ANeed an advice from expert cake decorators..can i make 3d figures out of fondant only without tylose powder or gumpaste, even if i had to let it dry for a long time,how long will it take???

AYes you can, but it does not dry completely rock solid even after a few days. You also want your fondant to be a little stiff to avoid your figures from drooping or squatting. Tip i got from CC is to add cornstarch to your fondant. It sort of acts like tylose, but cheaper. And will help your fondant figures dry faster.

A

Thanks for replying :)....u said it won't be a rock solid...but will be soft and fall apart or will it stand as it is????

AProvided you have good supports (eg toothpick/wire to hold pieces together like for a standing man) and glued the pieces together they will be fine :)

A

Thanks :) :)

AYou're welcome! Goodluck on your cake! :)

ABUT your trouble working without tylose etc is that the fondant WILL sag while it's drying. Why don't you want to use tylose? Your finished product will keep its shape and look much better.

A

It's not that i don't want to use it,but where i come from it's not available in stores so i have to order it online and unfortunately i don't have time :( That's why i needed an alternative solution

ASame here, i can't find tylose anywhere but online. So for fondant figures/decorations i usually mix my fondant with ready made gumpaste which is readily available in stores or mix my fondant with cornstarch. The cornstarch is an inexpensive (semi) replacement for tylose, it'll help your fondant dry faster. Got this tip from a CC member and have been using it ever since :)

 have used straight fondant for *small* items w/o there being a problem so it on depends on how big the object is going to be.

You also try making the parts separately, let them dry - at least overnight before putting them together.

A[URL]https://img0.etsystatic.com/004/0/7196508/il_fullxfull.393553154_407a.jpg[/URL] How about these figures ( not standing ones ), can l make them from straight fondant????

AYou can make them from straight fondant, but they will sag a bit, depending on how big you make them and how dry and warm your climate is. They will certainly not dry right through the centre in a few days even. You could try to anticipate the sagging by making slightly higher and thinner than you want the end result, so when they sag they might be more like what you want.

I didn't use tylose with the first sitting fairy figurine I made. She ended looking like she needed a visit to Weight Watchers quick smart as her waistline thickened substantially over the first day of drying.

A[quote name="winniemog" url="/t/780225/help-for-a-newbie#post_7558167"]You can make them from straight fondant, but they will sag a bit, depending on how big you make them and how dry and warm your climate is. They will certainly not dry right through the centre in a few days even. You could try to anticipate the sagging by making slightly higher and thinner than you want the end result, so when they sag they might be more like what you want.

I didn't use tylose with the first sitting fairy figurine I made. She ended looking like she needed a visit to Weight Watchers quick smart as her waistline thickened substantially over the first day of drying.

:D I guess at least a cow won't need a weight watchers :D but it's a nice idea, making them thinner and a bit taller. I think I'll give it a try. What about putting them in the oven with only the light bulb on???

I've used fondant many times.  I used fondant on my daughters birthday cake rather than gumpaste.  It is more difficult to get finer details and they do need to be propped up more but wasn't too difficult. 

Curious about using the cornstarch??? How much do you add?

How much cornstarch do you use?

A

Wowwwww...looks pretty, i love it :) But did you use a straight fondant???? No gumpaste or tylose at all??? How long did it take these little guys at the base to dry??? They look beautiful, and the mermaid too.

Another option that works great is to make pastillage (powered sugar, gelatin and water) and mix that in with your fondant.  The ingredients are easy to find and it will help your fondant to dry much quicker and harder.  

Thanks.  Just fondant.  I'm very much a novice and at that point was nervous about gumpaste as it was drying faster than I could finish. 

I found fondant fine as long as the piece had a low center of gravity.  Anything tall was a challenge and even the antennae on the snail took 3 goes and 3 days drying before it stayed without breaking (mid summer humidity). 

I'm now giving gumpaste a go as I can get things so much finer.  Here's another one I did entirely of fondant.  The fence was a nightmare and the gate broke SO many times.  I tried tylose in the end but at that stage I didn't know I had to turn it to dry both sides.....doh!

Not overly original in design but he liked it :)

Excuse the messy board, still need to practice that clearly.

I have heard of that before but was afraid to try as I wasn't sure about ratio.  The water doesn't cause issues with the fondant?

AI don't measure how much cornstarch i add, i just add a little bit (using those container used to sprinkle powdered sugar/spices or parmesan cheese) till i feel that the fondant is no longer sticky and is a bit on the dry side..

.....I don't measure....just add a little bit......till i feel that the fondant is no longer sticky and is a bit on the dry side.......

A gal after my own heart:)  That's what I do.

Oooooohhhh I just thought of something else that can be used if it is available to you - Wilton's DRY gumpaste mix.  Just like above I just dip a lump of fondant into the dry mix and knead it through until I feel the fondant get tight & dry.   The product actually make a terrible gumpaste, but is sure good to tighten up fondant :)

A

Aaahhh! I never thought of doing this! And i have a package of wilton dry gumpaste mix just sitting here! A friend gave it to me and since i've heard of bad reviews about it i didn't know what to do with it! Now i know! Thanks for that tip! Yay :)