How to Make Rosary Beads From Gumpaste

Bakers use gumpaste to create details on cakes. Gumpaste often forms shapes that require a sturdy frame like 3D fruits, animals and flowers. Made from powdered sugar, egg whites and water, gumpaste also contains gum tragacanth, gum tex, or tylose powder. These ingredients cause gumpaste to harden into sturdy forms when dry. You can make many things out of gumpaste; think of it as edible self-hardening clay. For christening, first communion and religious birthday cakes, gumpaste makes a sweet choice for edible rosary beads.

Things You'll Need

Gumpaste
Food coloring
10 mm bead mold

12 mm bead mold
Cornstarch
Freezer

Instructions

Roll about a baseball-size lump of gumpaste into a ball. Press your thumb into the top center of the ball. Drip a few drops of food coloring into the depression. Knead and roll the gumpaste until you distribute the color evenly through the paste. If you want white beads, dye isn't necessary.
Open your 10 mm bead mold. These molds usually have several depressions for beads; choose one with up to 10 depressions. This way you can make an entire decade of beads at one time. Dust the inside of the mold with cornstarch.
Press a ball of gumpaste into each depression. Mound the gumpaste about ¼ inch above the mold. Close the mold; the extra gumpaste should fill the corresponding depressions on the top of the mold. Fill the 12 mm bead mold for your pater beads the same way.
Place the molds in your freezer for about 15 minutes. This solidifies the shape and makes the beads easier to handle.
Release the beads from their mold. Open the mold and flip it over; the beads should spill out onto your work surface. They're ready for stringing and placing on your cake.

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