Mums

This styrofoam is a little confusing as it contains several stamen.  The one need are the little round balls as we are making mums.  

The easiest way to make sure all the centers are the same size is to roll out your paste and using a large round frosting tip as your cutter.  Roll each of the round cuts into a ball and glue to a 26 gauge wire.  Dry these overnight.

Below are several size daisy cutters.  Starting with the smallest cutter cut you gumpaste twice with this size.  

Place the cut petals on a foam block and using the rounded end of the small Cel-Stick, cup each petal starting at the top or outer edge of each petal and pull it toward the center.  When all petals are cupped, lightly glue the ball center and insert the wire into the center of your petal and gently pull it up around the ball.  Repeat these steps with your second cut of petals.

As you will more than likely work on several flowers at once it is not necessary to let the petals dry at this point as they will crust over and be ready for the next two rows of petals by the time you get back to the first center.

You will need to repeat the above process with the next two sizes of the cutters.  At this point your flower may not want to hold the petals up in the cupped shape.  You can help it by using a Cel Flower Former or an individual cup from an egg carton.  At this point let the flowers dry overnight.  

For the next three sizes of the cutters you can hang your flower upside down to dry.  This gives the finished flower a very natural shape.  

Mums are grown in a variety of colors and it is often sprayed a by florist to match the colors needed in bouquets.  I also make this flower in white paste only, as I can use it in any arrangement and make it the color I need by airbrush or petal dust.