Making wafer paper flowers is a good way to make flowers for wedding cakes, but they can take as much time as gumpaste depending on the detail that you put into them. I developed a few shortcuts to speed up the process. One of my favorite methods comes from a gumpaste technique I adapted for wafer paper. It allows you to bulk‑make wired petals and leaves, so when it’s time to assemble a flower, you’re not starting from scratch.
You can see the gumpaste version here: Wiring gumpaste the quick way
This article includes affiliate links that will pay a commission if they’re used to purchase something. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Wafer paper supply list:
Shop for materials to make wafer paper flowers on Amazon and Oasis Supply (#ad). Use coupon code REMEMBER10 for a discount on your entire order at Oasis Supply. (All Amazon links are affiliate links)
- Wafer paper (use coupon code REMEMBER10 for a discount on your entire order at Oasis Supply)
- Silicone flower center molds (Amazon)
- Petal veiners (Amazon)
- Petal dust (Oasis Supply)
- Floral wire (Amazon)
- Tylose glue (Oasis)
- Fluffy paintbrushes (Amazon)
- Flower former (Amazon)
- Craft scissors (Amazon)
- Liquid Food Coloring (Amazon)
- Food-grade glycerin to make wafer paper conditioner (Amazon)
- Corn starch (Amazon)
- Flower paper punches (Amazon)
- Steamer to shape wafer paper (Amazon)
Prep the floral wire.
I’m using 30‑gauge floral wire, preferably white, because it won’t show through lighter petals. Each wire comes in a 12‑inch length, and I cut them into thirds so each piece is about 4 inches long, which is perfect for most average flower petals.
You can adjust the length depending on the type of flower you plan to make, or use green wire if you’re going to use them for leaves.
Click to subscribe to my Youtube channel to get updates on new articles and deals!
Prep the wafer paper.
Start with a sheet of O‑grade wafer paper. Cut it in half so you’ll have two pieces to sandwich the wires in between.
I’m essentially going to create a wafer paper and wire sandwich. Later, you’ll cut your actual petal shapes from these sheets.
You can buy wafer paper from Oasis Supply and use my affiliate discount code REMEMBER10 to get a discount on your entire order! Use this link:
Add the glue for the wires.
I like to use corn syrup for this step more than piping gel, but you can use both. The corn syrup will hold the paper together better over time, though.
Put the rough sides of one of the half sheets facing up on the counter, you’re going to stick wires to one of the half sheets now. To keep the wires in place, brush thin horizontal strips of piping gel or corn syrup onto one of the wafer paper halves.
Place the corn syrup about 2 inches apart for larger petals. On the opposite side of the paper, put shorter strokes of the syrup between those for smaller petals. The gel holds the wire still and also helps the wafer paper stick together.
Place the wires.
Press the wires into the syrup strips, making sure the wire doesn’t extend too far up the paper.
Don’t worry about precision here. This step is all about batch‑making the wires so you can work faster later. You want the wires to be straight on the paper, but if they tilt a little when you do the sandwiching int he next step, it’s probably okay.
Stick the sheets together.
To attach the two pieces, lightly spray the top sheet with vodka (or water if you prefer, but water can easily warp the paper). Vodka evaporates quickly so the paper might not be as affected by the moisture.
Place the second wafer paper sheet on top and press everything down firmly.
If any areas don’t stick well, dab a tiny bit of water just around the edges. Be careful, because if the paper turns dark, it’s getting too wet. Let it dry before you store it or it can stick to the other sheets.
Cut the sections out.
Once the sheet is fully stuck together, you can cut it in half, but not exactly in half. Make them slightly off center so that you have some larger pieces and some smaller ones for different sized petals.
Next, cut the strips into little rectangles around the wires so that you end up with what looks like a bunch of flat paddles on wires. These rectangles become your pre‑made petal blanks.
Use them when you need them.
This is how it’s so convenient for later. When you’re ready to make a flower, you can simply pull out a stack of your wired blanks and cut any petal shape you need.
Because wafer paper trims easily, you can even adjust the petal after assembly if a flower looks unbalanced, so it’s not critical that you have the rectangles the exact size that you’ll need later.
Store to use later.
I keep all of these pre‑made pieces in a simple plastic container. When I’m working on a flower, I just grab a handful, cut the shapes I want, and start assembling. It saves an enormous amount of time, especially when you’re making a lot of flowers in one sitting.
You can shape the petals with steam or wafer paper conditioner once they’re cut.
Bulk‑making your wired wafer paper petals is a huge time saver and makes the flower‑making process much smoother. Instead of stopping mid‑project to prepare each petal from scratch, you’ll have all of them half-assembled beforehand.
Related posts:
