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With this blog post, I will kick start a small series that will show you a few techniques you can use to create simple decorations without purchasing any fondant tools and only the supplies readily available at home. When I started out making decorations with fondant, I thought I needed loads and loads of tools. But I was so wrong. Making fondant decorations without tools is possible and not limiting. You could make so many things, and I hope this tutorial helps you with the same.
What is fondant?
Fondant is primarily a sugar dough. It is made two ways, either with icing sugar or melted marshmallows. Since fondant is 95% sugar, it is extremely sweet and not many people enjoy eating it. Fondant is like Play-Doh. Using food-safe colours, it can be coloured into any colour and shaped into anything. To know how to colour fondant, read my blog post here.
Fondant is used for:
- Covering entire cakes for a neat and clean finish
- Making various customized figurines on theme cakes. For example, the lion and balloon on this cake have been made out of fondant. Fondant is a great way to personalize cakes and hence it is widely used.
At the bottom of this post, I have also tried to answer a few FAQs about fondant.
For more simple cake decorating tutorials, you can read the below posts:
- Father’s Day Cake Topper – Easy Step by Step Guide on Creating Your Own
- How to Decorate Cakes with Chocolate
- Harry Potter Fondant Decorations: Step by Step Easy Tutorial
In this post, I will show you how to make a bow and a few mini roses. So let’s begin.
How to Make a Fondant Bow without any specific tools
This simple and quick bow is great for a cake or cupcake. You can wary the size as per your base. To watch the full video of how I made this, please see below.
Total Time1 hr
Author: aanchal.jain
Equipment
Rolling Pin
Pizza Cutter
Sharp Knife
A Ruler
A Paintbrush
Two pieces of plastic or tissue
Materials
- 150 grams Fondant in your choice of colour
- 2-3 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
Soften the fondant by kneading it for a few minutes till its soft and easy to handle.
Roll out the fondant into a long rectangle, doesn’t have to exact using a rolling pin. The fondant should be 1 millimetre or so thick. If you don’t have a rolling pin, use a bottle.
Cut a strip of fondant, 4 cm wide and 16 to 18 cm in length. Also cut three more strips of fondant, 2 cm wide and 7 cm in length.
Take the largest strip and fold it in half. Pinch it slightly at the middle to mark the middle.
Now take the plastic/tissue and roll it like a cigar. Place the plastic in the middle half of the ribbon and fold the fondant over it. Similarly, do it on the other side as well. Using a bit of water stick the fondant to itself in the middle. Use a paintbrush or your finger to do so with very little water.
Using your fingers pinch the middle of the bow to itself.
Now using one of the smaller strips, fold over the pinched part of the bow and close the seam at the back, again using some water.
With the remaining two strips, cut out a small triangle at the bottom of each. Place these to strips on top of each at an angle and stick the bow on top again using some water.
Dry this overnight or till it hardens (can take a couple of days too) and then remove the plastic in between the fondant.
Video
Fondant FAQs
How to Make Fondant Stick to Itself?
To stick fondant to fondant, all you need to use is a little bit of water. With the help of a paintbrush, spread a little bit of water on one piece of fondant, and place it over the other. That’s it. Your fondant pieces will stick to each other.
How Far in Advance Can I Make Fondant Decorations?
Fondant decorations can be made up to a month in advance if packaged properly. Make your fondant decoration, let it air dry for a day or two, depending on the weather. Cover it with some cling film or plastic wrap and place it in an air tight container till ready to place on cake or dessert.
How Long Do Fondant Decorations Last?
Fondant decorations if stored properly can last for months.
For the cake orders I get, I try to make them at least a week in advance so they can hold their shape and be easy to handle.
How to Make Fondant Decorations Stick to Cake?
When covering an entire cake with fondant or just adding a few decor items onto the cake, you can stick it directly onto the icing below but you need to keep a few things in mind. Do not cover cakes with fondant which have fillings in them which require refrigeration. Fondant is not meant to be stored in the refrigerator. Use a ganache or buttercream to stick fondant to the cake.
I hope this helps you!
Happy Baking,
Aanchal
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