Petalsweet Bud Tutorials

In addition to creating sugar flowers for our cake designs and classes, one of our favorite things to do at Petalsweet is to make flower buds...they are quick, easy, and can be customized for just about any flower or color combination:

They are also fabulous space fillers for arrangements, bouquets and toppers...and if you happen to be a bit OCD about gaps between flowers (like me...it's a serious problem my friends!), then you may just fall in love with these little guys as a great solution:

As many of you know, my flowers are quite stylized and I make a lot of my decisions about creating AND coloring flowers based on what I think looks pretty...not necessarily what is perfectly botanically correct. I keep things real enough so the flower can be recognized, but after that, all bets are off! A lot of you are already making and using my stylized hydrangea buds from my online Craftsy class...thank you so much for  taking the course -I hope you have enjoyed it!

So having said all that, please note these directions are for my own version of flower buds that I have created for both form and function in my wedding cake business...they are a quick and pretty choice to use on cakes but are certainly not going to win you any horticulture awards!

Below are the instructions for two types of Petalsweet Buds:

• Our very popular and super easy All-Purpose Buds
• My version of some cute Gardenia Buds

The written instructions are first, followed by short videos to show you the process in real time. And lastly, there is a quick video covering the dusting process for both types of buds. They are both quick and simple to make...enjoy!

Tools and Supplies you will need:

• Wire (18g, 20g, 22g, 24g the larger the bud = the heavier gauge wire)
• Needle-nose pliers
• White gumpaste
• Sugar glue
• Styrofoam
• Knife tool
• Petal dust and brushes
• Pearl dust and brushes if desired

ALL-PURPOSE BUDS by Petalsweet

1. Prep wires by creating a small closed hook with the needle-nose pliers.

2. Roll a small piece of paste into a smooth ball, and then into a chunky teardrop shape.

3. Dip the hook into the sugar glue and wipe off excess (your wire should only be damp - too much glue will make your wire slippery, and it will be difficult to attach the paste). Insert hook into the wide end of the teardrop and secure the paste at the base. To attach, pinch about 1/4" of paste out of the base of the teardrop until the paste is thinned around the wire. Hold the paste between your thumb and finger and twist wire to remove the excess bit of paste.

4. Using the knife tool, press firmly into the teardrop from the bottom to the tip, creating three (3) indentations equally spaced around the bud. Reshape the bud if necessary.

5. Place wire in Styrofoam and let bud dry thoroughly 24 - 48 hours.

6. Using your preferred petal dust colors and a stiff, flat brush, dust green at the base where the paste and wire come together, then draw the color upwards through the indentations. If desired, use another color to lightly color the tip of the bud. We think pink is a really cute variation:

7. Steam gently if desired, and once dry, finish with a very light brush of pearl dust so the dried paste will catch the light and look less flat.

NOTE:  You can make All-Purpose Buds in both smaller and larger sizes...but keep in mind larger buds will also be heavier in weight. For really large buds, you might consider covering a small Styrofoam ball or cone with paste to achieve a lighter result...then gently score with the knife tool as outlined above. You can also try using different colored pastes to create your buds before dusting...pretty green paste is a frequent favorite at Petalsweet:

GARDENIA BUDS by Petalsweet

1. Prep wires by creating a small closed hook with the needle-nose pliers.

2. Roll a small piece of paste into a smooth ball, and then into a long cone shape.

3. Dip the hook into the sugar glue and wipe off excess (your wire should only be damp - too much glue will make your wire slippery and it will be difficult to attach the paste). Insert hook into the wide end of the cone and secure the paste at the base. To attach, pinch about 1/4" of paste out of the base of the cone until the paste is thinned around the wire. Hold the paste between your thumb and finger and twist wire to remove the excess bit of paste.

4. Using the knife tool, press firmly into the cone from the bottom to the tip, creating six (6) indentations equally spaced around the bud. 

5. Holding the bud lengthwise in front of you, gently twist the top and bottom ends in opposite directions until you have created a spiral in the paste. Re-shape as needed.

6. Place wire in Styrofoam and let bud dry thoroughly 24 - 48 hours.

7. Using your preferred petal dust colors and a stiff, flat brush, dust green at the base where the paste and wire come together, then draw the color upwards through the indentations. 

8. Steam gently if desired, and once dry, finish with a very light brush of pearl dust so the dried paste will catch the light and look less flat.



And for some quick and easy dusting...remember your buds should be completely dry before you add color to them!



Look at them...all twisty and cute!!

Thanks so much for stopping by...x

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Copyright © 2012 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, cake and sugar flower designs, photographs, videos and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

Petalsweet Bud Tutorials