I made a bunch of flowers this past weekend for the cake I made, and used the Wilton gumpaste cutters. The book that came with this suggested you use cotton balls as 'formers' on which to dry the flowers. I did this, but there were shreds of cotton on the gumpaste when it dried. What do you folks use?

Hi KayMc! Almost all of the sugar paste flowers I make are wired, so I hand shape, curl, bend, twist... the petals and flowers and dry them upside down. Sometimes I hold the flower near a fan to help it set up. (I do this especially with roses where I have added either 5 or 7 petals at a time.) I also have used the styrofoam flower formers, as well as Wilton's plastic arches which work very nicely with leaves.

I fill a container with granulated sugar and place the flowers in that to dry.

All sorts of things....egg cartons, aluminum foil, shot glasses, cotton, paper towels/napkins.

I have a section of the egg crate bed foam that I use - I also will bunch up foil, or the walmart bags if I don't want it to be "uniform".

I use bubbel wrap in different sizes and egg cartons that I cover with plastic wrap. And also small petit four or candy liners

I had the same problem when I made a ruffled edge hat, I too use egg cartons, crumpled up tin foil. For fondant and gum paste bows I use a plastic hair curler, I get beautiful round high loops. Use plastic or the sponge ones

Also mini cupcake pans are great. The thing I like about egg cartons (I also cover these with Saran Wrap...can't be too careful....and you can use the same wrap again) and cupcake pans is, it's something you don't have to buy specifically for shaping. You already have these things and can use them over and over. Plus, you're recycling the egg cartons. Plus, you get 12-24 "shapers" for basically no $$, whereas buying shapers (especially for lilies) will cost you $2-3 PER.