standing gum paste figure

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Permalink Reply by Janet M. Hall on May 8, 2012 at 4:41pm

The answer will depend on not only the height but the entire scope of the figure.  Exactly how big will it be?  If it is not too heavy and at 10" tall this is about the height of a tree I did some time back.  In order to make sure that was able to stand well I formed it around a hollow dowel.  For placement, I had screwed a wooden dowel to my MDF cake board just a hair smaller than the plastic dowel in the tree and a couple of inches taller than the cake.  I cut a hole in my cardboard cake base and up into the cake and placed the cake down over the wooden dowel and then the figure down over the wooden dowel.  I also had a bit of fondant in the plastic dowel so that there would be something for the wooden dowel to "stick" to.  HTH

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Permalink Reply by Linda Wolff on May 8, 2012 at 6:26pm

I too used dowels for my clown figure. I also wrapped gum paste around the legs, but since mine was a clown, he had big feet and I let the 2 dowels dry inside the feet until they were dry enough to add the rest of the body, so I didn't secure mine with any screws. They were pretty thick dowels. Pic in my gallery.

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Permalink Reply by Tony LaMonte on May 10, 2012 at 9:32am

Janet M. Hall said:

The answer will depend on not only the height but the entire scope of the figure.  Exactly how big will it be?  If it is not too heavy and at 10" tall this is about the height of a tree I did some time back.  In order to make sure that was able to stand well I formed it around a hollow dowel.  For placement, I had screwed a wooden dowel to my MDF cake board just a hair smaller than the plastic dowel in the tree and a couple of inches taller than the cake.  I cut a hole in my cardboard cake base and up into the cake and placed the cake down over the wooden dowel and then the figure down over the wooden dowel.  I also had a bit of fondant in the plastic dowel so that there would be something for the wooden dowel to "stick" to.  HTH

Hi Janet, Thanks for all your very useful information. I've had a change of design and my figure will not be standing, it now will be sitting cross legged on top of the cake so the standing problem had gone away but I'm definitely going to file your response for future reference, I know one of these days I'm going to need it. Thanks again!

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Permalink Reply by Tony LaMonte on May 10, 2012 at 9:35am

Linda Wolff said:

I too used dowels for my clown figure. I also wrapped gum paste around the legs, but since mine was a clown, he had big feet and I let the 2 dowels dry inside the feet until they were dry enough to add the rest of the body, so I didn't secure mine with any screws. They were pretty thick dowels. Pic in my gallery.

Hi Linda, Thanks for your reply. My design has changed and my figure will not be standing, it now will be sitting cross legged on top of the cake so the standing problem had gone away. I took a look at your clown and I see what you mean about his big feet. Very cute clown BTW. You make beautiful cakes. Thanks for your help, Tony

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