This gumpaste holly tutorial shows you how to create the classic dark green holly as well as a variegated holly variety, guaranteed to add Christmas magic to your cakes and bakes this festive season.
Gumpaste Holly Tutorial: Materials
- dark green gumpaste
- light green gumpaste (for variegated holly)
- red gumpaste
- holly leaf cutter
- 24-gauge green wires cut into sixths
- edible glue
- rolling pin
- foam pad
- ball tool or bone tool
- dust colors: red, leaf green/foliage green, forest green or ivy, kiwi or lime green, beige
- paintbrush
- green floral tape
- edible glaze spray
Gumpaste Holly Tutorial: Method
- To make the dark green HOLLY LEAVES, roll out a sausage of dark green gumpaste and place horizontally on your work surface. (You can use a grooved board if you prefer but if you’re a beginner this is a very simple method for creating gumpaste leaves.)
- Using your rolling pin, roll the gumpaste away from you, keeping the edge closest to you a bit thicker (for inserting the wire into the leaf) and rolling the end furthest from you a little thinner.
- Place the bottom of your cutter at the thickest end of the gumpaste and cut out a row of holly leaves.
- Take one of your green wires and dip into edible glue. Wipe off the excess then insert into the thick end of the leaf about half way. Pinch the base of the petal to secure it to the wire.
- On a foam pad, thin the edges of the leaves with a ball tool or bone tool.
- Place the leaves on a veiner to vein or mark the veins with the thin end of a Dresden tool.
- Pinch the pointed edges of the leaves to make sure they stay pointy and curve the leave backwards a little before leaving to dry overnight.
- Once dry, dust the holly leaves with foliage green dust all over and then a light touch of forest green.
- Add a little beige colored dust to the pointed tips of the leaves also.
- Dust with leaf green and vine green on the back.
- Use this lighter shade of green and a thin paintbrush, highlight the veins in this color also.
- Steam the leaves to set the color and bring up a shine.
- To make a VARIEGATED HOLLY LEAF, cut out the leaves in the lighter colored green gumpaste, then use dark green dust around the edge of the leaves as shown.
- For another variation, cut out the leaves in lemon colored gumpaste, then dust the center of the leaf with green dust following the pattern of the leaf itself, leaving just a border of lemon around the edge of the leaf.
- To make the HOLLY BERRIES, roll some red balls of gumpaste or alternatively use a bead mold if you have a lot of berries to make.
- Dip a piece of wire into edible glue, wipe off the excess, then insert the wire into the ball of gumpaste. Allow the wire to peep through slightly at the top of the berry. Pinch the base of the berry around the wire to secure it.
- Once dry, dust the berries with red dust color and steam to set the color and bring out a shine.
- Once all the berries and leaves are dry after steaming, you’re ready to start taping up.
- Take groups of three berries together, then add in either two or three leaves to each spray.
- To finish, spray the leaves and berries with edible glaze.