Formerly Món Cottage Cupcakes, Nina has rebranded and has a new name, Nina’s Cake Cabin. Having had a purpose built cabin built, she can teach cake decorating and sugarcraft classes as well as create cakes on the Island of Anglesey, North Wales. Nina is an award-winning artist and won Gold for her Winter Wonderland wedding cake at Cake International in 2018. Her cake has also appeared on the front page of Cake Masters Magazine in 2016 and was a finalist at the Awards.
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Equipment Required:
Green florist tape
Green florist wire: 20 gauge, 22 gauge, 26 gauge
Shell & Shine
Renshaw Flower and Modelling Paste
Renshaw Read to Roll Icing
Renshaw Milk Chocolate Modelling Paste
Rainbow Dust Edible Glue
Cornflour dabber
Rainbow Dust ProGels: Brown, Red
Katy Sue Designs Nicholas Lodge Collection Pine Cones Mould
Foam
Gelatine sheets
Polystyrene balls
Rainbow Dust Cherry Pie Powder Colour
Rainbow Dust Jewel Cherry Red Sparkle Range
Paint palette
Evil Cake Genius Silver Powder
Rejuvenator fluid
Pliers
Brushes
Pine Needles - 1.
Pull and twist florist tape and wind around two fingers.
2.
Twist a piece of 26 gauge wire around an end of the tape.
3.
Cut across the top of the tape as shown.
4.
Spread the ends of the tape out, these are the pine needles. You’ll need loads of these, it’s always better to make too much than not enough!
Pine Cones - 5.
Dab the pine cone mould with cornflour and turn over to empty the excess.
6.
Mix chocolate paste with brown ProGel to make it darker.
7.
Press into the smallest sized mould and push out. Leave to dry on flat foam.
8.
Cut 22 gauge florist wire into four pieces per wire.
9.
Wind florist tape around the top of the wire and make a small lump. Wind the rest down the wire until finished.
10.
Fill the smallest mould with the brown paste again.
11.
Brush glue on the paste whilst in the mould.
12.
Press the wire into the paste and glue.
13.
Gently place one of the first now dried pine cones and press gently.
14.
Push out gently and hold by the wire. Slowly and gently snip the sides where you can see the join to make it look as if it is one piece. Place on the foam to dry.
Red Berries - 15.
Cut 26 gauge wire into small strips, six per wire.
16.
Roll red paste into tiny balls slightly smaller than a pea,
17.
Dip the tip of the wire into glue.
18.
Gently stick the wire into the ball and leave to dry.
20.
Spray Shell & Shine into the lid of the spray. Paint onto the berries and leave to dry.
Red Baubles - 21.
Cut 22 gauge wire into four.
22.
Place the gelatin sheets in a jug and cover in water for about 10 minutes until squidgy. Empty the water and squeeze out excess. Place in the microwave for 30 second bursts and check. Add the red powder colour and stir. Add the red glitter and stir making sure there are no clumps. Leave for a minute to thicken.
23.
Stick the cut strip of wire into the polystyrene balls. Dip into the gelatin while turning to make sure they are covered evenly. Leave to dry.
24.
Once dry, dip and dry twice more to get a deep red and shiny glittery coverage. Don’t worry if the gelatin thickens, just stick in the microwave again for short bursts and stir. Once set, the gelatin will be very cold and you can handle and touch easily. Cut any drips off whilst in this state or it will dry hard and cannot be handled very easily then.
25.
Once set, finish them off.
26.
With the pliers, twist wire to make a U shape.
27.
Roll a tiny ball of grey modelling paste and glue onto the top of the bauble. Push down the wire through the paste into the bauble. Leave to dry.
28.
Add silver dust to the paint palette and add rejuvenator fluid. Mix well so there are no lumps.
29.
Paint the top of the bauble and the wire so it looks like the loop that goes on the tree. Leave to dry.
Assemble - 30.
Wrap a 20 gauge florist wire with florist tape. Pull the tape before wrapping as this makes it sticky. Add a bunch of pine needles and wrap to secure.
31.
Continue to add pine cones and wrap and pull the tape.
32.
Bunch 5-6 berries together at different heights and attach by wrapping the tape around and pulling at the same time.
33.
Continue until you have the correct length of garland alternating pine needles then cones then berries.
