Grad Cap - Need Advice Rather Quickly

Decorating By texasseegirl Updated 25 May 2010 , 1:45pm by Daisy1

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texasseegirl Posted 20 May 2010 , 1:21pm
post #1 of 22

What is the easiest/quickest way to make the flat part of a graduation hat? And is there time to do it before 3:00 Friday with drying time, etc?

Can I cheat and use cardboard and cover that in fondant?

This will be about a 6 inch base for the hat part.

Thanks for any suggestions or ideas.

Michelle

21 replies
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debster Posted 20 May 2010 , 1:34pm
post #2 of 22

People use card board covered fondant all the time and it's fast same day.

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BlackFlour Posted 20 May 2010 , 1:37pm
post #3 of 22

Any help with making the tassel portion of the grad hat? All help is greatly appreciated!! icon_smile.gif Thanks!!!

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baybeecakes Posted 20 May 2010 , 1:38pm
post #4 of 22

Thats what I have used!! worked great!!

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mayo2222 Posted 20 May 2010 , 1:39pm
post #5 of 22

Either way will work. You have plenty of time for it to dry by tomorrow as long as you are using gumpaste and not just fondant for the mortarboard (the flat part of the cap)

Personally I think its more impressive if you don't use cardboard, but again either way works

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sweetcakes Posted 20 May 2010 , 1:40pm
post #6 of 22

if time is really short or you dont have black fondant use black foamcore, or at least use black foamcore and cover with black fondant. for the tassle press some fondant through a clay gun or garlic press. gather together at one end, then make a short rope to attach them too.

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mom2counts Posted 21 May 2010 , 3:11am
post #7 of 22

Help, my tassles keep breaking! I have tried both fondant & candy clay without success! How can I keep the strands from becoming dry & brittle then breaking?

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Kimbercakes16 Posted 21 May 2010 , 3:23am
post #8 of 22

I used fondant with a tiny bit of gumpaste mixed in for the flat part of the graduation cap, and then I used fondant to make the tassle. I just made little "noodles" and wrapped another piece of fondant around the top, if that makes sense. The one pic I have of it on here stayed in one piece, and the girls I made it for loved it! HTH

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Dommers Posted 22 May 2010 , 8:43pm
post #9 of 22

For the mortar board I used cardboard and covered it with a fondant gumpaste mix to make it really strong. My cousin just used gumpaste and let it dry out for two days, that looked really sharp. As for the tassel I purchased a clay gun and used a gumpaste fondant mixture, never broke, even when my husband was driving icon_wink.gif

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Mkanz Posted 22 May 2010 , 9:42pm
post #10 of 22

I was just about to ask about the tassel! I make the mortar board out of gumpaste and it works perfectly every time. The tassel is another story. I have a clay extruder, used fondant and thought I was doing great until I went to gather all the "strings" and they all broke!! I am going to try mixing the fondant with gumpaste. Has anyone just used gumpaste for the tassel? Last year I ended up using the graduates real tassel.....if all else fails!!

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casme Posted 22 May 2010 , 11:24pm
post #11 of 22

I made mine out of gumpaste and let it dry on a piece of styrofoam. I turned it on the third day and let the other side dry. Worked great.

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Sugar_N_Spice_Cakes Posted 23 May 2010 , 2:56am
post #12 of 22

You could do the tassel as one piece then carve the texture to look like individual threads w/ an exact o knife

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casme Posted 23 May 2010 , 4:03am
post #13 of 22

yes I have made tassels out of gumpaste with no problems. They held up well.

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dalis4joe Posted 23 May 2010 , 5:25am
post #14 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by casme

I made mine out of gumpaste and let it dry on a piece of styrofoam. I turned it on the third day and let the other side dry. Worked great.




People tend to forget about that part... it's important to flip/turn your pieces so all sides dry evenly.....

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Mkanz Posted 23 May 2010 , 11:06am
post #15 of 22

Ok, so here's my question....if you use the gumpaste and the clay extruder for the tassel, don't you have to let it dry hanging like a tassel so it will dry in the position you want? Maybe that's where I'm messing up.

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PinkLisa Posted 23 May 2010 , 1:09pm
post #16 of 22

I dried my gumpaste tassel hanging over the side of a box, positionly it correctly so it would hang naturally on the mortar board.

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Mkanz Posted 23 May 2010 , 1:23pm
post #17 of 22

Ok...then I will try that...thank you so much for all the help..

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Dommers Posted 23 May 2010 , 3:37pm
post #18 of 22

yea, I put it on the mortarboard right after i make it and let it dry hanging.

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tesso Posted 23 May 2010 , 3:43pm
post #19 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackFlour

Any help with making the tassel portion of the grad hat? All help is greatly appreciated!! icon_smile.gif Thanks!!!




fondant in pasta machine !! makes it perfect. oh to keep it from breaking, use fondant, add a small amount of corn syrup it will keep it flexible so you can actually move the individual strands around like a real tassle.

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icalise Posted 23 May 2010 , 3:55pm
post #20 of 22

I did my tassel, the day the cake was due and it was fine. Fondant with tylose. Did the rope, then the gun extruder, conected them and put them right on the cap right away so it dried hanging down, placed the complete cap on wax paper, until I was ready to set it on the cake 3 hours later. Nothing broke even when I moved it to the cake. I put a lot of tylose and I added a lot of shortenight so it would go thru the gun. I don't know but it break on you because there isn't enought shortening?

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abeane Posted 25 May 2010 , 4:03am
post #21 of 22

What is the best surface on which to place the mortarboard while it dries? Styrofoam?? I set mine on waxed paper on a flat surface and the side that was on the waxed paper is all wavy....

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Daisy1 Posted 25 May 2010 , 1:45pm
post #22 of 22

Wax paper keeps the air from getting to the bottom side. Foam is best because it allows the air to circulate. If you don't have foam, try using a towel with a paper towel over it. Just remember to add a little powdered sugar so it doesn't stick to the paper towel and flatten the towel out to get rid of the waves.

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