I'm trying to make a Princess Belle cake (Beauty and the Beast) using fondant icing for my best friends 21st birthday. I really want to make it all edible so I'm trying to mold the top half of her body and her head out of fondant icing but I'm having real trouble molding the head! Does anyone have any tips please?

I've tried molding the head attached to the body but when stood up the neck just disappears under the weight of the head.

do the head/neck seperatly and put a cocktail stick through it for later, dont add hair at this point. Use the cocktail stick to stand in some old paste or foam mat so head dries round and doesnt go flat by laying on a table...

then i would do the torso/arms and decorate the dress top, make sure you put cocktail stick through here aswell, but remove again (jsut so space is ready when you add the head). Let everything dry for 30mins or so and then using water put head on coktail stick into the torso...then hide the seem with a gold necklace? Once that is all done, i would make hair last so you can cover seam/necklace and it also means you are not guessing length but it can be measured up against the head to sit right on the back of the dress...

I am sure the pro's can be clearer and might have another method though......
SAM
XX

Maybe molding the head out of rice crispy treats then covering in a thin layer of fondant would make it not be so heavy.

I'm definitely not a pro but I do know you can add "gum tex" into fondant to make it stronger and thicker so it will help support weight better.

You can also use toothpicks or cocktail sticks to hold pieces together and provide structural support.

I'm sure others will have more helpful advice!

sorry, didnt get an email to say a reply was sent!!
Yes... i use a small amount of gumtex in any fondant that i model with.

for lumiere i would say possible but would be best to practise or make 2/3 to allow for breakages as he will be fiddly, i would shape his body around a cocktail stick (or insert it after), depends how big he is...if you insert stick after and he is small you will shift the fondant and it wont work. Then add head (dreid for 20mins or so and with pre-made hole for stick). Use food colouring to paint on facial details.

The arms look tricky....maybe wrap a very thin layer of fondant around wire for arms and then you can flex them where you want them. Use lots of props...bubble wrap, foil, whatever you can find to hold him up straight to dry for a few days. With some careful handling he should stand fine on the cake. Make sure you secure him to the cake board with chocolate/RI/ edible glue, whichever you use.

O and make sure you post pictures!!
sam x

Thanks everyone for all your advise. I'm going to just keep trying a bit of everything, so far I have successfully created Chip and Mrs Pots out of icing which is spurring me on to do the rest. Will post pictures when finished. Thanks again xx

For Lumiere, I would use a dowel rod for the body and wire for the arms. To get him to stand on your board, you could make a small hole for the dowel to set in.