The Complete Guide to Wafer Paper Flowers: Learn How to Make + Store Them Properly

Wafer paper flowers are a popular form of cake decoration choice among bakers. These cake toppers are made using wafer paper – an edible material.

This decorating medium is used to create elegant, exquisite flowers that look different from the regular gum paste flowers.

Thinking how to up your cake game?

Today, we’ll teach you how to make your own wafer paper flowers!

• What are Wafer Paper Flowers?
• How to Make Wafer Paper Flowers
  • Method 1: Attend an Online Workshop
  • Method 2: Sign Up For a Physical Workshop
  • Method 3: Watch a Video Tutorial
  • Method 4: Follow an Online Recipe
• How to Attach Wafer Paper Flowers to A Cake
• How Long does Wafer Paper Last
• How to Store Wafer Paper Flowers

Wafer paper flowers, as its name suggests, are flowers made using wafer paper – a combination of potato starch, water, and vegetable oil.

Most wafer papers are flavourless or have a neutral taste.

This lack of flavour is an advantage as it doesn’t affect the taste of the cake that the wafer paper is applied onto.

Wafer paper flowers can be intimidating to make; it cracks, wilts, and melts easily when it comes into contact with water. Also, getting the right shade of colour can be difficult for first timers.

However, with a bit of patience and practice, they’re surprisingly simple to make!

Here are some methods to learn how to make wafer paper flowers:

Wafer Paper: The Flower Bundle

This wafer paper course by Winifred Kristé Cakes is suitable for newbies and professionals; each lesson is designed to guide and help you to master these seemingly complicated creations in just a few simple steps.

The curriculum focuses on creating stunning wafer paper flowers such as hydrangeas, ranunculus, and more. It also covers the tools and materials you need to create these intricate flowers. 

If you’re not ready to commit to the entire course, individual classes covering a range of topics are also available. For example, enrol in this wafer paper ranunculus class to pick up techniques on how to make this beautiful flower.  

In this step-by-step tutorial, Winifred brings you through how to create these delicate looking mini daisies in just a few simple steps!

Tools you’ll need

• A pair of craft scissors
• A dry dusting brush for dusting
• A mini brush for the edible glue
• A toothpick
• Egg whites 
• Wafer paper glue 
• Vodka (in a spray bottle)
• Pliers
• 26g white floral wire
• Some edible dust colours
• Wafer paper
• Pale yellow gumpaste 

Directions

1. Cut the 26g wire into halves or thirds and use the plier to bend the end of the wire into a little hook. Prepare the amount of gumpaste as shown and roll it into a mini ball.

2. Dip the mini hook into the egg whites, tap off the excess, and push it into the gumpaste ball. Ensure that you close the hole caused by the insertion by pinching your index finger and thumb in this manner.

3. To create the centre of the daisy, turn the gumpaste ball around and use a toothpick to make random indentations.

4. This is what it should look like when it’s done. Leave the ball to dry for at least 1 – 2 hours, making sure that the gumpaste is completely dry before you move on to the next step. 

5. Next, cut a tiny circular shape out of wafer paper and thread it through the wire until it reaches the bottom of the daisy centre.

The wafer paper cut out should be well adhered to the bottom of the daisy centre when you’re done.

7. Cut out mini teardrop shaped wafer paper (these will be the petals) and start attaching them to the center of the daisy (Winifred usually attaches 5 – 6 petals around the daisy centre).

This is how the flower will look after you’re done with the petals. They can be more opened or angled at 45° like this one here.

This will be your first layer of petals. You can choose to stop here or continue adding another layer for more visual interest (see below). 

In the picture above, Winifred has added a few more petals below the first layer to add more dimension to the flower.

This is how the daisy will look from the side.

8. The petals are looking a little flat at this point. To counter this issue, use the vodka spray to give it 1 – 2 sprays from a distance. 

9. Once the petals become soft and pliable, use your fingers to gently bend it backwards. This helps to give the entire flower more character by introducing some movement in the petals.

10. Mix the edible dust colours that you’ve chosen to achieve an orangey-yellow shade. Once you’re done, use your brush to gently tap on the daisy centre to transfer the colours over.

11. Cut out a mini starfish shape to create the calyx and colour it with a green tone.

12. Just like what you’ve to the daisy petals, use your fingers to bed the calyx to curl it before it dries out. Attach this to the bottom of your daisy and you’re done! 

And that’s it! 

Hope you like this tutorial! If you’ve attempted making these flowers, tag us on Instagram (@winifredkristecake) so we can see your beautiful wafer paper daisies!

Before attaching the sugar flowers to your cake, we need to learn how to make wafer paper glue. This glue can also be used to attach the petals to  your wafer paper flowers in step 6 of our wafer paper daisies tutorial. 

Ingredients

• Water
• Wafer Paper

Directions

1. Mix some wafer paper and water in a container and microwave them in 10-second intervals. You’ll most likely only need to do this twice. 
Note:
There’s no fixed quantity for each ingredient as long as you end up with a gooey mixture. However, to achieve this texture, the amount of water used should be lesser than the amount of wafer paper.

2. It’s okay to have some lumps in the mixture after microwaving it. Let it sit for 1 – 2 hours and it should come together to form a smooth mixture. 
Note:
This step is not compulsory. You can start using the mixture as soon as it is out of the microwave, even with the lumpy bits.

3. Store the mixture in a container for up to 5 days if you’re not using it immediately.
4. Next, attach the wafer paper flowers to your cake. Since most of our flowers are built on wires, you’ll need to know how to put them into the cake. 
Note:
Always make sure that no exposed wires go into the cake. You don’t want any wires to be touching the cake as they can be toxic and may cause a bad reaction especially when your cake is citrus-based.

Wrap your wires with floral tape (floral tapes are non-toxic) – to make them safe for insertion.

If you still feel unsafe, you may also place a straw into the cake before inserting the wire through the straw. This ensures that the floral tape doesn’t come in contact with the cake.

Wafer paper will not go bad. As a general rule of thumb, it’s recommended that you use it within a year of its purchase. This is because the paper dries out and becomes brittle over time.

One of the best things about utilising wafer paper is the scrapes. These unused bits can be kept for future use. Ensure that you keep the extra pieces in a clean Ziplock bag and store them in a cool, dry place.

• Avoid refrigerating – Users should avoid refrigerating their wafer paper flowers because the humidity in the fridge can cause the flowers to soften. This causes it to melt, changing its shape.
• Store in a cool dry place – Because wafer paper is mostly made of starch, it’s highly sensitive to water and moisture. Storing them in a cool dry place ensures they retain their shape by reducing the possibility of the flowers absorbing moisture and oil from the buttercream.

For more information, watch this comprehensive video below on how you store you wafer paper flowers.

Making Wafer Paper Flowers

Wafer paper flowers are a great alternative to traditional sugar flowers. They are also an excellent way to add a feminine touch to your cake.

Elevate your cake’s décor and learn how to make them today!