OK I think this is my last question for awhile. I have a request for a wedding cake actually 2 wedding cakes. The first cake is due for Sept and they want Calla Lillies. Well here is my pickle....the course III for Wilton isn't offered till Sept here, so what do I do? Do I try and teach myself out of a book? Do hunt premade flowers down on the net - but that will add up to the price of the cake. I am in Canada too & a smaller town so I only have Michael's & Nutter's to buy supplies from & our book store SUCKS!!! So what do you think I should do? Is there a really good book out there I can attempt to learn from? Lots of pic's as I can be learning impared sometimes hehehe.
TIA again

If it was me (and I've been in this boat), I would buy the callas if you're too nervous about learning to do them in time. My second wedding cake wanted orchids and I was already stressed enough about doing the cake in the first place so I just bought the flowers and then painted them the colors she wanted. I buy most of my stuff from "Sweet Celebrations". They're pretty affordable (I think), their service is good and fast and they have a pretty decent selection of everything. They sell a Calla Lily Gumpaste spray (6"x4") for $12.29 and they sell the individual callas in different sizes (Large - $16.99 for 6, Medium - $16.19 for 10, Small - $12.59 for 14, Petite - $9.49 for 20). There are also a bunch of different websites that sell flowers, you could do a search and see what it would end up costing and decide if it's worth the trouble to learn or just eat the cost.

Good luck.
Samantha

Here's a link for real bargain prices on nice premade flowers. They make several sizes and are well worth having on hand because they're very inexpensive.

http://www.cakecentral.com/article24-Step-By-Step-Gumpaste-CallaLilies.html

Good Luck!!!

I haven't done gumpaste or fondant flowers on a cake yet (I'm still teaching myself) but I know how I'd price them if I did. The amout of money I would charge (and I'd charge by the flower just like I do with my BC roses) I could definitely afford to buy them if I couldn't make them. I'd say - price accordingly, try to teach yourself (and I don't think callas look all that hard from what I've seen) and if you're not satisfied with your results, buy them.

And always keep thinking in the back of your mind that education is never a waste!!

If you're looking for instructions, the following is Wilton's way of making them, which might help you:

http://www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/callalilly.cfm

This should get you started.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

I think Wilton's site has calla lillies on there. It shows you how to make them out of gumpaste. Also, if you just search "how tos" you might find a website to show you how. I'v also heard that if you use a heart cookie cutter for the flower part it's easy. Never have tried it .. Good luck.

If you want to learn to do it yourself in order to keep the cost down, you'd probably do better to get a video or dvd rather than a book. Most people learn quicker with video....Nick Lodge or Scott Clark Wooley probably have a good one and I hear that the calla lillies are one of the easiest flowers to make!

You guys are so helpful. I think I would be lost if I didn't find this site. I have learnt so much in such a short time with so much more to learn.
Thank you from the bottom of my lil' heart

I taught myself how to make a calla lilly using the instructions that come with the cutter and mold. Of course, It would be helpful to have some gumpaste knowledge, but I made my first wedding cake before I had taken a gumpaste course. There are not too many simpler flowers out there. Sometimes you need to find out what doesn't work before you find what does work, so allow yourself plenty of time.

Wow, cakes47...that link, www.discountsugarflowers.com, is great! Thanks!!!

That site really is great. They even sell the dusting powders and the price is the cheapest I've ever found. Thanks so much!

Just went to discount flowers to check out shipping and they do not have an option to ship to Canada
I did email them so heres to hoping that they do and all I have to do is phone in my order. Keep your fingers & toes crossed.

Well Discountflowers.com does not ship to canada. BooHoo. Just an FYI

I bought calla lilies from www.discountsugarflowers.com and once I had them I had my model to make to make more. Just buy a minimum amount They are very simple to make.

I kow that this is a cheat, cheat but have you concidered silks. I have the same problem no cake decorating store near me except for Michael's and I Party carries a few things. Anyway, last week I was making a cake for my grammy's birthday and she loves very yellow roses. So I brought one of the bridal bouqets that Michael's had on clearance for $5.00 and bought the spray food coloring in yellow and away I went. I started spaying very lightly until I got to the color I was looking for. I think that it came out great and everyone loved it. As for 73 years young birthday girl she couldn't have gotten a more beautiful cake, at least that is what she said.

Look in my photos, I think that it looks good. It is the only yellow cake there. Sorry for the bad picture quality.

Good Luck,
Vic

Have you thought of asking the store where the Wilton Course III is being offered who the instructor is? She is probably local; and most likely willing to show you one on one.