to do the top seperate from the bottom maybe shape the top of the hat and stuff it with paper or something till it dries then glue with icing the bottom to it. if you did the cowboy boots solid that might be easier again find something to prop it up in to hold its shape

good excuse to be a kid again

I just worked with fondant (MMF) gum paste and clay for the first time, you'll love it!! I used all the recipes from here for them. I found if you go to the kids section of a store and get playdo tools, they are by far cheaper than fondant/gum paste tools and are the same thing. I got some of mine at the dollar store. Same with molds, look where they sell all the playdo/fimo stuff. I used the decorative scissors to cut the edges of my drapes after they were formed.
I am really new to all this and others here will have lots of better advice, just thought I would tell you what I used.

For the hat, I'd cut out an oval and then let it dry with either side propped on something (like aluminum foil or crumpled tissue paper). For the rest of the hat, freeze a cupcake and then sculpt it to the shape you want (if that's the size you are looking for). Crumb coat it while still frozen, then ice it and put the fondant on (I prefer MMF). Then "glue" it to the dried oval with BC.

Do a search for cowboy in the photo gallery. There are quite a few there, and someone may be able to give you a hand.