Floral wire, florist tape & stamens

Realistic sugar flowers need the right framework. In the floral wire, florist tape and stamens category you will find white floral wire in gauges 18, 20, 22, 24 and 28 and green wire in gauges 18, 20 (professional floral wire), 24 and 28, mostly 36 cm long, plus the white Culpitt floral wires in packs of 20 in gauges 20 and 22. Floral tape in light green, white and brown wraps stems neatly, and the floral tape cutter splits the tape into narrow strips. Flower stamens in yellow, white, brown, rose, pink, red, orange and pearl add the finishing touch to lilies and other sugar flowers; they come in small, medium and large in packs of 50, 144 or 288. Plastic wires for cake decorating complete the range.

Tips for wire, tape and stamens

• Choose the gauge: the higher the number, the finer the wire: gauge 28 suits delicate petals, gauge 18 sturdy stems. The Culpitt wires show it well: gauge 20 measures about 0.8 mm, gauge 22 about 0.6 mm.
• Wrap the tape properly: stretch the florist tape slightly and wrap it tightly and overlapping from the flower downwards; the tension makes it stick by itself. Light green suits stems, brown suits twigs, and white hides wires on pale cakes.
• Never straight into the cake: never push wire straight into the cake, always use a flower pick as a holder.

Frequently asked questions about floral wire and stamens

How do I make six stamens for a lily?

The stamens are small beads at both ends of a very thin wire. Bundle three wires, fix them in the middle with another wire and bend the ends upwards to get six stamens. They are made of plastic and are not edible.

What are the plastic wires for cake decorating used for?

They support modelled flowers, leaves, butterflies or small figures and let them float freely on the cake. The 25 wires are 20 cm long, stable and reusable, but are not edible either.

For the next steps, see Flower cutters & veiner sets and Flower holders, picks & styrofoam, and for an overview of the whole range, Gumpaste flower.