Stop and Smell the Flowers –    Wafer Paper Flowers!!

These easy and fun to make wafer paper flowers are perfect for decorating a variety of bakes. Did you want to reach in and smell the flowers? They are beautiful on a cake, stunning atop a cupcake, and a sweet looking surprise on a brownie.

The possiblies are limitless. Have you made a fresh loaf of french bread? How about placing them around that fresh loaf ? Serving Ice-cream,how about decorating the bowl of ice-cream with a beautiful flower?

Are you ready to start making stunning wafer paper flowers for your bakes?

What is Wafer Paper?

Wafer paper is an edible sheet of paper made out of either potato or rice flour.

Why use Wafer Paper?

Wafer paper is a thin, but sturdy material to use for decorating . It is much like craft paper in its ability to be cut in various shapes and used to create flowers. When the paper is moisten with food coloring it becomes pliable and is ease to manipulate into various shapes. It dries hard and unlike sugar sheets, does not crack.

Need Supplies to Make Wafer Paper Flowers:

• Wafer paper
• Template of flower petals
• pencil
• ball tool
• silicone mat
• pallet knife
• corn start
• food coloring
• thick spaghetti,or pretzels, or a Lollie Pop
• paint brushes
• fondant drying rack
• small container
• lemon extract or flavor of choice

Three Methods to Make Wafer Paper Flowers

Most flowers on cakes ( wafer paper, gum paste, fondant, and chocolate) are held together and applied to cakes with floral wire. My preference whenever possible is to use all edible items in the constructions of the cake decorations.

What will you learn ?

Illustrated will be three flowers using different edible items to construct the flower. Depending on the look of the flower ( kind of flower) being created, shown will be how using spaghetti, a pretzel stick and a lolly pop can be used instead of floral wire to make the flower out of wafer paper.

Getting started with creating your wafer flower

First decision is what look are you going for. The internet has many free templates that you can download and print. Shown below are two templates I originally started out using. Quickly, after starting out with a template, I decided that a template was not needed as I but upon the flower adding petals. I wanted various sizes of the petals and free hand cutting petals worked out well.

I would suggest though, to start out with a template and make alternations as you go. THEre is really no right or work with making your petals. You might start out with thinking you are going to make a particular flower but as you start making it, you see another vision for the flower.

How to transfer the petal imagine onto your wafer paper

Wafer paper has a smooth size and a rough size. Place the wafer over the imagine and either trace the shape with a blunt object or with a pencil. Yes, pencils are safe. The pencil mark can show up on the petal if it is not cut inside the pencil line. A blunt object/ tool will intent the paper not leaving behind a noticeable line.

Once you have decided on the petals shapes you would like to use, have traced many and cut them out, you are ready to get started with making your flower. The size of the flower will determine the number of petals needed. You can start out with approximately 6 of the largest petals, 4-6 of the medium size petals and about the amount of a smaller size. You are alway able to cut out the determined needed size and add it to the flower as needed.

Making the Needed Glue

The petals will need to be adhered to the stem and will need to be adhered to one another to form the flower shape.

The glue is made from using the scrapes of wafer paper from cutting out the petal shapes. Cut the scrapes into very small pieces, place them into a small container and add a small amount of arm water. The paper will become gummy once the water touches the wafer paper.. The mushy liquid will serve as the glue. The wafer paper does need to completely dissolve.

Adding Color to the Petals

In a small container add water and the food coloring of choice. I also add lemon extract to give the flower not only a beautiful color, but a wonderful fragrance. I found myself holding the floor up and attempting to smell them. It was after doing this a couple of times that I had the Ah-Ha moment and thought to add lemon extract.

Painting the Petals

Wafer paper is very fragile when wet. It will start to disintegrate before your eyes if too much fluid is applied. The application of color to the petals is almost dry brushing and applying layers of color slowly on to the petal.

Steps for Painting the Petals

• Prepare the work surface by applying a thin layer of corn starch. Corn starch prevents the petals from sticking. Ensure the surface is just dusted with the corn starch. Corn starch also can stick to the petals
• Add food coloring to a small container with water. Add lemon extract or other flavors of choice for a nice fragance.
• Drip paint brush into the food coloring liquid
• Using a paper towel brush off the liquid as much as possible
• Starting from the center of the petal, brush over the petal. The coloring will be very light and darken with additional coats. Make sure the petal is dry before adding more coloring
• paint both sides of the petal
• Use a ball roller and shape the petal.
• Place on mat and allow to dry out

Now that the petals are make, it is time to start constructing the flowers

First Methods for Making Wafer Paper Flowers- Spaghetti Stem

Preparing the stem

Thicker spaghetti is easier to work with than thin. It is stronger and will hold up better ( reduced chance of breaking) when securing the “stem” into the cake. This is uncooked spaghetti noddles.

The flower petal need something to adhere to on the stem. The first step in building the flower is preparing the stem for the petals.

Take a small piece of wafer paper , dampen it and wrap it around the spaghetti. These wafer paper serves as the foundation to build the flower. Apply the wafer about an inch down from the top of the spaghetti noodle.

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Adding the Petals

Gently puncture a whole in the center of the petal and slide the first petal onto the spaghetti stem. Slide the petal down to meet the foundation ( wafer paper wrap around the spaghetti)

Continuing to build the flower

Add the next petal in the same manner. Apply a small amount of wafer glue on the under side of the petal where it meets the petal already in place. Continue adding petals until the flower is full. You might want to slide in pieces of petals to add fullness. Dipping the end of the piece into the glue and sliding it place will hold.

Second Method for Making Wafer Paper Flowers- Pretzel Stick Stem

With this flower, I was going for a tropical looking flower. I drew a few petal shapes of various sizes on the wafer paper and cut theme out. The petals were colored using the same method as described above. I decided to wrap the petals around each other working from the inside out on this flower to achieve a different look.

The method used to apply the petals to the spaghetti noodle would work with a pretzel as well. A pretzel stick could also give a realistic look to a rose.

Like with the first method of making a wafer paper flower, a foundational base of wafer paper is needed for the petals to adhere to the stem. A wafer paper was applied to the top of the pretzel followed by applying the first petal to the moist wafer paper foundation.

Note- the camera has no mercy. The pencil marks on some of the flowers show up more so than what you see in person. The petals can be cut back ( pencil lines cut away) if you notice them.

The Third Method for Making Wafer Paper Flowers- The Lollipop Stem

Currently the Hibiscus flowers are in full bloom and they are gorgeous. Seeing these beautiful flowers, stirred my curiosity in thinking about what kind of wafer paper flower I could make that has large petals. Hibiscus have a large stamen and I knew I wanted something a little different.

I then thought about a button looking center would be cute, so that is when I decided that a lollipop would make a great stem.

First step was to cut out several large petals. The coloring of the petals was done in layers using two colors ( orange and yellow)

The petals were shaped to bend out and set to dry out.

I selected an orange lollipop for the center. A small amount of wafer glue was placed on the underside of the lollipop near the stick. The first petal was slide down the stick after a small hole was made in the petal. the petal was smoothen over the under side of the lollipop.

The flower was turned right side up and small petals were added to the base of the lollipop.

The possibilities for wafer paper flowers is almost endless. No two flowers , just like in nature, look the same. The process of making them is fun and the outcome is amazing.

I think making wafer paper flower would be fun for kids of many ages. It would be a fun family active. Maybe making a wafer paper flower for a cupcake since a cake would need many.

I hope you give this a try. Please share your results in the comments.