How to Make Gumpaste Baby Shoes for a Baby Shower Cake

I have finally finished my baby shoes tutorial! I first began making these shoes using MMF, but found that gumpaste was a better solution, and more successful

Supplies

• Blue and White Gumpaste
• Gumpaste Glue
• Quilting wheel
• Parchment paper
• Scissors
• Cardboard
• Rolling pin
• Toothpick

1. Trace shoe template onto parchment paper over cardboard, and cut out the template pieces.

2. Roll out the blue gumpaste to about 2.5 mm thick, and cut out parts 1, 2 and 3 using the baby shoe template as your guide

3. Make a stitched pattern and 6 holes on the edge of part 1 from the template. You can use a toothpick and a quilting wheel to get the desired look.

4. Make a small ball shape in the “toe” area of the soles of the baby shoe (part 3 on the template). This will act as a support for the next step.

5. Brush the edge of the baby shoe with gumpaste glue or water, and attach part 2 from the template over the ball of gumpaste. Leave a 2.5 mm space on both side for the next step.

6. Brush the edge of the baby shoe with gumpaste glue, and attach part 1 to the back part of the baby shoe

7. The shoe is basically done now. We just need to add some accessories. For this tutorial I have used a small ribbon, but you could also use thin ropes of gumpaste made using an extruder. Weave the ribbon through holes in the gumpaste gently in the same way you would lace up a real shoe. You can use a pair of forceps or tweezers if your shoe is very small. Once laced up, gently push together the sides of the gumpaste, so it curves naturally and the total shoe is about 30 cm wide

8. To finish the shoe, cut parts 4, 5 and 6 from thin white gumpaste.

9. Apply gumpaste glue to the tip of the shoe. Press the white gumpaste onto the tip, and the trim the excess.

10. Apply gumpaste glue t the bottom sides of the shoe all the way around, and press part 6 onto the sides. You may wish to add a ribbed texture to this piece.

11. Add stitching to part 5, and using a little bit more gumpaste glue, attach it to the very back of the baby shoe vertically. This creates the back strap.

Follow steps 1-12 again for the other shoe, but be sure to make a mirror image, so you have proper “left” and “right” shoes.