ok fellow cc'ers i have been asked to make a graduation cake which they would like flowers and butterflies on it. i have never made any butterflies before so i was wondering what is the best way to make them as in fondant, royal icing, gumpaste,etc. and how would i go about making them. i did see the how to on edible butterflies but i am not sure how easy it will be to get rice paper. i would like them to be edible but they dont have to be if it is easier for me to learn first. also i have free reign with this cake so i would love to try something different. TIA

Any of the mediums you mention can be used.
Royal (colorflow) is prob ably the least fragile.
If you can find rice paper (actually it is now called wafer paper) they are super easy to make.
One medium you have not mentioned is chocolate transfer. Just put melted choco in a piping bag and fill in your picture, let harden and they are ready

As for design I think a spray of flowers on a sheet cake going from one lower corner to an upper one would be pretty. Put 3 smallish b'flies in there & oh what a pretty cake you should have

Here's a link to some instructions someone recently did up for making royal icing butterflies... hope this helps

. . . here is a link to some of the butterflies in the gallery . . . maybe it will help you decide what medium you want to work in . . . http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&meta=search&type=full&search=butterflies&pageID=1 . . . these gumpaste ones are cool . . . http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1218792.html . . . and here are some nice chocolate transfers . . . http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1204643.html . . . I also have some gumpaste ones in my gallery . . . have fun with whatever you decided . . . and don't forget to post . . .

I made mine out of little cookie cutters and just folded them and put them inbetween a folded index card.. let them dry and then piped a RI body. Then I sprayed with pearl dust.. But I also have a butterfly mold .. which I haven't used yet LOL (story of my life)

hey... just realised that the link didn't come out.. here's a repost
http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=5931289#5931289

Here's a butterfly cake done with chocolate transfers:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kavingate/240807796/in/set-72157594173053389/

Here's the tutorial, if you decide to go that route:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kavingate/sets/72157600064171751/

HTH

thanks everyone for your quick replies. now the hard part of figuring out which method will work for me! the graduation isn't for 2 more weeks but i figured i'd better get a head start since i have not done this before and i have a couple of kids that are not healthy so i have to work around all their dr apts and i do have a job besides. i will posts pics as soon as i can. thanks again