Roll out gumpaste or stiffened fondant (using tylose) to a thickness of around 4 x the wire thickness. The photo above shows the wire used & icing. If it's too thin and the wire will show as a bulge or break though
Use a selection of sizes for interest and cut how many you need, the more you use the better the display. The cutters I have used range from 2 cm - 4.5cm. Sets of cutters with different sizes are great to use, smaller sizes can be used but I wouldn’t go to much bigger than 4.5cm, or they may droop or be too heavy to stand up.
I have used a #20 wire to support the shapes. This will cope for all of the star sizes above but a size #18 would be better for the larger 4.5 cm shape. Dip your wire in edible glue made from CMC. If you don’t use glue to stick the shape it will move on the wire and can come off.
Hold your shape and gently screw the wire into the star. Moving your fingers with the shape as the wire goes further in. This allows you to feel the wire as its guided in and gives support so you don’t poke it out the back, front or top. Stop inserting about 2/3rds of the way through
Lay your wired stars out to dry. This will take from a few hours to a day depending upon how stiff your icing was or how big the star was. If they are only small they can be used relatively quickly. You can also put two stars on to one wire. To do so - make sure you brush the spot on the wire that the star will sit at with glue so it sticks and stays. Thread the wire all the way through making sure it is evenly through the centre of the shape. Then glue the top of the wire and thread another star on - you can do as many as you wish as long as you leave them to dry so they don’t slide down the wires.
If you wish to have added sparkle you can add glitter to them. I have brushed edible glue to the shapes and then using the dusting pump bottle and a sheet of paper, I've sprayed glitter over the shape turning as I pump to coat evenly. These bottles are great to give an even coating to all surfaces. Doing this over a sheet of paper means your can then funnel the excess glitter back onto the bottle. Just be aware that this is a decorative only glitter so the recipient needs to be made aware that the elements shouldn’t be consumed.
Please note as with everything there are multiple ways to do things, choose what suits you best. You can also glue two shapes together sandwiching the wires in the centre. Alternatively you can make a small hook at the end of the wire and insert that into your shape for added support
Tips
- Make a few extra than what you think you will use as if you are anything like me you underestimate what's needed. Breakages can occur…this is normal and happens to everyone at some stage but its better to have a few spare than not enough. These can be pulled off the wires and the wires reused if necessary.
- Make sure when inserting wires into cakes you use a posy pick or straw to keep the wires from touching the cake.
- Alternate the heights of the stars by trimming the wires to make a pleasing display
- If the cake is travelling and you don’t want the wires shaking during transit tie a loose length of ribbon close the shapes to hold them all together…like a flower bouquet
- Old tylose/CMC containers make great glue pots, new glue can be mixed from the last dregs of powder stuck in the edges. Insert liquid put on lid and shake. Add a little extra liquid to thin, or a touch extra powder to thicken
- Larger shapes can have a number glued on to celebrate a birthday. Cutters such as Groovy numbers Clikstix are great for this and fit well
- Alternate coloured stars and stick smaller stars of different colours onto larger ones to add interest
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