Gumpaste Peony Leaves with Calyx Instructions

Learn how to construct realistic-looking gumpaste peony leaves and a calyx. From cutting and shaping the leaves to coloring them.

This is the second installment in a two-part article on how to make a rainbow peony. We’ll be working on the peony leaves and calyx in this article.

If you’ve seen my article on how to make gumpaste rose leaves, you’ll note that these are a little different. Peonies, for example, have a significantly distinct calyx and their leaves are considerably thinner.

Check out the rest of the tutorials in this series:

Instructions for Rainbow Gumpaste Peony

Let’s get started with the peony leaves and calyx instruction.

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Supplies Needed for the Peony Leaves and Calyx:

• Gumpaste or fondant with added Tylose for stiffness (tinted green)
• Fondant roller, small
• Peony cutter set by Wilton
• Dresden fondant tool
• Veiner should be left alone. I use this Wilton one, which is officially discontinued but sometimes has a tiny quantity, so be careful to check. If you can’t acquire that one, here’s another.
• Wire gauges ranging from 20 to 18 gauge
• Similar to these, a blossom cutter
• Precision Knife
• Green, yellow, orange, and burgundy petal dusts
• Brushes that are solely used for caking

I’ve included screen photos from the video below, along with comprehensive instructions.

I’ve also included a video at the conclusion of this article that explains everything in depth.

Making the Calyx:

So, the peony’s calyx is a bit different. I only had a calyx cutter for a gumpaste rose, so I looked up what a calyx for a peony looks like and then fashioned my own with what I had.

Instead of always purchasing new items, I like figuring out how to accomplish things with what I already have. Don’t get me wrong, I like purchasing baking goods, but I may go insane if I don’t keep an eye on myself. I also like challenging myself.

Make the Calyx Part 1:

Well, start by rolling out the green gumpaste and cutting out a form with your little flower cutter.

After the bloom is carved out, use your exacto knife to extend the petals.

Now, using your exacto knife, cut little Vs into each petal. I do a bigger one in the center of each petal, followed by smaller ones around it.

Grab your bloom (calyx) and draw some vein lines on it. I simply use my tried-and-true Wilton veining mat.

Use your dresden tool to make some deeper lines.

Place a piece of foam on top of a mason jar. Make sure your foam has a hole in the center. Place your calyx face down on it and fill it with water. Nevertheless, do not apply water to the very tips of your petals.

Insert your flower stem through the calyx and foam, then use the foam to secure the calyx around the base of your bloom.

Raise the calyx ends and curl them back slightly.

As you work on the other side of the calyx, place your stem in some foam.

Make the Calyx Part 2:

Now we’ll build the calyx’s longer leaves.

Lay out your green gumpaste as thinly as possible. Use your peony cutter set’s leaf cutter. I only have the Wilton cutter set.

But, we were just utilizing a little piece of the leaf. Remove three of the smaller leaves and trim the extra so that you only have three of the smaller leaves.

Use your veining mat to vein them. I just push them down on the veining mat with a piece of foam.

You should now curl the very tips of these leaves. Just shape the ends into little points.

Fill the leaves with water, but not all the way to the tips. Attach equally spaced to your calyx and curl the ends up.

Impress lines into your fondant dresden tool. You’re just attempting to mix in the additional components you’ve added.

Just immerse the flower stem in foam as you work on the peony leaves. When applying color to your calyx, make sure it is absolutely dried and firm. Otherwise, it will fracture easily.

Making the Peony Leaves:

On a veiner board, roll out your green gumpaste extremely thinly. I use my tried-and-true Wilton board. (A link to it may be found in the supplies section at the beginning of this page.) Lay it out on your board, then remove the gumpaste and lightly dust with cornstarch.

Center your peony leaf cutter on the little tab created by your veiner board.

It will look like this after cut out. Only about three-quarters of the way up the leaf does the veining tab extend.

Apply some water to one side of the tab, then place the wire on it, fold over the tab, and dust with cornstarch to absorb any residual moisture.

You may, of course, use various veining boards. Some construct a tube-like structure along the center of the leaf into which the wire is inserted. I never have success with them since I can’t seem to place a wire straight. It constantly pokes through the top of the leaf. Employ whatever makes you feel at ease.

Just vein the top of your leaf now.

Cut little Vs in the same way you did for your calyx. You’re merely adding texture to make it appear more lifelike.

Pinch the base of the leaf where it is joined to the wire as well as the very tips of the leaves.

Just place it on some foam. I like to add egg carton foam to give it movement. Do not place them flat. You want them to have curves and to be a bit distinct from one another.

I produce three of these leaves each bundle and two bunches per peony blossom.

Let these to firm completely before coloring them, so leave them like this for around 24 hours.

Dusting the Calyx:

Now that your calyx has dried and firmed up, we’ll color it to give it a more realistic appearance.

I’m utilizing a variety of colors here. These colors were picked since I was going to match the leaves with the rainbow peony, so I utilized some of the same colors as the peony.

I used petal dust in kiwi green, yellow, orange, and dark crimson. (Links to these may be found in the supplies portion of this page.)

Green dust the whole calyx and the longer leaves. Dust the undersides of the longer leaves as well, but be cautious since they are sensitive.

Sprinkle some yellow and orange in odd areas, then combine with some green.

Now, smear some of the dark red into the small Vs you made and onto the tips of the longer leaves. Combine it with some green.

Set aside and work on your leaves now.

Dusting the Leaves:

Employ the same colors for the petal dust as you used for the calyx. It’s essentially the same procedure.

First, sprinkle your leaves with green dust. I normally sprinkle the leaves on both sides.

Use the yellow and orange dust to dust random places.

Finally, using the dark red, dust the small Vs you cut out and the very base of the leaf. Mix all of the hues together with a little additional green.

After you’re pleased with it, steam your flower, calyx, and leaves. It is not necessary if you do not have a steamer, but it does set the petal dust and add sheen to your flower and leaves.

Just swirl them around in the stem for a few seconds. If you leave them over the steam for too long, the fondant or gumpaste will entirely melt. It’ll leave you with a gloss like this. (Please excuse the blurry image; it’s a screenshot from the video, which displays it more clearly, so don’t forget to watch it below.)

After your leaves are dry, simply bundle them in groups of three, staggering the heights of each leaf. Attach two bunches to the stem of your peony, then tape them together using floral tape.

That’s all! You’ve completed your magnificent peony and added some nice foliage.

And here’s the video that demonstrates all of the steps:

I hope you found this useful, and don’t forget to check out the tutorial on how to build the rainbow peony. There’s also a brief reference guide you can download to have on hand when building your flower.

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