Wafer paper daffodils are a nice addition to a springtime cake with a floral arrangement.
Because the daffodil is a weird flower, there are a few ways to make one out of wafer paper, and this is a simplified version.
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Materials needed to make wafer paper daffodils.
Supplies needed:
•Yellow wafer paper
•Floral wire
•Floral tape
•Scissors
•Edible wafer paper glue
•Wafer paper conditioner
•Petal veiner (optional)
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- Wafer paper, white or colored
- Silicone flower center molds
- Petal veiners
- Petal dust
- Floral wire
- Tylose glue
- Fluffy paintbrushes
- Flower former
- Craft scissors
- Liquid Food Coloring
- Food-grade glycerin to make wafer paper conditioner
- Corn starch
- Flower paper punches
- Steamer to shape wafer paper
Make the wafer paper petals.
Start by wiring the petals and veining them if you want to. This is a simple flower so it’s not meant to be botanically correct! You can vein the petals or not.
Make 6 petals, then cut out a center. Look up the shape of daffodil cutters online to see the shapes.
If you do vein the petals, make the lines deeper than you think you should so that when the paper dries out and shrinks, the lines will still be visible.
You really don’t need to vein these, though!
Coat the strip of wafer paper with a light layer of edible glue. Don’t add too much or it can warp the paper.
Put the wires on the paper spaced apart so that you can cut the petal shapes out later.
Cover the first strip with a second strip of paper to sandwich the wires inside.
Use some wafer paper conditioner to brush on the strip to soften it up.
Make the bell-shaped center.
The daffodil center is shaped like a cup with a ruffle at the top and a stem on the bottom. The individual petals are connected to the stem, so it’s a strange flower.
To make the center, cut out a curved piece of paper and condition it, then form it into a cylinder.
Cutting the top edge will make the bell of the flower look more realistic.
Add some wafer paper conditioner onto the paper to make it softer.
Press the edges of the bell together and shape in at the bottom to make the cup.
Press the bottom around your finger, using conditioner or water to create a closed cup shape.
Attach the bell to the petals.
Tape the petals together, alternating with two layers of three each.
Glue the center onto the petals after you tape them together.
Use a little edible glue to attach the center, and make sure that the petals are in the right position.
Press the center onto the glue and hold in place until it’s really stuck.
Make and attach the stamens.
Make 3 center stamens by wrapping a little yellow paper around a hooked wire, then insert those through the center of the flower and tape them to the stem.
Twist the stamen wires together, then insert the wire through the center of the cupped center so that the wires lie against the taped wire that the petals are attached to.
Tape the stamen wires to the petal wires so that you have a taped stem.
Click here for another article about making stamens for gumpaste flowers.
You can condition the petals and vein them if you want to, just make sure to let them soften and dry out enough that they don’t stick to the silicone veiner and tear!
If the wafer paper is too wet when you make the sandwiched paper and wires, blot it with a paper towel, or dust with some cornstarch to absorb some of the moisture from the conditioner.
If you want to make this flower more realistic, you’ll need to add a tiny ruffle to the very top edge of the bell-shaped center.
Since you can’t stretch wafer paper the same way that you can with gumpaste, you’ll need to do this by cutting out a thin (like 1/8″ wide) curved strip, then attaching it to the top edge of the center so that it ruffles.
This is going to be really tricky to do, so it will be easier to cut the top of the bell in an irregular shape and then try to curl it outward slightly.
