A couple of questions:
Has anyone ever used a Hershey's kiss for the center cone of a gumpaste rose?

Do you usually wire your roses? If so, do you wrap the wire before making the flower or after?

I want to make a couple of rosebuds with stems to lay on the edge of a tier, so am looking for ideas. I made some flowers in class, but never "for real"! This is for a friend, so a good chance to try out new things.

Thanks!

The only wire in my gumpaste roses is the heavy wire in the center cone. The petals are all added with gum glue in layers and allowed to "set up" before adding the next layer - not all at once. The cone needs to be solidly anchored to the wire, so I would not use chocolate. If you need a fast center, use a styrofoam ball of the appropriate size and pinch a point on it - actually smoosh the styrofoam into a point - and hot glue the wire inside the styrofoam. The wires are wrapped after the rose is finished. You can wrap in additional wires to make the stem thicker and more like a real rose if the stems will be visible.

I personally wouldn't want to use a kiss. I think it is easier to just make it out of gumpaste.

I don't wire my roses yet but I do use toothpicks. Most people would wrap the wire with floral tape after making the flower. Btw, floral tapes I believe contain latex which is bad for someone who is allergic to it.

Ditto, I would not use it either.

Gumpaste flowers made with wires are considered inedible in the UK. Although I am an American, I think I will abide this rule when I return stateside. I think it's much safer to tell a customer that they cannot eat it, in case they come back and claim they choked or were injured eating the rose. I can say, "I told you so." KWIM?