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.

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 (#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
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


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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Apply the color to the flower petals.


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.



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.

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

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!