I am going to be making a western themed cake and would like to add some tumbleweed. Anyone have any ideas what I can use to make the tumbleweed to put one or two around the cake.

What about those things people make called birds nest. You could make them round instead.

Spun sugar...
Here is the recipe and something Martha Stewart used it for
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=tvs1531

get those small water balloons and drizzle chocolate around it, let it harden and pop and pull the balloon out. Then paint to look like the real thing. Or spun sugar around a small balloon in a golden color to look like tumbleweeds?

Ohh, I was just gonna say the same thing as 2sdae. I think a small balloon blown up to the size you want would work perfect for getting the right size and shape. Then when all dry, pop and you are done! Jen

What about using the brown chinese noodles. I can't remember what they are called exactly. You could melt marshmallow and mix them together and make tumbleweeds out of them.

Make some cakeballs, and after you coat them in chocolate but before it dries, roll them in a little shredded wheat cereal that has been broken up.

These are great guys!!! Thank you!!

how about shredded mini wheats? shred them up and then add some sort of "binder" for the texture/look...such as the marshmallow base for rice crispy treats? (LIGHT coating so they won't look too "balled up")??? Just an idea....good luck! post Pic's

If you work with gumpaste you might try something similar to the barrel cactus I made for this cake. I rolled a piece of gumpaste out, cut a large circle and molded it over a styrofoam ball that had been cut in half. Laid it cut side down and shaped the gumpaste over it and cut the paste evenly around the bottom, but a bit shorter than the styro. so I could get it off when it dried. I made indentations on the cactus with a tiny metal ball tool, cut flower stamens and pushed them into the paste for needles or spines. I didn't let this dry completely hard, I took it off the foam while it was still slightly soft, but could still hold it's shape. I just set it on a cake rack so it would air dry inside as well as outside.

For a tumbleweed you might mold it this way and then cut pieces of excelsior (you know that straw packing material?) brush the paste lightly with clear piping gel or gum glue and kind of wrap it while it is still damp. When it is semi dry and you take it off the styrofoam, you might have to support the inside of the paste with some wadded up paper toweling or plastic wrap, let it dry completely and airbrush it dusty brown if you wanted to. Maybe even Raffia cut into pieces and wrapped around might work.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=ShirleyW&cat=0&pos=21

Melted chocolate drizzled over crushed ice placed in a dixie cup.

I was thinking spun sugar as well

If you have any stores nearby that sell Greek items....there is a phyllo dough that is used for a specific pastry called kataifi. It is shredded finely....it looks just like tumbleweed if you brown it.

i wanted to use spun sugar as well for my cake but have heard it doesn't last long...any ideas as to how to make it last longer?