Flowers Falling Off Wire
Sugar Work By Self-Raising-Rosie Updated 25 Aug 2017 , 3:38am by SandraSmiley

Hi All,
Was hoping someone could help me...
I've just started making flowers out of gum paste, mainly roses at the moment. When making the bud out of icing and attaching to the wire with glue and a hooked end, once the petals have been added and I dry them upside down everything starts to slip and the entire flower falls off!
I'm a beginner in this field of wondered if people had some hints and tips to help me here!
Also, could you make the flowers not on wire and attached these to fondant cake also? What would be the best way to do that?
Thanks in advance for you help!
Rosie

Rosie, I am not entirely getting the picture. Does the original cone (to which all the petals are attached) fall off or just the petals? If it is the whole piece, including the cone, you may not have allowed your cone to dry long enough. It should be completely dry and hard before you start adding petals. Also, when inserting the hooked wire into your cone, be sure to add a little bit of edible glue and to pinch the bottom of the cone firmly around the wire. You may also use styrofoam cones for your centers, which makes a lighter end product.
If just the petals are falling off, you are probably adding too much glue. It is easy to get them too wet.
Watch the tutorials which I attached in your other conversation. They will help you.

Thanks Sandra, It is the entire flower that is falling off the wires so maybe I didn't quite leave them long enough to dry...
I will watch the videos and hopefully they will be able to help me :)
I'll post results when i've given it another try!


I had the same problem. Wasn't giving the cone long enough time to dry. I watched a tutorial not long ago (I apologize to the person that made the tutorial, I honestly can't remember the name of the creator) and she made her cones out of Crayola Model Magic. The cones were lighter and seemed to adhere to the wire much better. Have not tried it yet, but it may help. The cone still has to dry for 24 hours. She didn't dye the cone, but covered it completely with a petal, so the white did not show.

In a similar vein, I have used styrofoam cores for my roses, but the wire (with a hook bent over at the top like usual) just comes back out really easily. Is there any way to hold it securely into the core?

are your wires coated with something like paper? i worked for someone who used plain slick wire wire and not much will stick to that --
egg white has been traditionally used for glue -- egg white slightly beaten with a bit of water -- thinned out gum paste can be used for glue -- if it doesn't dry overnight or after a couple hours in a dehydrator or warming drawer and stay affixed -- something's amiss
and as far as bending the wire over the top -- i bent my wire, dipped it in the glue, wiped it off so it is only damp then inserted that part into the cone/core/bud thing --
you don't want it wet with glue, just damp -- that's pretty important too
best to you both

so i mean wipe it on the heel of your hand like scottt clark woolley taught me or tamp it on a paper towel -- damp not wet
Quote by @-K8memphis on 5 seconds ago
you don't want it wet with glue, just damp -- that's pretty important too --

Thanks, K8. I normally just use water to moisten my wires and stick petals together, and that works with a gumpaste core, but obviously the styrofoam isn't water soluble so it wouldn't work.
I have since bought some edible glue - I just wasn't sure if that would work either, but I'll give it a go. In the end with my last roses, I just used hot glue to hold them on then covered that with an extra bit of gumpaste. It worked, but isn't exactly food-friendly!

You, know, Rosie, I keep thinking about your last response and have been reeeeeeeaaallly, reeeeeeealllly, well, concerned about the flowers you have with the hot glue that's been hidden with gum paste. It may be a good idea for you toss those out. First, they'll get mixed in with your other flowers, and when you go to use them, will you remember to tell those customers NOT to eat the flowers? And if you do, you really don't have any control if they do decide to eat them, or try to, and what if they are kids? I just don't think it is a good idea to have those. I recommend erring on the side of caution and getting rid of those. Make new ones, making sure the core is completely set, and use very minimal moisture to attach petals.

I make my flowers on styrofoam cones, attached to the wires with hot glue and have wires in the petals, so they sure are not edible. Who in his right mind eats gum paste anyway? It is repulsive! If I wanted to make edible, but not very realistic flowers, I would use modeling chocolate. At least they would be a bit tastier.





I'm not really going to get into this debate, but just to reassure you that I don't sell my cakes/flowers - all my work is for personal/friends use. I even asked for the roses back afterwards! So they definitely weren't going to get eaten.
But when talking about a rose made with a styrofoam core, with a wire in it, I really think the tiny dab of hot glue is the least of anyone's worries if someone tries to eat it...

Also to clarify....every cake I have ever made that had flowers was for an adult lady who wanted to keep the flowers, not eat them. They also know the materials from which they are constructed and wouldn't try to eat them even if they were so inclined. As I said earlier, if I were making a cake where children were likely to be involved, I would make the flowers 100% from modeling chocolate with no wires, styrofoam or hot glue involved.

no yeah everyone is fine -- of course we are all fine in our way with all this -- sandra, you just asked rhetorically "who in their right mind would eat them" and i just conversationally said "kids" 'cause they're never in their right mind and then they grow up like that ha!
and i do not want the kids to eat them -- they just take it as a challenge kwim --
:)

LOL - I didn't take offense, @-K8memphis! The remark was tongue-in-cheek because I KNOW kids will eat anything. There is a lady in my local cake club who actually eats wafer paper....gag! She said she ate paste in elementary school, too. I've heard of the paste thing, but was never tempted to try it.

I had the same problem until I found this video...This is awsome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a117X3SoPkk&t=13s

oh good, sandra :)
but heck yeah i ate paste -- remember mucilage? the clear stuff? it was almost tasty --
http://officesuppliesjunkie.com/throwback-thursday-lepages-gripspreader-mucilage/
elmer's, glue stick, well i never ate hot glue HAHAHAHA

I am surprised you survived to adulthood, @-K8memphis ! Thank goodness you stopped before you got to the hot glue! That would have been tangy!

modeling foam rose centers by Kara Andretta:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egJ309tV1Ns&feature=youtu.be
also check out her very pretty rose tutorial

sandra, yeah a little banged up, a little worse for the wear... and the mucilage -- hahahahahaha

I tried the trick with the crossed wires through the styrofoam cones (as shown in the video posted by @gemini1959 above) and it is fabulous! No more hot glue for me! Thanks for sharing, @gemini1959 !
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