Guest Tutorial: Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe - Cute as a Button Decorations!

The moment I laid eyes on Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe’s blog, I fell in love with its super-cuteness! I asked Sweet Lavender’s Christina Main to share a tutorial on any one of the cute cupcake/cake toppers which are available in her Etsy shop. Christina was so awesome to put together this wonderful photo tutorial! Now, you can buy these cute buttons in her shop, or make them yourself! This tutorial makes about a dozen buttons. ^_^
——————————-

Supplies Needed:
1. Cookie sheet lined with tinfoil (or parchment)
2. Self healing cutting mat (or plastic smooth surfaced cutting board)
3. 2 oz of gum paste per desired color (I chose purple, green, and orange)
4. Toothpicks
5. Mini offset spatula
6. Mini roller- something like this would also suffice
7. Flat edged gum paste tool- you can get a kit like this which has everything you’ll need!
8. Assorted piping tips- I specifically used a Magic Tip 9pt, Ateco #806, and an Ateco #804
9. Plastic wrap (not shown)

Get out your nifty cutting mat and roll out your gum paste until you’ve reached a thickness of 1/8-1/4″. I like my buttons closer to 1/8″ thick, but for new beginners, thicker would be easier Any extra gum paste you have needs to be kept rolled up in plastic wrap, or else it will dry out FASTER than you can say, “Dang that dried up fast!”

Cut out assorted sized circles with the tops AND bottoms of your piping tips. Can you say, “Multi-tasking tools rock?!” For larger buttons, use bottom of the Magic Tip 9pt, medium sizes use top of Magic Tip 9pt, and for the smallest sized buttons use the tops of an Ateco tip #806 and #804. Of course, you can be creative and use whatever, but these are the sizes that work for me! Roll scraps back into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap…you know…because of the drying and stuff.

For the largest buttons:

After you’ve cut your large buttons out (bottom of Magic Tip 9pt), use your flat edged gum paste tool and smooth the edges so that you have a smooth circle. If any of the medium or smaller sized buttons have ragged edges, do this to them as well.

You can go many ways when creating the larger buttons, and I highly encourage creativity- but what I’ve found works really well and produces buttons I just adore and think are pretty snazzy- I take the bottom of my Ateco tip #806 and GENTLY and EVENLY press down until I’ve created a sort of border. Careful not to go through the gum paste all the way…or else…well, you’ll have a little smaller of a button! No big.

Next, using your mini offset spatula, carefully pick up your large button and with a toothpick punch through 4 holes in the center.

Another way to go with the larger buttons: You can skip creating the border and go straight to punching holes in the center with your toothpick. 2 to 4 holes of course! Variety is key!

For the middle sized buttons:

For medium sized buttons, I cut out my buttons using the top of my Magic Tip 9pt piping tip. To create a button with a border, I use the top of my Ateco #806 to gently press onto my button cut out with the top of my Magic Tip 9pt piping tip.

Like with the larger buttons, using your mini offset spatula, carefully pick up buttons and punch through the center with either 2 or 4 holes.

I’ve found that with the medium and smaller buttons, you might have to flatten out the surface again once border has been made and holes have been punched. Sometimes these little guys like to try and roll up.

Finished medium sized button with border!

For the smallest buttons:

After cutting out button with the top of my Ateco #806 piping tip, I use the top of my Ateco #804 to gently and evenly press down- this again, creates the button with a border. Remember kids, don’t go through all the way!

Using mini offset spatula, carefully pick up small button and punch through 2 (or 4 if you’re a daredevil) small holes in center with toothpick.

If the button is too small for you to pick up, just leave on cutting mat and carefully pierce through the center with your toothpick. Go ahead, no one is looking…we won’t judge.

Finally, lay each button flat on your cookie sheet lined with tinfoil (or parchment) and let air dry for 24 hours. If you live somewhere with crazy amounts of humidity (let’s say Hawaii…love you Hawaii…but let’s be honest, you’re one humid state!), this drying step might take a little longer. Just test them out everyday- they’re done with they’re completely firm!

Once dried and completely firm, gently lift off of tinfoil and decorate your favorite cupcake!!!

—————-
Christina Main is a culinary school grad, and the blogger behind the wonderful Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe, where she shares recipes and cute decorating ideas! I just love the photos on her blog.

More cute confections can be found on her Etsy shop, where you can even purchase custom orders! Stay connected: Follow Christina on Twitter, Pinterest, and Like on Facebook.