Gum Paste Freesias

The gum paste freesia is an absolutely gorgeous sugar flower when created into a spray and used on top of the cake. Use these filler flowers with other sugar flowers or bunch a few sprays on their own to create a gum paste freesia bouquet. Today I share a step by step detailed tutorial on how to make these gorgeous gum paste freesias flowers.

Don't these gum paste freesias look gorgeous? Would you love to be able to make them? Now you can. I've been wanting to make this tutorial for you in a long time. As you can see there are way too many progress pictures and it truly is time-consuming to take so many pictures but I hope you find it useful.

About the freesia flowers

Freesia Flowers is one of the most fragrant flowers. The Freesia leichteinii is the most deliciously, sweetest of all freesia Species. Freesias are native to the cape of good hope, South Africa. They grow from corn of thickening underground stem. Freesias come is a variety of colors from golden hues of yellow to brilliant reds, deep purples and even bright whites.

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Gumpaste freesia with and without cutters (pin)

We usually use the daffodil cutter to make the freesia flowers. The cutter has three petals and we make two each to create a set of six petals. But, did you know that you can make the freesia without cutters too? I will show you how in the tutorial below.

Honestly, making the freesia freehand has without cutters is my favorite method and I can make them in plenty sitting in front of the telly watching my favorite TV series. So, don't forget to see how I do them.

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How to make gum paste freesia sugar flowers (pin)

Prepare your gum paste

• You will find my homemade gumpaste recipe. If you live in a location where you deal with high heat and humidity this gum paste recipe is ideal
• Color your gum paste a lighter shade of the color you want your final flowers to be.
• I often make my flowers in white and color them once I know what colors I need for the Cake.
• You can use your favorite gumpaste recipe. Homemade or store-bought.

You will need

• Gumpaste/flower paste
• Rolling Pin
• Foam Pad
• Freesia Cutter
• Fine Stamens
• Needle Nose pliers
• Pliers to cut wires
• Ball tool
• 24 g florist wire green
• Green Florist tape
• Edible glue (½ teaspoon tylose with 10 tablespoon water)

Prepare the wires

• Take a 24 g green wire
• Divide the wire in three
• using pliers or wire cutter
• Using your needle nose pliers make an open hook at the end of the wire.

Prepare the wires with stamens

• Take three of the fine stamens.
• Choose stamens that will match the final color of your flower. Or choose white to keep them neutral.
• Fold in half and place in the open hook.
• Close the hook securing the stamens in place.
• This will ensure the stamens do not fall from the completed flowers.

Preparing the petals

• Roll gum paste to about ⅛ inch thickness.
• This is usually how transparent it will look when rolled so thin.
• The thinner you roll gum paste the more natural the flowers will look

The first set of petals

• Cut out your first set of three petals.
• I prefer to place the cutter under the paste so it doesn’t stretch
• This method also achieves a nice smooth edge.
• Place petals under a plastic sheet to prevent it from drying while you prepare the second set of three petals.

The second set of three petals

• The second set of three petals is made using a Mexican hat technique.
• I use this cell board or foam with a hole to make it.
• If you do not have the Cell board or foam you can do it without as shown here.

• Roll a piece of gum paste into a ball then into a teardrop shape.
• Press the pointed end of the teardrop
• into the medium size hole.
• Roll the gum paste with a rolling pin or cell pin to about ⅛ inch thick.
• Roll the gum paste to ⅛ inch thick.

• Take it off the foam pad.
• Place the center of the Mexican hat in the center of the cutter as shown.
• Cut the petal.
• Use the soft side of a paintbrush to release the petal from the cutter.

Soften and cup the petals

• Now you should have two sets of petals.
• Place the petal made with the Mexican hat into the hole of the foam pad again.
• Using a ball tool as shown.
• Soften the edges of the petals. This is done by placing the ball tool half on the petal and half on the foam pad.
• Next, cup each petal.
• This is done by placing the tool at the outer edge of the petal and pulling inwards. This causes the petals to cup and curl in naturally
• Next, cup each petal.
• This is done by placing the tool at the outer edge of the petal and pulling inwards. This causes the petals to cup and curl in naturally

Line up the petals

• Leave the petal made with the Mexican hat in the hole of the foam pad.
• Add a little edible glue to the center of the petal.
• Next place the second set of petals on the first, making sure the second set sits between the first three as shown.
• Now you have six petals.
• Three on the outside and Three on the inside.
• This is the natural form of the petal

Forming the flower

• Take a cell pin or the back of your paintbrush and soften the center making a slight indent to thread the wire.
• Next using the hole of the foam pad as a guiding thread the wire with the fine stamens through the center of the flower as shown here.

• Working quickly so the paste doesn’t dry.
• Continue to use the cell pin to soften the inside of the flower.
• Pick the flower up. Invert it upside down.
• Soften the back of the flower such that you have a nice long stem-like so

• Curl some of the petals inwards giving them a natural look.
• Dry the flowers on a wire rack
• Some upside-down. Some in an egg carton facing upside curling the petals inwards giving the flowers some natural flow

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Making the freesia petals without cutters

Before we move on I want to show you how to create the gumpaste freesia without any cutters. It is a very simple and easy flower to make freehand and works great as a filler flowers

• Start with a ball of gum paste. The size of your ball will determine the size of your flower.
• Make a teardrop shape.
• Place a cell pin or pointed dowel

• Remove from Cell Pin or Dowel, Cut in half as shown – not all the way through.
• Cut each half into two again.
• This should now give you six petals.
• First-round the square edges gently with two fingers.
• Then thin and elongate gently with two fingers. Use cornflower on your fingers and stroke the petals outwards

• Freesia petals are long and round.
• Next place the stamen prepared exactly the same way as shown for the previous spray.
• Mold the flower to the wire ensuring you have a nice long stem

• Freesia petals are in sets of three.
• Three on the inside and three on the outside.
• Do the same here. Tweak the petals so they appear and inward and outward movement.
• Dry as before and continue with dusting and taping as shown with the previous spray.

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Make the Buds

• Roll small pea size balls of green and white. Keep the sizes different so they don’t look identical.
• Push the wire over the ball and shape into a cone first then lengthen the bottom forming the stem.
• Mark three cuts on each bud as shown.
• Leave to dry.

Making the Calyx

• Ensure the flowers are completely dry.
• Use green flower paste.
• Make two ball balls.
• Roll them into a teardrop.
• Place them opposite each other at the base of the flower.
• Lengthen them to form the extended stem.

Here I have used

• Daffodil and Sunflower Yellow.
• L’amour Orange
• Fern green
• Cornflower and
• A dash of pearl dust.
• I dust yellow in the center of the flower where the stamens come out.
• As well as on the base just above the calyx.

Dusting the sugar freesias

Here I have used: (links below)

• Daffodil and Sunflower yellow.
• L’amour Orange
• Fern green
• Cornflower and
• A dash of pearl dust.

Starting with the first color

Working with the Yellow.

• I dust yellow in the center of the flower where the stamens come out.
• As well as on the base just above the calyx.

• Next, I add a little bit of Corn flour to the yellow to lighten it.
• Then Dust the flower with yellow stroking from the center towards the petal edges. Inside and outside.

Onto the next color /shade

• Next, take orange, add some cornflour to lighten. Dust from the outside of the petals towards the inside with the orange.
• Dark colors need to be used sparingly.
• Try to blend the orange with the yellow but not overshadowing it completely.

• Take some Red. Using a flat brush and a light stroke. Brush the edges of the flower with red

On to the buds

• First, brush yellow on the whole bud.
• Using a thinner dry brush, paint orange into the lines you created.
• Then brush the whole bud with a little pearl dust or cornflour.
• This will smear the orange from the groves onto the rest of the bud. Giving it a more natural look, creating shades of yellow and orange

Dusting flowers can be messy. To avoid breathing too much of the dust it is recommended to cover your mouth and nose with a cloth mask.

Steaming the Flowers and Buds

•  This is done by simply holding the flower over the hot steam of a boiling kettle. If you do not have a kettle just boil water in a pot and use the steam.
• The steam can scald your hands so be careful. It is not necessary to hold too close to the boiling water. It takes about 10 seconds for each flower.
• Dry the flowers well on a drying rack upside down

Freesias ready to be taped into a spray

Taping the Stems

• Take your green Florist tape.
• Cut in half width way. Using half-width tape starts from the top of the stem, holding the tape at an angle as shown.
• Do halfway down each stem and set aside

• Once you have all your stems taped halfway down. Organize your spray.
• Keep the buds and flowers in the way you want them to be arranged.
• Three green buds, followed by the lighter buds followed by the flowers in sizes.

• Starting with the first smallest green bud, begin tapping. Stretch the florist tape to activate the glue.
• When you are ready to add the second just place the bud as shown then continue taping.
• You can adjust the buds to face outwards once you have finished tapping.
• Note – that the first one is not turned over to the right. The first stays upright. The rest is then tipped over to the right into a spray.

• Continue with the next three buds.
• Then on to the flowers.
• Arrange them as you go.
• Tip: pay special attention to sizes. Place small buds before the big buds and small flowers before the large flowers. This will give you a more natural spray

The final spray

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Here's how I dusted these gumpaste freesias

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