Has any of you use this before? What are your reviews? Where did you get it? and how much did you pay for it?
I'm thinking if it will speed the process of decoration then I am interested in it.
I have them and love them. My favorite is the 8mm bead/pearl maker and I purchased it from Larrys Crafts which is local to me and they do not have an online store yet. The cost was something like 25.00 for the 8mm size.
This is a purchase I personally do not think you would regret making! 
Great reviews so far!
How easy are they to use? Would you have to set every single pearl one at the time or does it come out as a whole string? I think this is something I'm really going to love!
Hi,
I don't own one, but I used one at a recent 2-day workshop that I went to. It was great! You just roll the gumpaste with your hand into a sausage shape, then place it in the pearl maker. We dusted the inside with pearl dust first. Then you just sqeeze it together and cut off the excess that kind of oozes out. When you open it, you have a nice strand of pearls! I guess it was about 4" long? Anyway, they were beautiful on our cakes! I haven't bought one yet because I spent so much on other supplies at the workshop! Love new cake toys! Anyway, they have them at sugarcraft.com - listed as BEAD MAKERS. They have a 6mm for $18.70 and an 8mm for $24 I think. Good luck!!
Sometimes I can get them out in a string as to set them on the cake in a strand (a gumpaste firmness works better this way compared to fondant) and other times they come out stretched apart, then I clip them apart with scissors and take each individual pearl, roll between my hands and set them on individually. You can dust the inside of the mold with pearl dust, but I like to use cornsaterch, then when I'm done rolling all of the pearls I place them in a baggie and sprinkle in my pearl dust and gently shake it until they're all coated. Then I just store the unused pearls in the baggie and it can be reused as to not waste the pearl dust. : )
Thank you so much ladies!!! Where did you all got yours?
This is mine, great price for 3 different sizes! I just got it and tried it once but my fondant was too soft. Will be trying JenniferM's chocolate clay recipe the next time.
http://www.intotheoven.com/p1670/Perfect-Pearls-10,-8-&-6-mm/product_info.html
I have several and my favorite are made by First Impressions Molds. You can get them from them directly or Global may carry them. I have 2 of theirs, and each comes with 3 sizes about 12 inches long each. I have found that with these molds, it's best to put in the fondant, stick in the freezer for a few minutes and then they pop out really easily. I like to use the largest size for my biggest tier, the middle for my middle tier, and so on. that way, I can make 3 strands at one time for 3 different tiers. i just bout the 3mm, 4mm and 5mm set from Nick Lodge at the show thisweekend
I just bought one and I think the way it works is great but it has a line of gumpaste on the top. it doesnt look round is this how its supposed to work?
Sharon Z. demonstrated using these molds at recent DOS I attended and this is what she did step by step and it works beautifully.
Dust inside of mold heavily with cornstarch-shake out excess then do it again. Put the gp into the mold and squeeze it shut...... before you open it to remove the string of pearls take your palette knife and remove any visible gp that squeezed out.........open mold...........using palette knife gently tease the string of pearls away from the mold then onto a non-stick surface....... The tiny line left is the side of the pearls that goes next to the cake..... Once placed on cake the line becomes invisible.......
Some of the pearl making molds are slightly oval to oval in shape, not round. I had to look closely to tell the difference between the slightly oval and perfectly round ones because I wanted round round round! .
On new molds plan on the first few strands sticking then feel blessed if they don't stick. Once you have made a few strands the mold becomes seasoned from repeated use of corstarch and gp and the pearls magically begin to pop out in a string! 
Simply follow the above steps for perfect pearls everytime. Sharon Z was using a new mold and her first 2 strands stuck but after that they began popping out nicely and perfectly.
I think if you go into making these strands of pearls knowing this you are much less likely to become frustrated and give up. 
HTH's
I use them all of the time. i ice and decorate my cake except for the pearls. If it is a smal cake w/ a few. I put them on last, while decorating. If it is a wedding cake. I put them on w/ a little icing when I get the cake to the sight. I used them on my dau. wedding cake in March. I too, match size with lthe layer size. I would not put the large on a 6" cake.
elainec, are you talking about individual pearls or the strings of pearls that come out of a mold? I am asking specifically about the string of pearls version and am wondering if you transport them somewhere to put on a cake after it's assembled, how do you pack them? In what? If they dry out, they won't go around the cake, and I am worried about that. Also worried about them getting squished.
I am talking about a string that come out of the mold. However, I do not string them. I put them in a small rubbermaid container(very small) and
then I put them on the cake when I get there. They are fine on the cake and do not get too soft. It looks as is maybe you could put half of the
fondant/gumpaste mixture in, then string very thin dental floss across the mold and then put the balance on top. Hence, a true string of pearls. It is just easier for me to release them and them place them very close together on the cake. Or you could use a needle and thread and string them.
Audrey, I see exactly what you are asking and think it is an excellent question to present!
Hmmmmm, thinking about it and having made a few of the strings of pearls now, I don't see why you couldn't easily make them right on the spot after you get the cakes assembled.
I too would be worried about making them ahead, them drying out and the strings breaking apart when ready to put them on the cake.
Still thinking here..........The other thing that should work would be to make them a day or two ahead, lay them all out on a flat surface that could be wrapped in plastic wrap and transported easily. This should keep them pliable.
Just some thoughts to toss around.
Sorry. I would put an entire string on after delivering the cake. Also. Wrapping the string in saran wrap would be an excellent idea, but I would still place in a long, slender plastic case for transport to protect them.
Yep! My thoughts exactly! I use the long gladware plastic containers to store my gumpaste fondant items in whether I have them wrapped in plastic to keep them moist, or, dried and simply need to store them.
I was wondering how everyone else on here would transport these.
Last year I had a wedding cake with these pearls around the base and I made them just before leaving to deliver it. I had to assemble the tiers at the reception site, so I made the strands of 50/50 mix, placed them on a cake board and wrapped it with saran wrap, then placed it in a large zip lock bag.
The delivery was 45 minutes away. When I arrived and began to add the pearls to the cake, they were very set and they were harder than I had imagined they would be. Had the delivery time been any longer, and I would not have been able to place them on the cake because they would have been too hard.
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