What’s not to love? Small, delicate and cute, cherry blossoms are adorable against pink, white and chocolate fondant. They are great on their own in small bouquets or used as single filler flowers in a mixed arrangement. Make lots of the tiny buds… they are quick and easy to make, and always a favorite!
1. Wrap white cotton thread in a loop 15 times around four of your fingers. Cut the loop once with scissors to make a long strip. Cut strip into 1in (2.5cm) sections. Use white half-width floral tape to attach a 1in (2.5cm) section to a green 26g wire (see Getting Started). Trim thread to 1⁄2in (1cm) length.
2. Dust the thread and base of the tape with magenta dust. Repeat with the remaining 1in (2.5cm) sections of thread.
3. Dab the ends of the sections of thread with sugar glue.
4. Dip the ends in yellow pollen mixture (see Getting Started) and allow them to dry completely.
If you are short on time, use pink thread for the stamens instead of white so you can skip the dusting. For a more formal variety of cherry blossom, use dark burgundy colored thread for the stamens.
5. Roll pale pink paste over the medium hole on a Celboard.
6. Pull off the paste, flip it over, move to flat surface, and cut the flower shape.
7. Using a ball tool on a foam pad, lengthen each petal by 1⁄4in (5mm).
8. Using the JEM veining tool, vein each petal by rolling from the center to the outer edges.
9. Using scissors, cut a tiny 1⁄8in (3mm) slit in the center of each petal.
10. On a foam pad, thin the petal edges with a ball tool, and cup each of the petals twice with the wide end of a leaf shaping tool.
11. Apply a small amount of sugar glue in the center of the petal.
12. Slide one of the pre-made centers down through the middle of the petal, just until there is 1⁄8in (3mm) of tape showing in the center of the flower. Fold up the base of the petals around the center like tissue paper to hide the tape.
13. Gently roll the paste on the underside of the flower to attach it to the wire. Cut off the excess paste with scissors, leaving a 1⁄4in (5mm) flower base.
14. Dry right-side up in egg crate foam to allow the first petal to remain slightly open. Allow the flower to dry completely before adding the second layer of petals.
15. Roll pale pink paste to 1⁄16in (2mm) and cut the flower shape.
16. As with the first layer, lengthen and vein the petals, cut a slit in the top edge, ruffle and cup on a foam pad, and dab the center with a small amount of sugar glue.
17. Slide the petal up the wire and attach to the back of the first layer, positioning the petals so they are offset from the first layer. Hang to dry.
Keep some of the cherry blossoms as single flowers without the second layer of petals. Having a mix of single and double flowers will look more natural in an arrangement.
18. Roll a small ball of pale pink paste around 3⁄8in (8mm) to 1⁄2in (1cm) in diameter and attach to a hooked 28g wire (see Getting Started). Let it dry completely.
19. Roll pale pink paste thinly to 1⁄16in (2mm) and cut the flower shape. Vein the petals and cup in the center of each each one with a ball tool. Apply sugar glue to all of the petals.
20. Slide the flower up the wire, and wrap the bud base with one petal at a time, smoothing them on the bud until all of the petals have been used. Smooth any square edges at the base of the bud with your fingers to create a round bud shape.
21. If desired, create a larger bud by adding a second layer of petals, but leaving some of the petals open.
Apple blossoms can be created using the same techniques, substituting white paste for the flowers and buds, and leaving the thread white. To finish, dust the center of the flowers with kiwi green, and dust some of the flower edges and bud centers with a soft lilac color.
22. Roll green paste thinly to 1⁄16in (2mm) and cut the calyx shapes.
23. Working with three at a time on a foam pad, widen the sections of the calyx with a small ball tool.
24. Pinch the tips of each section with your fingertips.
25. Dab a small amount of sugar glue in the center and attach a calyx to the base of all of the flowers and buds. Let them dry.
26. Dust the centers of the flowers with magenta, and the edges of the flowers with cosmos pink dust. Dust the buds all over with cosmos pink dust and then add a touch of magenta to the tips of the buds where the petals come together.
27. Dust the calyx and base of the flowers and buds with kiwi green dust. Gently steam to set the color (see Getting Started) and allow to dry completely before using.
If you don't have time to make the calyxes, simply dust the base of the buds and flowers with a pretty yellow-green and steam to set the color before using.
