Gum paste, also known as sugar paste, pastillage or sometimes called candy clay, is used for making all kinds of fancy decorations, such as long-lasting flowers, ribbons, bows, leaves, and just about anything else you can imagine.  It has a long and interesting history  and has been used by confectioners to make edible decorations since the late medieval period. Today it is quite popular with cake designers.

Gum paste is really a pliable "sugar dough", mixed with gums, which makes it easy to shape like modeling clay. Because of its sugar content, dries hard with the texture and crispness of a Necco wafer, and can be very brittle. It can be tinted, painted on or dusted with decorating dusts.  It is considered "technically" edible, but it is not palatable, especially because it's bland and doesn't taste very good. 

Gum paste is versatile and is stronger than Fondant. It can be rolled very thin, used for making delicate shapes or molded into figurines, trees, and animals. Pieces can be "glued" together to make large standing ones. Gum paste dries very quickly if thin, but takes a long time to dry if thick, sometimes 24 hours or more. Decorations can be made weeks in advance and temporarily stored in airtight containers, in a cool, dark place or kept there indefinitely away from heat or moisture, which can soften them. 

You can make Gum paste from scratch or buy it ready-made or as a mix where all you do is add water. When mixed, the recipe should be smooth and non-sticky. 

Gum paste contains sugar or glucose which makes it pliable and slows the drying effect of air. This is important because the sugar makes it a good medium to work with, especially for those who need ample time to form their decorations. 

Gum paste can be mixed with other recipes for decorative work. For example, a 50/50 mixture of Gum paste and rolled Fondant makes the Fondant easier to work with. 

WORKING WITH GUM PASTE: Gum paste feels and works like modeling clay and can be made into any color desired. It can be formed with hands or implements or rolled into everything from decorative boxes to lifelike flowers, including ribbons and bows or whatever your imagination captures. It can also be molded in molds or around everyday objects. After shaping it, the Gum paste is set out to dry. Afterwards, the surface can be painted and the pieces "glued" together and then dusted with dusting powder. 

When making shapes, Gum paste handles best when it is several days old after making. If rushed for time, store in a plastic bag at least overnight and then use. While working with Gum paste, keep the unused portions and any scraps well covered under a glass jar, in a plastic bag, or under a slightly damp cloth. (If the cloth is too damp the paste will begin to dissolve. If it happens, you can add more powdered sugar and re-knead.)

When you remove Gum paste from a plastic bag or covered container, you will need to re-work it with your hands until it's soft and pliable once again. If it has been stored for some time and seems a little bit stiff, add a small piece of freshly made Gum paste and then re-work it with your hands. =

To Tint and Flavor: Once you've made the Gum paste recipe, you can tint it any color you desire, or divide the mixture and tint it several different colors. If you want the entire amount of Gum paste colored the same, then add the coloring to the liquids added to the recipe. If you want only a portion of the gum paste colored, break off the approximate amount of gum paste you desire to color. Always wear thin surgical gloves for this step so you won't get color all over your hands.

Gum paste is colored by kneading in paste food color. Make the color a little darker, because it will fade slightly as gum paste dries. Remember, you can always darken a color easier than you can lighten one.

To color, add a little paste food color at a time using a toothpick. (With a fresh toothpick, dip it into the paste color jar, and then swipe it against the surface of the Gum paste. Use a fresh toothpick every time). With your fingers, knead the color into the gum paste until it is evenly distributed. It takes awhile to achieve a uniform color. Add in small amounts at a time if you want it to be darker. If too dark, add some more untinted Gum paste and knead. 

To Roll Out: Gum paste can be rolled very thin (about 1/16th of an inch thick) onto a smooth surface and then used as a cake covering, just like rolled Fondant. Remember, roll out one small piece of at a time to avoid drying, and cover every petal and flower cut you make with saran wrap.

I often use my pasta roller to help make very thin sheets of Gum paste, Fondant and even Candy Clay at the largest setting so your Gum paste can roll though easily, while making contact with the rollers. Before each pass of the dough, change to rollers to the setting to make is obtained. rollers can be cleaned with a cloth followed with a light greasing of shortening with a paper towel. Soft mixtures may need to be dusted with cornstarch using a large brush.

To Cut into Shapes: After rolling Gum paste, it can be cut into shapes freehand with a knife or with cookie cutters. Lay pieces on a nonstick surface such as wax paper to dry. You can shape them by laying them over a paper towel roll, covered in wax paper, or in a cupcake liner to dry. 

To Mold: Gum paste can be molded. Dust the mold first with powdered sugar, cornstarch or a light coating of vegetable oil so it unmolds easily. If molding a flat shape, such as a plate, additionally you can cover the mold with waxed paper. 

To Harden: Formed Gum paste shapes work best when decorated on after drying. Drying times of several days to a week are common depending upon the thickness.

To dry, you can place the formed Gum paste piece on waxed paper and turn it carefully once a day to ensure even drying. But, don't put Gum paste in an low temperature oven to dry! While placing pieces near a heat source, such as an oven light, may hasten drying, the oven itself will not work. You can also place pieces in front of a fan, especially if it is humid outside. To speed drying, you can lay it on pieces of Styrofoam which allows air to circulate on both sides. (Sprinkle your foam square with cornstarch and work it in with your fingers. Then, lay the shape on the foam). 

DECORATING: Gum paste is a great surface to decorate, such as painted or drawn on. I always recommend practicing first with a small piece of dried Gum paste before making the final piece(s). I have found that the thinner it is, the more elegant it looks after decorating. “Glue” dried pieces can be attached together with egg whites (safe egg whites, if edible) or royal icing for larger decorations.

When initially working with Gum paste, smooth out the wrinkles or lines on its surface to be decorated with. It can be done with a small amount of moisture and your finger or other tool. If you need to smooth it to some extent after it has dried, use a piece of sandpaper or a sharp knife to scrap off the surface.

Be careful when handling the painted pieces as so may accidentally transfer some color to other parts. When the paint has dried, cover with a fresh piece of plastic wrap, store in resealable plastic bags or place in Tupperware containers (my favorite) to provide protection.  

To Paint: Gum paste shapes can be painted with paste color before or after drying. (If not meant to be eaten or won't touch food, you can spray pieces with acrylic lacquer). To prepare colors for painting, use a clean toothpick to get some paste color and place in a plastic lid, small bowl or plate. Sprinkle a few drops of liquid onto the lid and mix it and the liquid together. Some prefer to dilute the colors by mixing them with vodka or gin instead of water to "water" them down. Liquor evaporates more rapidly than water, allowing you to paint more slowly before the surface “gums up” from the moisture in the paint.  Don't use rum, for example because it contains sugar, defeating the rapid evaporation.

Experiment by trying your color on your practice gum paste piece and adjust it until you get the consistency you need. The “runnier” the color is the more likely it will run out of the area you are painting. The thicker the color, the easier it will be to lay down but it also will be darker. Carefully scrap off any mistakes with a sharp knife after the color has dried a little. 

Some things to note: When painting the outline in black or any color tends to keep the colors separated even if it is not particularly thick. If you do not like the effect of a black line around your figures or design, try a light pencil so that you can “butt” one color up to the other without the black line separating them. If painting multiple colors, the first one needs to be somewhat dry before you can attempt the second color, or one may bleed into the other. 

To Draw: Drawings may be done freehand with a paintbrush or by transferring a pattern. Methods of transfer can range from carbon paper, using soft pencil, or an opaque projector. Carbon paper is rarely advisable tiny bits of the “carbon” easily transfer the the Gum paste and are hard to scrape off. 

A soft pencil can be used to draw a picture with. It can be transferred to the Gum paste by turning the paper over onto the piece and re-copying the outline. It is done by tracing (while pressing down) over the previously drawn lines with a soft pencil. The pencil lines drawn on the underneath side, copy to the Gum paste.

An opaque projector, often used to project designs onto cakes, will allow you to place the Gum paste piece under the light and directly copy the outline onto it.

Decorating Dusts: For example, gold luster dust brushed on dry after the gum paste is dry will make a beautiful gold bow. You can purchase it at any cake supply store.

SOURCES FOR GUM TEX & GLUCOSE: Both Gum-Tex and Glucose are essential ingredients used when making Gum paste from scratch. They can be sometimes hard to find. Find ingredients from Wilton Industries http://www.wilton.com http://www.beryls.com   http://www.sugarcraft.com or order ready made flowers http://cakedeco.com  Search store with keywords "gum paste flowers"