On a rolling mat, roll out a piece of red gumpaste into a thin sheet (approximately 0.7–1 mm thick) and transfer it to the groove board.

Place a thin wire where the groove is. Use the bone tool to press the gumpaste from both sides so the wire becomes embedded in the paste. At the same time, the paste and wire are pressed into the groove, wrapping the wire from both sides.

Then gently roll over the center with the rolling pin to press the wire fully into the groove, and thin the edges of the petal by rolling from the center outward, pressing more firmly at the edges.

Place a petal template (wavy edge up) onto the gumpaste with wire. Trim off excess paste with a scalpel.

                                                         Top side of petal with wire                           Bottom side of petal with wire

Following the template, cut out 2 larger petals (for the bottom) and 2 smaller ones (for the capsule area).

Note 1: The template contains 3 petal sizes, allowing you to create a smaller flower: use 2 medium and 2 smallest petals. To make a larger or smaller flower, you can insert the template image into Word and resize as needed.

Note 2: For a fuller bloom, you can use 3 large petals on the bottom and 2 smaller ones on top. A typical wild poppy has 4 petals, but a 5-petal version looks more appealing on cakes. Cultivated ornamental varieties also exist with 5 petals and varied colors, so this deviation is perfectly fine.

Transfer the petal onto a soft foam pad and use the ball tool to press gently along the petal edge—half on the gumpaste, half on the pad—creating a gentle wave that mimics the ruffled edge typical for poppy petals.

Place the thinned petal between both halves of a veiner and gently press.

Carefully bend the wire to form a cupped shape and place it into a forming cup (or spoon, silicone mold, wavy foam), where you can further shape and emphasize the ruffles and veining. You may also use your fingers to add a slightly creased, crinkled texture typical of poppies.

Optionally, curl the petal tips slightly downward for a natural, drooping effect. Do not move the petals until they’ve slightly hardened.

Paint the hardened center of the petal with black gel color – the center blotch is irregular and frayed. The black can have a slight purplish hue.

Let the petals dry completely – especially the painted center, as the gel color moistens the gumpaste. If you hold the petal by the wire before it's dry, it might detach and fall out.

Meanwhile, prepare the seed capsule: Bend the end of thick florist wire into a hook and attach a small polystyrene ball or piece, then cover it with yellow-green gumpaste. Shape into a slightly flattened, egg-shaped sphere.

Mark the top with a cross, and individual segments – poppies have a star-like pattern on the capsule. Make a small indentation in the center. Let dry.

You can add shading with powder: Dust the top lightly with yellow-green, and darken around the base with black for a deeper contrast with the stamens. Darken petal edges (especially at the base) using dark red or black powder. Tap off excess powder gently.

Bundle the black stamens (store-bought or homemade – see next section), fold them in half, and secure around the seed capsule using the same wire by wrapping it tightly around the main stem.

Stretch the green florist tape to activate its stickiness, and wrap it from the capsule down the stem, tightly binding the stamens. If the bundle appears sparse, repeat the process until the stamen ring around the capsule appears full and even.

Return to the now-dried petals. First, attach two smaller petals opposite each other to the stem, then add two larger petals underneath. Wrap the stem wire upward with green florist tape, pressing firmly. Then press the petal tightly to the main stem and continue wrapping downward.

Place the second small petal opposite the first. Then position the larger petal between the two smaller ones. The fourth petal fills the opposite gap.

Final detailing: Emphasize the seed capsule grooves with a thin brush and black color, and dust the top with a powder yellow, such as egg yolk yellow.

Stamens can remain black or be painted purple on top using gel color.

Check the symmetry and adjust the petal ruffling as needed: use a brush with a tiny bit of alcohol to soften and reshape edges. For a double-layer flower, add another 4 small inner petals. Let the completed flower dry upright (e.g., stuck into polystyrene) so petals don’t sag.                   

Finishing Touch:

Now the flower is complete, with the stem wrapped tightly in green florist tape downward. You can add green sepals – poppies have two drooping green sepals beneath the bloom; these can be made from gumpaste for added realism.

Finally, fix the powders with a light mist of alcohol or edible glaze (optional). Let dry completely (several hours or overnight) on a polystyrene base.

Tips for Realism

• Petal texture: Before thinning, gently press the petal over a fine-textured mat (such as soft fabric) for a crepe effect.
• Color depth: Use two red tones – a base and a darker shade for the center; optionally, a very light highlight on the petal tips (mix a bit of white powder with red).
• Drying speed: A pinch of CMC will speed drying and add firmness. Work quickly – don’t let petals air-dry uncovered. Keep under plastic wrap.
• Variation: Not all petals need to be identical – slight differences in shape or wave look more natural.
• Storage: Store the finished flower in a dry, dark place to preserve color.

Materials:

• Gumpaste colored yellow-green or slightly olive, red for an opening bud
• Optional: red or purple for shading the tip (poppy buds often have pinkish/purplish tips or shading)
• Florist wire, green florist tape
• Powder colors (green, olive, purple, red)
• Optional: fine bristle/needle to mimic hairs, or white gel with a super fine brush

Instructions:

1. Bud body:
   Bend the end of strong florist wire into a hook.
   Attach a small polystyrene ball or a piece of foil. You may also sculpt the bud body entirely from gumpaste in an oval or egg shape. Let it harden slightly first so the wire doesn’t slip out during shaping.

   From red gumpaste, create two petals as described above. Attach them to the bud center on the wire: first one petal, wrapping it into a closed tip; then the second on the opposite side, wrapping it slightly looser to show a slight opening.

   Cover the bud with pointy green sepals. For realism, allow their tips to lift away slightly from the flower.

2. Texture:
   Use a needle or cutting tool to etch subtle lines along the bud’s length, letting them naturally converge at the tip.

   Optionally, mimic fine hairs using a dry brush or detail tool – gently scratch the surface. You can paint fine white stripes for extra detail. 

3. Coloring:
   Dust the bud with green powder; shade the bottom with olive or yellow tones.  
   Highlight the tip with red, pink, or dark purple powder – gives a realistic look of a blooming bud.

   At the wire junction, you may add a green calyx of two small green teardrop-shaped sepals.

4. Finishing:
   Wrap the stem with green florist tape all the way down.
   Let the bud dry in an upright position (e.g., stuck in polystyrene) until hardened.

🌸 Tip for Assembling the Entire Stem

To make a realistic full poppy stem:

• Combine flower + bud (or even two buds) on one main stem
• Add leaves made from gumpaste
• When assembling, bend the wires into natural arcs – poppies don’t have straight stems, and buds often droop downward.

And that’s it! :😃

Please let me know how you liked this tutorial and if you found it helpful!
You can share your comment on Instagram or Facebook , and if you manage to create the flowers following this tutorial, don’t forget to tag me, please: @patricia.bereni
Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you again soon! 🥰