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How to Make Realistic Gum Paste Leaves for Roses

This tutorial makes fairly small leaves to accompany a smaller rose. For larger leaves, the method is exactly the same (but a larger leaf cutter would be used). For the purpose of showing how it looks, I have opted to skip step 4 for the photos in my tutorial to show you how leaves look when you make them "The easy way."
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Canadian
Keyword gum paste, rose leaves, sugar flowers
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Dry time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12 + rose leaves
Author Naomi

Ingredients

  • 1 piece gum paste (about a golf-ball sized amount)
  • 1 Tbsp shortening
  • 1 small gum paste rolling pin
  • 1 (or 2) rose leaf cutters in one or two sizes
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tea ball or cheesecloth bag
  • 1 ball tool frill tool, or cell stick (optional - for thinning the leaf edges)
  • 1 silicone leaf veiner
  • 12 (or more) 6" lengths of green floral wire optional - one piece per leaf you're making
  • 1 pair needle nosed craft pliers optional - only needed if you are using floral wire
  • 1 roll plastic wrap

Instructions

Knead the gum paste until pliable

  1. Lightly grease a clean work surface with shortening, and knead the gum paste with the palm of your hand against your work surface until pliable.

Roll out the softened gum paste

  1. Add a little bit of shortening to your work surface again (just to make sure the gum paste isn't sticking), and roll it out until quite thin, about 1/8-inch (or 2-3mm).

Cut the leaves

  1. Using a rose leaf cutter from your gum paste rose cutter set, cut out as many leaves as you need (plus a few extra, just in case). Remove the excess gum paste from around the leaves, wrap the excess gum paste tightly in plastic wrap, and cover the cut gum paste leaves with plastic wrap against your work surface.

Wire the leaves and thin the edges (optional)

  1. If you plan to wire your rose leaves, you can do that at this stage.

  2. Take a 6" length of floral wire, and use your needle nosed pliers to make a small, sharp hook on one end. Dip the wire into a bit of water, and insert it (hook side in), at the base of one of your cut rose leaves, being careful to guide it into the gum paste without cutting it open.

    (If your gum paste is too thin, it will break through, and you may need to re-roll and cut the leaf shapes. If the wire shows on the back of the leaf a little bit, don't worry about it; once the leaves are colored, this will not matter.)

  3. Use a ball toll, frill tool, or cell stick to thin the edges of the leaves, if desired.

Press between the sides of your silicone leaf veiner

  1. Using a tea ball or cheesecloth bag, lightly dust your silicone leaf veiner with cornstarch, and press the leaf between the two pieces firmly. Remove the top piece, and gently remove the leaf.

Dry the leaves

  1. Set your rose leaf aside to dry for at least 8-12 hours in a cool, dry place. Repeat steps 1-6 with the remaining rose leaves, until all of them are done (making sure to keep any unused, cut leaves tightly covered while you work to prevent them drying out).