Introduction: Fondant Gingerbread People - Cake Toppers

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About: My name is Niki, I am a mum of three amazing grown up kids as well as a Grandma. I am a keen hobbyist and a full time carer for someone with a disability. In my spare time I indulge in my eclectic crafting …

An absolutely cute gingerbread person cake topper made from fondant. I got my inspiration elsewhere, but his is my effort at making these and I want to share my experience with you.

Before I continue, I must give credit to Krazy Kool Cakes, they're on YouTube, which is where I found the original instructions and inspiration for my take on these super cute little people.

I used:

  • Fondant, I used Renshaw's, in the following colours:
    • Chocolate, I mixed it with ...
    • White fondant.
    • Red fondant
    • Black fondant
    • A little other colour fondant of your choice for the buttons. eg Green, yellow etc
  • A ball tool, small and medium (or a bone tool)
  • A blade tool
  • A scallop tool
  • Rolling pin - small
  • Edible glue / water
  • Small amounts of red and white modelling paste (for optional candy cane)

You will also need either a cocktail stick of a length of dried spaghetti

Note: If using a cocktail stick, let the recipient know it's in there and should not be eaten!

Step 1: The Body

If, like mine, the chocolate fondant you have it too dark, mix it with white until you reach the shade you like. Once you have the shade you like:

  1. Roll a ball so there are no creases or blemishes in it. My 'body ball' was about 2 to 2.5 inches across. It is the size on this ball that will determine the size of the rest of your gingerbread person. If you want it smaller or bigger, then adjust the 'body ball' acordingly
  2. Roll this ball into a cone shape
  3. Once you are happy with the shape and size, pick the best side for the front.

Step 2: Leg Sockets

  1. Using your ball tool, press into the bottom either side of the centre for the legs to sit into.
  2. Push either about 1/2 of a cocktail stick or a length of dried spaghetti into the centre of these impressions.
  3. Before you move on, push a length of spaghetti down through the centre of the body, from the 'neck' to the bottom

Step 3: Legs

  1. Roll two sausages, mine was about 2 to 2.5 inches long and about the thickness of my little finger
  2. At about 1/3 from the end:
    1. Take your finger and roll, only where your finger touches the fondant, so this little bit will form an 'ankle'
    2. Tap the 'foot', not to flatten it but to make a flattened sole
  3. Pick up the foot and, with your finger, push it up at a right angle to the rest of the leg. If it won't stay, keep trying. It will happen

Step 4: Add Legs to Body

Before you attach the legs to the body, check for size. If they are too big, trim a little off at the top and gently reshape.

If you are happy with the length of the legs:

  1. Add a small amount of glue / water to the socket and spaghetti
  2. Gently push the leg on
  3. Do this for the second leg

Step 5: Arms and Hands

  1. Roll to lengths of fondant into a long cone, thinner but about the same length as the legs.
  2. Now tap the fat end to flatten and widen for the hands
  3. Take your blade tool and, on opposing sides on each hand, make a small cut for a thumb
  4. Smooth out the sharpe edges of the cut
  5. Model one side, between the thumb and the rest of the hand, a little bigger on one hand if you plan on adding the optional candy cane

Step 6: Add Arms to Body

Ensuring that you have the thumbs on the correct side:

  1. Fix each arm to the body so that the hands rest on the legs
  2. If there is too much fondant left at the top, cut it off so it's level with the neck

Step 7: Make a Candy Cane (optional)

If you plan on adding a candy cane, make this in advance

  1. Roll out some red and white modelling paste to the same length and thickness
  2. Twist together
  3. Roll together so they do not come apart
  4. Shape into a cane
  5. Trim to size
  6. Allow to dry

Step 8: The Head

  • Roll a ball of fondant, in proportion to the body

Step 9: Add Head to Body

  1. Add glue to the neck and shoulders
  2. Ensuring that the head it central before fixing ...
  3. Gently twist the head onto the stick down to the shoulders

Step 10: Facial Features

I forgot to take pictures when putting facial features on, but do this before you put the hat on!

Nose:

  1. Make a small mark where you want the nose to be.
  2. You might find it easier to bring your project up to eye level to get this right
  3. Roll a small ball of fondant
  4. Reshape into a capsule shape and
  5. Fix, with glue, where you made your mark

Mouth:

  1. I used a scallop tool make an indent under the nose to make a smiley mouth.
  2. I like placing mine on the sides, but you can place yours in the middle directly under the nose if you wish

Eyes:

You can do this by either rolling two small black balls of fondant and flattening into a circle or, roll out some black fondant, cut two small circles, this is the method I used, whichever way you chose:

  1. Make two small black circles
  2. Fix to the face above and to the side of the nose
  3. Roll two very small white balls and fix to the eyes for highlights
  4. If you a white edible paint or an edible white pen, you can use that to make highlights if you prefer

Step 11: Hat and Buttons

Hat:

  1. Roll a ball of red fondant
  2. Now shape this into a cone
  3. Check against head to ensure it's in proportion
  4. Trim the thick end so that it's flat
  5. Hold the hat gently in your hand, pointed end down, and press a small rolling pin into the end to make an impression so that it sits on the head
  6. Keep checking that it fits and is in propertion
  7. Thin the rim out of the hat, by pinching it with your thumb and finger, so it's not bulky when fixed on

Buttons:

I used small heart shaped cutters, but you can roll small balls and either shape them into hearts or leave as flattened balls.

  1. Cut three, or more - just in case
  2. Allow to dry a little

Step 12: Add Hat and Buttons

Hat:

  1. Bend the top of the hat to one side, see picture
  2. Add glue to the indent at the bottom of the hat and ...
  3. Fix to head
  4. Use your blade tool to add 'creases' to the bend of the hat if you prefer, but it does look good

Buttons:

  1. Using three of your hearts shapes / ball shapes, add them as buttons up the front
  2. It's easier to start at the middle button first

Step 13: Scarf

  1. Roll out, thinly, a length of red fondant
  2. Cut so it's about 1cm wide
  3. Measure it against your gingerbread person so that it crosses over and looks like its wrapped
  4. Cut to length
  5. Frill both ends
  6. Add glue to the back of your scarf
  7. Place and firmly fix one side to the shoulder so it hangs down the front side of the arm
  8. Now, rotating your gingerbread person, wrap this scarf around
  9. Fix firmly over the shoulder, crossing the portion that is draped over the front

Step 14: Fluffy White Hat Trim

Fluffy white trim:

  1. Roll a length of white fondant into a sausage shape.
  2. Check size / length against the hat / head
  3. Trim where required.
  4. Flatten this with the portion of your hand at the base of the thumb
  5. This will adjust the size of your piece, so measure again and trim if necessary
  6. Using your medium sized ball tool (I needed to use a bone tool for mine) make impressions over the top and the long sides of the piece, leave trimmed ends straight

Fluffy white pompom:

  1. Roll a ball of white fondant to the size you prefer. I wanted an oversized fluffy ball for mine.
  2. Using the small ball tool, make impressions all over.

Step 15: Add Trim and Pompom to Hat

The trim:

  1. The join will be at the back of your piece
  2. Add glue to the back / flat side of the trim and ...
  3. Fix to the hat so it covers the very bottom of the hat and rests just above the eyes.
  4. Secure all the way around by gently pressing using your finger.
  5. Ensure the fake fur / impressions are on the top and bottom of the trim
  6. If not, add some more impressions with the ball toll whilst trim is in place

The pompom:

  1. Dip one end of a piece of dried spaghetti into your glue
  2. insert this into the pointy end of the hat to that you can still see a length of it
  3. Add some glue to the end showing and gently push the pompom onto this
  4. If you need more indents / fluffiness, gently add some now

Step 16: Add Candy Cane (optional)

Glue your hardened candy cane to one hand between the thumb and palm

Step 17: Allow to Dry

Add a little Yuletide magic, edible glitter, if preferred and allow your masterpiece to dry and harden before adding to the top of your festive cake.

Before I go, I'd like to thank my daughter, Eve, from Yvil Cozplays for giving me a helping hand with these. I was making two at the same time so I needed help getting the fondant ready.