How to Make Tiny Fondant (or Gum Paste) Bows for Cakes

After sharing the tutorial for How to Make the Crown Topper and all the details of the Tutus and Tiaras Cake - I also had a request to share How to Make Tiny Fondant (or Gum Paste) Bows for Cakes.

And lucky for YOU - I actually shot pictures when I was making the tiny bows for this cake.

So, it's late Thursday night, I'm exhausted after a long week of ugh... just a long week, so I'm going to get straight to the tutorial.

Here's what you'll need to make the tiny bows (check the list - everything is not in the picture):

• Gum paste or fondant with tylose (you actually could use straight fondant, depending on the size and placement of your bows)
• Small Rolling Pin
• Shortening
• Bow Cutters
• Xacto or Scalpel
• Corn Starch
• Sugar Glue
• Paint Brush
• Bubble Tea Straws

Okay - first step. Rub down your surface with shortening to prevent your gum paste or fondant from sticking.

Then roll out your gum paste or fondant to 2-3mm thickness. When it's ready, lightly dust the gum paste wtih corn starch (to prevent the cutter from sticking).

Next you'll want to firmly press the cutter into the gum paste (or fondant) and wiggle it a little bit to be sure it cuts all the way through.

I cut a few of them because I needed them all the way around the cake.

Note: I didn't use the "tails" for these bows, but you could easily use those if you needed them for your cake!

Using your Xacto or a scalpel, clean up the edges of all the bow pieces. I have no idea why I cleaned the tails here when I didn't use them, but anyway... you get the idea. 🙂

Flip the bow over and brush the center with sugar glue.

Then fold each end over to meet in the center and brush a little sugar glue there as well.

Lay the center piece over the glue in the center. Then you're going to want to flip it over and pinch it. It was really hard to snap a pic with one hand while pinching with the other, but I tried:

That's terrible right? But you get the idea.

Now stand the bow up on your surface.

To help them all have uniform shape, I used straws! Just slide some small pieces of straws or dowel rods into the loops. I use bubble tea straws for this size bow, but you will want to make sure you use something appropriately sized for the bow you're making.

I repeated this process over and over again until I had all the bows I needed, plus a few extras!

After the bows dried for a day, I made them pretty, pretty gold! The gold was painted on using Imperial Gold Luster dust and lemon extract. I mixed the dust and extract until I got a thick paint consistency and painted it on.

When that dried, I attached them to cake with melted candy melts.

I was really happy with how they turned out! I'm also really happy that I was able to share this tutorial with you for How to Make Tiny Fondant (or Gum Paste) Bows for Cakes!

Do you have any questions? Leave me a comment! Also be sure you check out the crown tutorial here and the rest of the cake details here.

Happy Caking!

Rose