Loopy Fondant Bow

One of my favorite things about Wilton Course 3: Gum Paste and Fondant was the loopy bow; it's easy, versatile, and adds a good 3+ inches in height to any cake. Here's what you'll need…

…an 8" or 10" cake circle, gum glue adhesive (a pinch of gum paste dissolved in a tablespoon of water), a small brush, a 9" fondant roller with purple 1/8" rings, Crisco, a ruler, a dusting pouch filled with a 50/50 mix of powdered sugar and cornstarch, a fondant Ribbon Cutter/Embosser with the spacers set for 1" (or any width you like), the knife tool from the Wilton 10-Piece Fondant and Gum Paste Tool Set, the quilting tool from the Wilton Deluxe Gum Paste Tool Set (optional), and a fondant mat. You'll also need a gum paste storage board. You'll use a 50/50 blend of fondant and gum paste; warm up a good sized handful of each by kneading it before blending them together. Store the fondant blend under a plastic cup to keep it from drying out. Start by lightly greasing the mat with a very small amount of Crisco. Roll the fondant into a log…

And then roll it into a long shape wide enough to accommodate the ribbon cutter.

Put the purple rings on the roller to ensure the entire length is 1/8" thick.

Run the cutter from one end to the other…

…and use the mat to measure off 5" pieces; cut the strips with the knife tool.

Store them under a flap on the gum paste storage board as you cut them.

Dust the cake circle with the dusting pouch.

Press the edge of the ruler against the side of the strip to ensure its straightness. 

If you want to make quilted edges on the strip (which I think really sells the bow as being made out of fabric), place the ruler over the strip with a small amount of the strip's edge visible. Run the quilting tool along it…

… and repeat on the other side.

Fold one end of the strip over to meet the other end, quilted side out…

…and use the knife tool to cut away the corners. Add the corners to the remaining fondant under the cup.

Undo the loop and paint some gum glue adhesive on the end.

Reshape the loop…

…and place it on the cake circle. Make more loops than you think you'll need; some may break or be otherwise imperfect.

Allow the loops to dry. To assemble the bow, you'll need the storage board, gum glue adhesive, brush, fondant/gum paste blend, dusting pouch, fondant roller with purple rings, and 3 round cutters of graduated size (like the Round Cut-Outs set). 

 Dust the back side of the storage board.

 Roll out the fondant…

…and cut one of each size circle. Put the medium and small ones under the flap on the storage board.  

 Slide the bow loops off the cake circle, re-dust it, and place the large circle in the middle. 

 Paint some gum glue on the underside of the tip of one of the loops…

 …and place it on the circle. Repeat with five loops, and overlap them slightly so they'll all fit. 

 Here's a side view:

Paint gum glue on one side of the medium circle…

 …and place it in the center over the tips of the first 6 loops. Start repeating the process with another 5 or 6 loops…

 …only this time overlap them in the opposite direction. 

 Paint gum glue on one side of the small circle and place it in the center…

 …and tuck a few more loops in. I was able to fit 4, for a grand total of 16 loops.

 Look at the bow from all angles. While the gum glue is still wet, the loops can be repositioned. I like the loops to look as random as possible; if any are stacked up too symmetrically, I adjust them to lie at slightly different angles. 

 When you're happy with the bow's shape, you can paint a little more gum glue around the base of each loop, just to make sure it will be as solid as possible when it's dry.