Edible wafer paper butterflies are usually printed on one side, so to make them two-sided you’ll need to take a few extra steps.
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How to make double-sided butterflies.
To make two-sided wafer paper butterflies, you’ll need to either attach two butterflies together back-to-back, or you’ll need to print them on both sides of the paper to start.
Unless you have access to an edible ink printer and are making your own butterflies, you’ll probably need to use the attaching method.
The thing to remember when you attach edible butterflies together is that they’re not always symmetrical.
Unless they’re cut out using dies or paper punches, there will be variations in the butterfly shapes, and you’ll probably need to trim them.
Attaching butterflies back-to-back is easiest, then, when they’re punched out.
Some of the butterflies that I sold were made like this, so if you can find some that look like they’re symmetrical to begin with, that’s the best option.
For an article about butterfly cake decorating ideas, click here.
There are also some die-cut butterflies that could be attached back-to-back, like this assortment:
You can usually get die-cut butterflies on Amazon since a lot of them come from factories and are cut out using presses. Click here to see those: Edible butterflies on Amazon #ad
And here’s an insider tip…A lot of people who sell “handmade” edible butterflies online are buying them from the Amazon suppliers then reselling them at a higher price. I used to print and cut mine out myself, but most of my competitors were just reselling them. If you want really original designs look around because a lot of people sell the same thing and don’t make their own butterfly sets.
Attach the butterflies together.
If you’ll need to attach hand-cut butterflies, the edges probably won’t line up perfectly, but you can easily trim them so that they look good.
You’ll need two butterflies that look the same and are about the same size, then add some type of edible glue like piping gel to attach them together.
You can use corn syrup, piping gel, or the gelatin glue that I use to make wafer paper flexible. You can also use a very minimally wet paintbrush with water or vodka.
Apply a light coat of the edible glue to one unprinted side, then press the other butterfly to the first one so that the unprinted sides are attached together.
Set the butterflies in the position that you’d like them to dry in. They’ll probably move even after they dry, but they’ll keep the shape better if they dry in the right position to begin with.
After they dry, you can take some scissors and trim off the edges of any overlapping sections of the wings.
Click here for an article about making a blue butterflies baby shower cake.
Edible gelatin glue.
To make the edible gelatin glue, use the recipe in this article: Edible gelatin glue. You can also make fondant or gumpaste glue, but the gelatin is better for this.
Be warned that this can make the wafer paper very soft if you use too much, but if you only use enough to attach the two together, it can make the butterfly easier to position because the glue doesn’t dry hard.
You can also use piping gel or any other method that you like to stick the paper together, but the gelatin will leave the paper flexible so that you can move the wings.
This video shows the basic process using some die-cut butterflies and gelatin glue.
When you have the butterflies stuck together, set them in position to dry so that the wings look like they’re bent up. Use a curved flower former or any other method you like to keep the wings in position.
When they’re dry, you can use them on cakes or cupcakes to give the cake a little movement.
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
