How To Make Watercolor Effect Unwired Wafer Paper Flowers


Making unwired watercolor wafer paper flowers is a pretty straightforward task, but when I make them I use a little hands-on painting to enhance the watercolor effect. It gives them a more painterly look and adds interest to the cake design.

Follow these simple steps to make wafer paper flowers that are totally edible and that can be used for cupcake toppers without worrying about wires or picks being attached.


How-To-Make-Watercolor-Effect-Unwired-Wafer-Paper-Flowers---A-Cake-To-Remember

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watercolor wafer paper flowers
Watercolor wafer paper flowers

Wafer paper supply list:

Shop for materials to make wafer paper flowers on Amazon (#ad):


Materials you’ll need for the watercolor flowers:

  • Wafer paper
  • Paper punches or scissors
  • Shortening or vegetable oil
  • Paintbrush
  • Petal dusts
  • Flower former
  • Vodka or water

supplies to make wafer paper flowers
How to make wafer paper flowers

watercolor wafer paper
Watercolor wafer paper

Start with printed watercolor wafer paper if possible.

Using printed watercolor wafer paper will give you a better depth of color than starting with white paper will.

If you can’t find printed sheets, you might be able to contact people on Etsy to see if they can do a custom print for you. If that’s not an option (a lot of people don’t print their own paper, they just resell it) then you can make your own with the instructions in this article: Making watercolor wafer paper.


Click to see Wafer Paper Sheets on Etsy


Cut out flower shapes using paper punches, or by hand if you don’t have punches.

watercolor wafer paper

You can also use a die cutter if you have one available. Cut out two shapes for each flower, since you’ll be layering them to make each one.



Attach two of each flower together, alternating the petal placement.

wafer paper flower
Attaching the flowers together

You don’t want the petals to totally line up, so make sure to alternate the layers. Put a small dot of vodka or water in the center of one flower, then attach the other onto it.

Make sure to put the colored sides facing up on both flowers. Place the flowers in a flower former to keep them in a cupped shape as they dry.


Put some shortening on your fingers and rub it on the petals.

rub shortening onto your fingers
Add shortening to your fingers

Adding the shortening to the petals will soften them and give the petal dust an oily surface to grab onto. If you don’t have shortening you can use a tiny bit of vegetable oil or wafer paper conditioner.


Dip the tip of your finger into the petal dust.

petal dust
Put petal dust on your fingertip

Get a little bit of petal dust on the tip of your finger. Make sure that it’s not too much or the color can look too bright.


Wedding

Apply the color to the flower petals.

layering the petals
Rub the flowers with petal dust

layered flower
Stain the petals with petal dust

Rub your fingers together and then rub the dust onto the flower petals, gently applying it where you want to enhance the color of the flower. Place the flower back into the flower former.


Make the flower center with a small piece of wafer paper.

small piece of wafer paper
Use a small piece of wafer paper for the center

tiny piece of wet wafer paper
Wet the piece and mush it into a tiny ball

poking the center of the wafer paper flower
Add the center to the flower

Take a tiny piece of wafer paper and wet it with the vodka or water. Roll it into a small ball and press it onto the center of the flower. Press the center into place with the end of a paintbrush or other tool to secure it in place.


Click to see how to make unwired wafer paper callas.


Keep the flowers in the flower former until they’re completely dry.

wafer paper flower with the center attached
Dry the flower in a flower former

Keep the flowers in a cupped shape so that they will maintain their shape after being removed from the former.


watercolor wafer paper flowers
Finished wafer paper flowers

Place the flowers on top of cupcakes, or attach to a cake.

The flowers are completely wire-free, so they can be used as cupcake toppers without fear of wires or picks. Attach them to cakes using corn syrup or buttercream.

To see the video tutorial for these flowers, click here: Easy Wafer Paper Flowers



These little filler flowers are easy to make and don’t run the risk of having anything inedible in them. Try them out and send me a photo if you can, I’ll share it in a future blog post!


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