Hi everyone,

I'm in the process of making my first gum paste cybidium orchids, and while I've looked in several books and watched a few online tutorials, I'm having a heck of a time wiring all the parts together.

Each petal, and center part, is on its own wire. So there are six wired pieces in all.

Is there a method as to which piece gets attached to the others first, and the sequence?

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Did you watch Edna's utube video? Maybe if you email or pm her she can answer your question

I've watched her Cala Lily and some of the other videos, but I didn't see any for Orchids. Good idea though, I will email her. Thanks!

So i managed to put one together, but it was not easy... see pic attached (sorry for the low resolution). If anyone has tips on how to do this, it's much appreciated!

How I was taught..

All wires should be the same length ..

1. gather all into one hand - they should be level at where the sugar work commences on each wire
2. with either plastic or [stretchy] paper florists' tape, commence to wrap the wires in a bunch immediately from the sugarwork and downwards .. for the appropriate length of the flower
3. snap off the tape, and check the tightness of the "stem" - if it is too loose, the flower will not stand "arranging"
4. hold the stem in one hand and arrange the petals into the flower's normal appearance. The stretchiness of the tape allows for movement, but the tightness means that the petals will stay where they are placed.

Take a look at this youtube video.

Orchids 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=channel

Check the links on the flower tutorial thread. It will show you a variety of ways.

The link is in my signature

Could not get You Tube link above to work.

Try this one

At Planet Cake in Sydney I was taught to use dental floss to assemble flowers - it works GREAT! can pull tightly without chance of it breaking - wrap around, add another petal, repeat. Then cover entire stem with stemtex when finished. It also allows you to adjust the petal positions once it is finished. Great Fan of this technique.

Thank you all for your responses!! I will definitely check out the videos and tutorials - so helpful!

I actually didn't see your responses until after I finished the flowers (the notifications don't always get to my email), so I basically winged it and figured out a method that worked for me. Hopefully the links/tutorials will help me refine that.

Here's a pic of the finished result, now I have to make the cake

The orchids look fabulous! Love them. Did you use a celboard to attach the wires?

Thanks! No, I just twisted them all together, then covered them with florist tape.

I twisted the first two petals together, then each subsequent one, one at a time after that, and finally the center. Then taped it all. A little trial and error

I meant, how did you insert the wires to each petal? I just couldn't visualize how to insert a wire to a very thin petal without a celboard.

What cutter did you use for thise orchids?

After I cut out the petals, I dipped the end of the wire in pasturized egg white, then carefully pushed it into the bottom of the petal, guiding it through with my fingers.

When I rolled out the gum paste, I tried to leave one end a little thicker, and that's the end that I pushed the wire into. It worked okay, on some of the petals the wire was a little too visible.

There's probably a better technique for this too, I'm very new at all this so learning as I go.

I used the medium sized cybidium orchid cutters.

Thanks Miriam for the info. I was looking online for flower making supplies and I was thinking if I really needed a celboard that's why I asked.

Thanks.

Rylan, the celboards do work because it gives you a thicker area to slide the wire into. There is also a twiddle method. You take a small amount of gumpaste and 'twiddle' it on to the wire so that it covers the end of the wire. and then you lay that against your petal. You will place the petal and wire in the veiner and when you press down it should attach the wire to the petal. I also have seen the same idea, you roll out your gumpaste, lay the wire down on it then add another thin piece of gumpaste over the wire and roll over it with your rolling pin to attach it.

The last two conventions I have gone to I have seen many different ones on gumpaste flowers. When it comes to putting them together I don't think there is a set right way. One, who was doing tulips said she taped a petal at a time together cause she felt that made them more secure. Others would do two or three petals a time.

I did some poinsetta's last year and I twisted groups of petals together then taped them on. I kinda wish I had done in one at a time so that you don't have to worry about everyone hitting the other and moving around on ya.

Thanks Tracy for the tips--it is really helpful. I just ordered my supplies for flower making since I want to start making indivudually wired petal flowers. Is it difficult to insert the wire? I can just imagine that it might tear or that the wire will come out in the middle of the petal while I insert it.