There are a bunch of different sprays and liquids that you can use to make wafer paper flexible like cloth, but this is a simple version that you can make at home, and all it takes is a couple of ingredients.
It will let you bend it and drape it like fabric, so it’s good for times when you need to make cloth effects on cakes. I tried a few combinations or proportions before I ended up with the one that seems to work the best. It makes the wafer paper pliable but not too sticky.
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What this formula will do to the wafer paper.
This recipe is more hard-core than regular wafer paper conditioner, but you also have to handle the paper differently when you use it. If you do take care not to smear the ink, though, it can give you really interesting effects.
That’s wafer paper crumpled up inside my hand…
And here it is after I uncrumpled it. I wouldn’t be able to do that with untreated wafer paper, it would be torn and ruined!
This formula combines with the wafer paper to make the starch more pliable, but you have to be careful about not adding too much to it to prevent it from being too sticky when it dries.
It can work to make some types of flowers, but it might be too much and make your petals too flexible to begin with. Let it dry into the petals and firm up before using them to make flowers.
You can also make fabric-like effects on cakes using fondant. Click here to read about that.
Wafer paper supply list:
Shop for materials to make wafer paper flowers on Amazon (#ad):
- 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
For a complete guide to wafer paper, click here.
Making wafer paper fabric.
You can also brush it with corn starch to make a wafer paper flexible fabric that will drape like real fabric.
Just brush the treated wafer paper with a light layer of corn starch to dry it out, and you’ll be able to pick it up and drape it on the cake like a piece of real cloth.
If you do this with printed wafer paper, you’ll need to be careful not to smear the food coloring on the paper when you’re working on it. If you add the liquid to the back of the paper instead of the printed side, it might be easier to make sure that the pattern isn’t ruined.
Formula to make the solution.
This is the formula I came up with to make wafer paper flexible:
1 pkg gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 Tbsp glycerin
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a microwavable bowl, and let it bloom for 15 minutes.
Put the bowl in a microwave and melt the gelatin, using 15-second bursts on high. Don’t boil the gelatin, just melt it.
You can remove the white foam off the top using a spoon or just leave it.
Mix the glycerin into the melted gelatin, and you’re done! Store in the fridge and reheat it to melt it when you need to use it.
Brush a light coat onto wafer paper and let it dry before using it.
You can also use this to stick wafer paper sheets together. Don’t put too much on at one time or it can make the paper buckle.
I brushed this onto the paper, but you can try it in a spray bottle if you want to. Brushing it onto dark printed paper can smear the colors.
Make sure that the spray bottle doesn’t have any metal parts inside it, and you’ll be able to put it in the microwave to heat up the gelatin when you need to use it.
If you do want to make the paper sticky, add more glycerin to the mix and it will dry and end up with a tacky surface that will stick to other pieces of paper.
