How to make a fondant Birdie

As spring time approaches so does the demand for fun, spring-themed cake and cupcake decorations. Using fondant or gumpaste is a great way to create such a fun decoration.  Easy to make, large or small, I can teach you how to make a little birdie that will be a fun addition to your cake or cupcake.

This is what I used:
50/50 mix of gumpaste and fondant (coloured pink, white, black and orange)
Rolling pin
Silicone mold with leaf petal (for the wings), I used this silicone mold set from Wilton
Gum glue (tylose powder mixed with water)
Cel stick
Veining tool

Step 1:

Roll the pink fondant/ gumpaste mix into a oblong shape about the size of a plum. I prefer to use a 50/50 mix because the gumpaste dries quicker and firm but the fondant gives you more time to work without having to worrying about the gumpaste drying out on you before you have finished sculpting.

Step 2:

Using your thumb and index finger, press the end of one side of the oblong shape. This will create a flat edge to one side of the oblong shape. Using your thumb and index finger you can continue to smooth out the flat edge creating a tail for the birdie.

Step 3:

Use the veining tool to create lines for the tail of the bird. You can spread the lines apart or keep them close. There is no rule here so add as many or as little lines as you wish the tail to have. Adding lines to the tail creates dimension.

Step 4:


Roll a tiny piece of white 50/50 mix and press it into the silicone leaf mold. If you do not have a silicone leaf mold like the one in the above picture, use any leaf shape cutter or cut a leaf shape by free-hand, keeping the fondant and gumpaste mixture at a medium thickness.  You do not want to roll out the mixture too thin as it will be too flimsy when placing it on the birdie….just a helpful tip :). If you use a basic leaf shape cutter or cut a leaf-like shape out free-hand, you may wish to use the veining tool to create some lines and dimension on the leaf shape as well to give the wings a look of feathers. You will need to make two wings, so please repeat this step twice.

Step 5:

Using the gum glue attach the wings, one to each side of the birdie. Once you have applied a small amount of gum glue to the wing, place it along side of the oblong shape and hold it there for 20-40 seconds or until it creates a bond. Repeat the same to attach the second wing.

Step 6:

Using the black gumpaste and fondant mixture create two round circles for the eyes. Using the orange gumpaste and fondant mixture create a tiny triangle for the birdie’s beak. Make sure that you make the eyes and beak in proportion to the “head” of the birdie.

Step 7:

Attach the eyes and the beak to the birdie with gum glue. Allow all the pieces to dry for 30 minutes or so before placing upon a cake or cupcake.

Happy Caking!

Diane