Any Tips On Getting Fondant Beads Uniform!?
Decorating By lrlt2000 Updated 19 Jun 2009 , 12:16am by pearlg
I am trying some fondant pearls (small ones for the face/sides of my cake and then some larger ones to line the edge where the cake meets the board).
Any tips on how to get them uniform and how to roll them into a ball without them looking like a football!? Rolling them between my palms like playdough is making them more oblong! 
To get them all the same size I roll out a piece of fondant or gumpaste. I then use a round cutter or one of my cake tips and cut out a bunch at a time. I then roll them in my palms to get them into a ball shape. Some look like footballs but I keep working it until I get it the right shape. Hope that helps. Jaime
I don't know the proper terminology, but I will try to explain how I do it.
I roll my fondant out into a flat piece using the rings on the rolling pin to ensure that it is the same height all over. I than use a circle fondant cutter and cut out lots of circles. Than I roll them into the balls. As for not having them look like footballs, it just took me some practice :0)
I second the PP's I use the same cutter, if you don't have a circle cutter you can use anything you have a straw, a lid, etc.
I use icing tips to cut mine out. I roll the fondant to an even thickness and cut out circles using round icing tips like tip numbers 5 thru 12 depending on the size pearl I want. Make sure you don't cut out too many at a time or the fondant dries and they tend to have cracks when you roll.
To roll, use a gentle pressure, fingertips of your right hand rolling ball in palm of left hand, or your right index finger in the palm of your left hand.
Just keep practicing, you will get them round and it doesn't matter if they aren't perfectly round, real pearls aren't either. 
I'm not sure what the circle fondant cutter is, but I am talking about those tiny balls, about the size of the store-bought oyster pearls. Does that tool cut that small?
BUT you both gave me a great idea, in just describing your method! I rolled out the fondant and then used a large straw (Dunkies, extra large wide opening!) to cut out multiple equal portions at one time to make into balls! I just cut 25 at a time, then tapped them out of the straw!
THANKS for the spark!
I am guessing you are just doing one cakea and need to make pearls for it, but if you do a lot of cakes where you need pearl type strands I would invest in a silicone pearl mold, they have all different sizes, you roll your gumpaste or fondant in a long snake then press it into the mold, cut off the excess of the top and pull out the strand and they look perfect.
I used them once in a class and, I needed to do it often I would definately go that route with it, good time saver too and they are all uniform.
I am guessing you are just doing one cakea and need to make pearls for it, but if you do a lot of cakes where you need pearl type strands I would invest in a silicone pearl mold, they have all different sizes, you roll your gumpaste or fondant in a long snake then press it into the mold, cut off the excess of the top and pull out the strand and they look perfect.
I used them once in a class and, I needed to do it often I would definately go that route with it, good time saver too and they are all uniform.
Now THAT is a good idea! This time, I am actually alternating large and small pearls--do they have that? I'll have to check those out, as I do love the look of the pearl border.
I use icing tips to cut mine out. I roll the fondant to an even thickness and cut out circles using round icing tips like tip numbers 5 thru 12 depending on the size pearl I want. Make sure you don't cut out too many at a time or the fondant dries and they tend to have cracks when you roll.
To roll, use a gentle pressure, fingertips of your right hand rolling ball in palm of left hand, or your right index finger in the palm of your left hand.
Just keep practicing, you will get them round and it doesn't matter if they aren't perfectly round, real pearls aren't either.
Thank you--the one finger in the palm worked MUCH better!
I have to do the same thing for a cake this weekend and did't find what I needed until this link. Check it out. It shows you which tips to use to get the various sized beads. Good luck! I will be making a few hundred on thursday. Yuck! Here's the link: http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/gumpaste/beads.htm
Scroll all the way down to the bottom for directions and a picture to help guide you. HTH!!
I am guessing you are just doing one cakea and need to make pearls for it, but if you do a lot of cakes where you need pearl type strands I would invest in a silicone pearl mold, they have all different sizes, you roll your gumpaste or fondant in a long snake then press it into the mold, cut off the excess of the top and pull out the strand and they look perfect.
I used them once in a class and, I needed to do it often I would definately go that route with it, good time saver too and they are all uniform.
Now THAT is a good idea! This time, I am actually alternating large and small pearls--do they have that? I'll have to check those out, as I do love the look of the pearl border.
hmmm..now that i dont know about the only ones i have seen so far are all the same size...
For larger balls that you don't necessarily want to buy a new larger round tip to make them with, you can use the wide end of a decorating tip. I recently used one tip to make olives - the wide end for the outer edge, and the smaller decorating end for the inside cut out.
there is a tutorial on how to do this on Earlene's website. http://www.earlenescakes.com/prlinstruct.htm
I was going to do this for a wedding cake I'm doing next month for one of my son's nurses.
Thank you! That's a great website, I just bookmarked it!
Also, what's the best way to attach them to the vertical sides of the cake, if I have just a crusting BC frosting? Will they fall off or pull the BC off? I do not want any edges of BC/RI showing under each pearl, but I know water is best to attach fondant to fondant.
WWYD?
I found this link while browsing a different thread on cc
http://www.creativecelebrationcakes.co.uk/page35.htm
hope it helps
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