HELP! Every flower I make out of gumpaste ends up losing its petals (they either snap off or crumble) when I move them or try to assemble a spray. So I tried making half gumpaste and half fondant to no avail...I have tried rolling it thick, I have tried rolling it thin...the petals just snap off at whatever seam they have.

I am making hibiscuses and the petals fall off right where they meet the center. Some of them just crack and then if I touch them or move them they fall off.

Any suggestions? Fixes? HELP!

Thanks.
Mixee

How are you attaching the petals to the center?

The petals are already attached. I use a rose cookie cutter and then vein them and then I dry them over a dixie cup filled with cotton. Then all of a sudden you look at them or breathe near them and a petal falls off.

I just had another one fall off. I noticed too that the ones w/ the half fondant will not harden. They have lost their shape, but they have also lost their elasticity when dry so those petals fall off...I am at a loss and I need 18 hibiscuses by Oct 1st.

Any ideas?
Mixee.

I just had the same problem the other day. It was my first time at trying to make flowers on my own and I was trying to make an orchid. It had three petals on it. I let it dry overnight with the ceiling fan on and then when I picked it up to assemble the orchid, one of the flower petals broke off. I made a second one, and the same thing happend. I rolled it pretty thin, but that's how most of the flowers look in the gallery. I used an all gumpaste mixture that I bought in the can from Micheal's. I hope someone can help us out on this problem.

Janice

But how are you attaching the petals when you make the flower? Are you allowing the center to dry then attaching them, or just doing them all at once?

Maybe it's the gumpaste... What recipe are you using??? It doesn't make sense for thicker petals breaking as easily as the thinner petals.

That's where I was at...I made them thicker so that they would be stronger but it seems that there is a weakness at the seams. Maybe my problem now is the 50% fondant. I thought that would solve the problem and make them a little more flexible instead of the petals just snapping off...now they just lightly fall off. LOL...

I will have to try straight gumpaste again and roll it thick...I use Wilton GumPaste (I know, that is probably my first mistake... )

Thanks.
Mixee

Mixee, I've noticed in more than one set of instructions that they emphasize thinning the edges of the petals put leaving the centers thicker -- perhaps you need to leave the bottom portion of the petals thicker, near the base?

They are thick...the same thickness as when they are cut out. Our teacher for gumpaste taught us to roll really thin...but I tried both thick and thin and neither way did it...

Right now I am just trying to leave them alone for a few days. Maybe they simply need more drying time. Although they have been in air conditioning so humidity isn't the issue. I don't know. Today is day#3. I will try to dust them tomorrow and see what happens. Maybe time will heal all er...um...seams?

hehe.
Mixee

Mixing gumpaste with fondant will weaken your paste and is not a good combination for sugar flowers...

Most of the flowers I make are wired...you must let gumpaste dry thoroughly before try to assemble...it is a tricky business getting them together and you will get breakage...

I either make my own gumpate or have used the Wilton....

When I make "layered" flowers..meaning one set of petals on top of another..I attach them when they are still pliable. Example would be a daisy...make the bottom set and then attach the top set while the paste is still damp....

Alright, so I let them dry for almost 4 days, then I could work with them more.
Only leaving the box out and forgetting to close it spells disaster when you have a curious cat. Yep, you guessed it, I woke up this morning to cotton all over the floor, a tipped box and a bunch of flower petals which broke off at the seams. LOL...I love my cat.

Mixee

Oh no....cats and sugar flowers are a dangerous combination....

Tell me about it! Looks like I am going back to the um...er...rolling mat? LOL..

Thanks all!
Mixee