Who can resist these cute turtle cake toppers? They are very easy to make and you can even scale the size down if you want to use them as a cupcake topper. You can mix the color combination as you like. Cant wait to get started? Here is my tutorial on how to make a turtle cake topper.
This is what I use:
Gum paste
Gel paste color for the turtle + black paste color for the eyes
Tylo glue
Small paint brush
Cocktail stick
Small knife + plastic bag (not showing on the photo)
Step 1:
Color your gum paste in desired colors for the “body”, the shell and the dots. Place the rest of the gum paste in a plastic bag. Take the color that you have chosen for the “body” and roll it into a sausage. Cut 4 pieces in the same size (feets) and save the rest for the head. Take the “feet” parts and roll them into a ball and shape them like a teardrop.
Note: It is possible that you need to adjust the amount of gum paste for the feets and the head.
Step 2:
Glue all 4 feets together with Tylo glue.
Step 3:
Take the gum paste for the shell and roll it into a ball. Form it into a toadstole shape and make it a little hollow at the bottom.
Step 4:
Brush a little tylo glue at the bottom of the shell and place it over the feets.
Step 5:
Take the “head” part and roll it into a little ball. Shape it so that it looks like a “golf club”.
Step 6:
Use the paint brush to make and indentation where the head will be.
Step 7:
Brush a little tylo glue in the indentation.
Step 8:
Attach the head. I have used my cornstarch duster as support for the head while it dries.
Step 9:
Roll very small balls of gum paste. Flatten them slightly and glue them on randomly over the shell.
Step 10:
All you need now is to make the eyes. Do that with a little black gel paste on a cocktail stick. Your cute little turtle cake topper is now ready to be used.
Happy Caking!
Louise
84 comments
Anonymous says:
Aug 14, 2011
Ah.. that was fun
Christa says:
May 19, 2011
so in love with this cute turtle
thanks for sharing
Moacquaah says:
May 4, 2011
Thank you, just finished it and it looks great
turtle momma says:
Jan 20, 2011
I plan to make these for my daughter’s first birthday, as turtle was her nickname in the womb
I am a little nervous, as I have never done this type of thing…
You said you can use fondant with water instead of the Tylo glue…are there any other options of things one might have at home or buy for cheap to use for gluing? as the powder is $20, and I won’t be using much, and was not planning to buy fondant…?
Thanks so much
Anonymous says:
Feb 6, 2011
You can soften a little bit of the fondant with some hot water to use as glue.
Lind says:
Nov 28, 2010
The turtles are cutee!!!
Tante Kage says:
Nov 13, 2010
I love this tutorial, the turtles are so cute!
Beth says:
Oct 18, 2010
Thanks so much for these directions!! I made 24 of these little guys for cupcake toppers. They came out so cute! Everyone loved them, especially the mom-to-be!
ton says:
Aug 2, 2010
Thank you so much for the tutorial on the turtle I have made it and it turned out so cute go see it I have posted it on my website. I just love your directions, ‘Thank you again
Toni
Sue says:
Jun 23, 2010
Found your website a few days ago – what an absolute wonderful place!!! Thank you so much for this tutorials. Tried the turtle this afternoon and can’t wait for it to dry. It’s super cool! Your instruction are so clear and easy. (And I’m very new to this whole sugarcraft thing, lol.)
Louise says:
Jun 5, 2010
Elny: It guess that plastic icing is the same as rolled fondant icing? How much gum did you add? I have never had any problems with gum and the weather. So I think that you may need to add more gum to your icing.
You can keep the toppers for a long time. go by the expire date on your icing. Just keep the decorations in a air thight box, not freezer.
I have never seen any expire date on my tylo, now that I think of it. So I will have to get back to you with this one.
Ana says:
Jun 5, 2010
Ooops I meant it does look super cute! Hehe! Apologies for not spell checking. Great website once again. Cheers
Ana says:
Jun 5, 2010
Dear Louise, I just discored your site (I’m new to decorating) & I have to say thank you for the tutorials. They are sooo cute & easy
I made my first turtle last night & although it needs work, it dies look super cute 
thanx so much
Brenda says:
Jun 2, 2010
I love your tutorials! They are so easy to understand. I would love for you to sell all the printed tutorials in one set. Thanks for all the info
Samina Jafri says:
May 29, 2010
awwwwwwwwwww they are soooooooooooooooo cute i’ve already made them and they were sooooooooo cute!!! and now my kids are making them
P.S they were cute aswell
Elny says:
May 26, 2010
Dear Louise,
Thanks very for your tutorials.. I learned a lot… if you don’t mind.. I have some questions..
1. it’s winter now in Aus.. I made some toppers 2 weeks ago from gumpaste which I made
from plastic icing + Gum Traqacanth…and they are not setting or hard.. is it because the
weather or something else?
2. How long can I keep my toppers if they are set and how about it not set like mine ones?
should I keep them in the freezer?
3. Is there any expire time for Gum Traqacanth or Tylose powder?
I’m thanking you in advance for your kindness and answers..
blessings,
Elny
kezzy says:
May 18, 2010
WOW!! That is amazing……… can’t wait to try it!
Maria-Greece says:
Apr 17, 2010
It’s perfect!
Thank you for sharing.
Cindy Limantara says:
Apr 12, 2010
I love your blog, so many great ideas and your photographs are unbelievable!!! <3
Louise says:
Nov 20, 2009
Morgan: You can soften a little bit of fondant with a few drops of warm water to make a sticky glue. Works just as good.
Morgan says:
Nov 19, 2009
BY THE WAY I LOVE THE TUT AND I CANT WAIT TO USE IT FOR MY SONS FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE!!
Morgan says:
Nov 19, 2009
HI I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD GLUE ALL THE STUFF TOGETHER WITHOUT TYLO GLUE BUT WITH SOMETHING ELSE, I CANT FIND THE STUFF ANYWHERE AND I HAVE TO MAKE THE CAKE PRETTY SOON
Louise says:
Aug 19, 2009
cat: Your turtle turned out very cute.
cat says:
Aug 17, 2009
I love tortoises, I have one as a pet. So naturally I found this adorable. I am just learning how to decorate now and this is the first thing I decided to model.
I made him from mmf. This was also my first time working with mmf, so I was happy with how it turned out. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sakkakth/3829129926/
Thanks for an excellent tutorial!
me. says:
Jul 18, 2009
i like thme.
Caroline says:
Jun 22, 2009
Thanks Louise, I appreciate that. Will definately state that the design is by CakeJournal if I make them to sell
Louise says:
Jun 22, 2009
Caroline: Well if you could include that the design is by CakeJournal I would be happy and you are welcome to sell them
Caroline says:
Jun 22, 2009
Hi Louise, thanks for posting the tutorial it was very easy to follow. I absolutely love the turtle, it’s so cute!
I was wondering if there are any copyright issues if I was to make these cake toppers to sell? Thanks.
michelle says:
Apr 29, 2009
oh these are so cute i want to rush out now and make them thanks a million for the brilliant cake tips am also new to cake decorating and up to now have mainly being doing very basic stuff now i want to try the more difficult stuff too!
Louise says:
Apr 12, 2009
Iroma: When you add tylo to fondant it will over the hours “thicken” and harden untill it is rock solid. Also it is best to color the fondant first and then add the tylo. Take a couple of oz. of fondant and sprinkle your work board with tylo around 1/4 of a tsp and knead the tylo into the fondant. After a few minutes you can feel that it is less soft and hold its shape.
The will last for years!!!! I still have the turtle from this tutorial
It looks perfect.
Iroma says:
Apr 7, 2009
One more thing! How long will one of these little ones last if I make them out of fondant and mix in some tylo?…Months? Years? Thanks!
Iroma says:
Apr 6, 2009
Louise, this little guy is wonderful! I have just got my hands on some tylo powder and was wondering if I should just go ahead and mix the powder with the rolled fondant? Should I knead it? Can you tell me how its done…I’m very new at cake decorating. Thanks!
Louise says:
Feb 14, 2009
elisa: thank you. I have some very old cake toppers saved and some of them are 4 years old. So there should not be problems as long as they are not going to be eaten
elisa says:
Feb 14, 2009
hey louise, these are soooo cute! i found the cake toppers that lindy smith makes for wedding cakes on her website and was curious as to how she made those. this seems similar enough. this might as well sound stupid but does the topper need to be thrown away eventually if made with a paste that has eggs or crisco on it? it’s too cute to not keep it forever!
Louise says:
Jan 20, 2009
MILA: I would say that Tylo and Gum tex are pretty much the same. They work the same when added to the fondant making it more stable, thick and dries faster.
I think that the result will be the same if you add it to fondant and MMF.
For your other question… Whenever I see recipes with tartar is because the tartar gives more volume like to royal icing. So I would not use tylo the same way like tartar. Tylo thicken the paste over time not sure I would like that in my cakes, royal icing.
MILA says:
Jan 20, 2009
Louise…. me again!!!!….. someone told me i can substittud TYLO powder for Tartar powder…. it´s true????
MILA says:
Jan 18, 2009
hi!!! Louise i just wanted to know if TYLO powder and Gum tex are the same
and if i add the same amount to my fondant…. does it make any difference if its ready to use fondant or mm fondant … thanx
Louise says:
Nov 24, 2008
Linda: I am so happy to hear that the turtle topper was a hit
It is always nice to hear that my tutorial have helped other cake friends.
Linda says:
Nov 15, 2008
Hi Louise,
This tutorial has been very helpful to me. I used this turtle topper on cupcakes for my son’s school bake sale. It was an instant hit and the kids loved it. Great job….thanks a lot.
i wanted to send you a photo of my version but i don’t know how.
Thanks again,
Linda
Louise says:
Nov 11, 2008
Grace: I am glad that you like my tutorials. I try my best to keep them simple for everyone to understand.
I will see what I can make with a tutorial on hoe to use RI on cakes.
Grace says:
Oct 28, 2008
Hi,
The very good thing about your tutorials are the way you put them. So simple and straight.
You are also very generous with yo ur suggestions.
However I have a question, I have read your tutorial on making Royal Icing, can you please make some on using them for decoration on cakes? I find using the icing set a bite difficult.
Thanks Grace
Louise says:
Sep 14, 2008
trishia: Most decorations to be put on cakes and cupcakes are edible. I would not eat large decorations myself but simply take it off. What is meant wiht edible glue is just that you can make a strong glue that can be eaten. Decorations made with Tylopowder will harden more so though it can be eaten it may not be so nice to bite into.
Kathy says:
Sep 10, 2008
Thanks for sharing. You are so talented! I love your website.
trishia says:
Sep 1, 2008
this is going to sound so stupid… but I have to decorate cupcakes for my friends bridal shower with little flowers and would like to use this stuff. but is it edible? or do people take it off before eating the cupcake?
silly, I know, but I thought for sure it wasn’t edible, but then that page you linked to for recipes said “edible” glue… so now I am confused!
thanks!
Louise says:
Aug 30, 2008
Emma: Its always nice to hear that:-)
Emma says:
Aug 29, 2008
Fantastic, i’ve just found this site and have learn’t so much already Thanks you x
Louise says:
Aug 6, 2008
Thank you for the comment COAF!!
Confessions of a Foodie says:
Aug 6, 2008
Love all the pics in your tutorial, makes it easy enough for a child to understand… Great blog, love the detailed pictures covering all the steps. Well done…..turtle…turtle (Masters of Disguise reference)
Louise says:
Aug 5, 2008
juanita: Thank you!
juanita says:
Aug 1, 2008
Thank you so much for the tutorial! I tried your idea a few months ago – I was a little off – but it was still a hit. Now, I know for the next time I make them. Your blog is wonderful! Love it!
Louise says:
Jul 31, 2008
katy, morgana & petrabennes: I am glad that you all liked it. Thanks!
petrabennes says:
Jul 29, 2008
That is so cute!
I would LOVE to see more of those easy to follow tutorials about making animal toppers.
Thanks for sharing this.
morgana says:
Jul 29, 2008
What a cute thing…
katy says:
Jul 26, 2008
i love your blog!! your tutorials are awesome — they’re inspiring me to try some of these techniques!
Louise says:
Jul 25, 2008
MSG142: 225 gr (8 oz) rolled fondant and 1 tsp of tylo powder or you can mix half gumpaste and half rolled fondant.
I hope all will have fun making the turtle cake topper
Natalie says:
Jul 24, 2008
Woa Im definately gonna have to try these out, they are so cute!
Love them, thanks a lot.
Ivy says:
Jul 24, 2008
This turtle is adorable and now I can make it myself. Thanks!
nizaineese says:
Jul 24, 2008
Thank you for all your tips. I really enjoy looking at all your posts….
Louise says:
Jul 21, 2008
Maria & Mary: Thank you both. So glad you like it.
MSG142 says:
Jul 21, 2008
Thanks a bunch for this tutorial. I have a baby shower that I’m hosting and will try to make these adorable little turtles. How much Tylo Powder to Sugar Paste (Fondant) should I use?
mary says:
Jul 20, 2008
thank you soooooo much for sharing with us!!!!! I’ts so pretty
Maria says:
Jul 20, 2008
Hi Louise,
Thank you for always sharing your talent with us.
I have always admired your work!
Maria
Louise says:
Jul 19, 2008
WOW…. looks like many like the little chap
so cool. Just to clear things:
Modelling paste is the same as Gum paste the name various from place to place dont know why really….. ?
Also when I need modelling paste I simply mix in some TYlo powder (CMC) or Gum Tracanth to my sugar paste/rolled fondant. I dont make it ahead because I then find that it often get to hard and difficult to work with. So I just mix the paste along when I need it.
For those of you who want to make your own modelling/gum paste here is a link: http://www.nicholaslodge.com/gumpaste.htm
Beverly: Yes its the same.
Miranda & Lisa Martins: No modelling paste have the ability to dry up hard where fondant mostly will collapse if you are making figures with it.
To the rest of you HUGE thanks I am really happy!!
Lisa says:
Jul 19, 2008
I can’t believe my luck! I was just about to start making them today (but was very worried about where to start) and fortuitously you have posted this tutorial. Thank you for sharing. I hope mine turn out half as pretty as yours
Cherie says:
Jul 19, 2008
How adorable! Thanks for sharing.
Landa says:
Jul 19, 2008
Oh thank you for this. It is so adorable.
snookydoodle says:
Jul 19, 2008
Wow thanks for the tutorial. I ll try it today. Your site is really helpful and interesting
Lisa Martins says:
Jul 19, 2008
Hi Louise
As per usual, your work just blows me away! Absolutely beautiful!!!
Question…With the modelling paste, that’s not fondant is it? Do you make your own or buy it pre-done?
Cheers, keep up the great work and hope to hear back from you.
Lisa
Adetutu says:
Jul 19, 2008
thanks for this mail on how to model. I will appreciate more of this .modelling is something I still do not really understand.
thanks for all your good works.you are appreciated.
marielba says:
Jul 19, 2008
Hi Louise, you got a geat idea, as usual it looks amazing,
greetings from Venezuela
Sharene says:
Jul 19, 2008
I love it and the tutorials are so easy to follow. Thank you very much
zareena says:
Jul 18, 2008
Hi Louise, thanks a lot for such a fun and easy tutorial. You make it look so easy and I’m sure it is. I’ll try it out soon and let you know the result. Once again thanks for your generosity.
Charity says:
Jul 18, 2008
Thanks so much for the tutorial… I’ve just started working with gumpaste and am learning how to do everything myself. I think it’s better to experiment on my own. This info was so helpful and all your ideas are amazing… thanks so much.
Charity
Fabbys says:
Jul 18, 2008
Beautiful!!!
My Sweet & Saucy says:
Jul 18, 2008
How adorable! You always do such nice tutorials!
Tracy says:
Jul 18, 2008
I have to echo everyone’s thanks! Such a clear tutorial.
Patty says:
Jul 18, 2008
nice job, thanks !
Hillary says:
Jul 18, 2008
You make it look so easy! Thanks for the tutorial.
leana says:
Jul 18, 2008
Thank you, too cute
Beverly says:
Jul 18, 2008
Hi Louise,
Thank you so much for posting this tutorial. I can’t wait to make one. Is modeling paste and gum paste the same thing?
Thanks.
Bev
Veronica says:
Jul 18, 2008
Awww he is too cute!
Miranda says:
Jul 18, 2008
This may be a stupid question but is Modeling Paste the same as fondant??
Nicole says:
Jul 18, 2008
Oh my gosh fantastic I’m so glad you did a tut on them they are so adorable, I’ll definitely be adding it to the site!
Ruth says:
Jul 18, 2008
Thank you so much! I’ve been looking at those for some time now wanting to attempt them but not sure where to start. You are very generous sharing this tutorial with us!