Decorate The Cake: Texas Star Hibiscus Tutorial

A special thanks to Charla Tatom for the latest blog posting. Learn to make a Texas Star Hibiscus!

The Scarlet Swamp Hibiscus or Texas Star is brilliant red with petals more separated than those of other hibiscus, giving the blossom a star shaped look. To make this flower, roll a 1.5" ball of gumpaste into a log. Roll out 1/16" thick over groove on the back of the flower & leaf impression mat. Trim the excess that hangs off the bottom of the mat.

Turn the gumpaste over and spread some gum glue on one side of the ridge.

Take a 4" piece of 24g cloth-covered wire and place it next to the ridge. Gently press the ridge over the wire.

Cut a template for the petal out of cardstock. The petal should curve to the left when you place it over the middle of the wire. Cut around the template with an exact-o knife.

Place the petal onto Decorate the Cake's AWESOME Hibiscus Veiner and gently press with thin shaping foam.

Place the petal, back side up, onto a piece of thick shaping foam and frill around the top half of the petal with a ball tool.

Turn the petal over and using a dresden tool, make long strokes from the edge of the petal toward the center. This will cause the gumpaste to ruffle a little more.

Pinch the gumpaste around the wire at the bottom and then curve it around the end of a paintbrush or whatever this small round gumpaste tool is called??

Now you need something to help shape the petals as they dry. You can get 1" styrofoam balls and cut them in half. Or you can dig in your child's toy box and find some Squinkies bubble containers and cut them in half.

Place the 1/2 ball under the right edge of the petal. Let the petals dry 2-3 days.

Now for the pistil. Trim a few stamen to 1" long. Take a 7" piece of 18g wire and wrap 5 stamen around it with floral tape. Continue to wrap the floral tape down the wire, about 4"

Slide the wire through a small ball of gumpaste so that it is in the middle of the taped part.

Roll the gumpaste between your hands, working the gumpaste to each end so that the green tape is completely covered.

Using tweezers, insert the stamem into the gumpaste

Spread the top stamen out a bit

Stick the pistil into a block of styrofoam to dry.

After the petals have dried, it is time to give them some life with petal dust. First, I used a yellow sunflower color in the middle of the petal.

Then I used a plum color along the edge.

Finally I brushed some moss green lines in the lower part of the petal that curves in.

Here's the difference a little petal dust can make. I was making more of a fantasy hibiscus, and I ended up brushing the whole petal with some old gold luster dust as well. I also brushed the ends of the stamen with gum glue and then dipped them into some red & gold disco dust.

FINALLY - it is time to put the whole thing together. Attach one petal at a time to the wire with floral tape. Keep adding petals until you have 5, then continue to wrap the wire with the tape until it is nice and secure.