How to Make a Gumpaste High Heel Shoe

Supplies

Gumpaste colored to taste
2 toothpicks or thin bamboo skewers
Gum glue
PME cutter or pizza cutter
Roller & Gumpaste Board
Styrofoam Board
Cardboard center from paper towels (cut into a 3" triangle)
Clean plastic 2 litre bottle & tape
scissors

Wax paper for pattern

ball tool
Confectioner’s Glaze (opt)

Instructions:

Begin with a small 1"- 1-1/2" ball of firm gumpaste.



Start pulling a cord from one end of the ball until
you get the desired length of your heel.



Using the guide below,
find a design for the type of heel you want to make.
Using your hands, form heel to desired size and height.


I usually form a 2 – 2 ½ inch heel.


Then place the ball end of your heel on the board
and flatten.
Use your ball tool to smooth the curves on your heel.


Once it is formed, insert
a tootpick or thin skewer through the heel leaving
some of the skewer extending from both ends.



Pushing the skewer into your styrofoam,
Secure the heel in place upside down and allow to dry.








Once dry, you will cut and attach your sole to the shoe.
But before you do, you will need a form to secure the shoe
while the sole dries.


Kerry Vincent, in her book "Romantic Wedding Cakes", makes a
form for her beautiful gumpaste shoes using an aluminum soda can. But for me, I have found
using plastic is easier to handle and more forgiving
( as I am heavy handed and kept breaking the fragile aluminum form).





While your heel dries, create a form by cutting
a one inch wide strip from a plastic 2 litre bottle.


Measure in inner side of your heel and make the plastic
form the same height.

Once formed, secure with tape.

Now that your heel is dry, turn it right side up on your styrofoam and secure while you prepare your sole. Roll gumpaste out to about 1/8"-1/4" thickness. Place sole pattern over and cut around using a pizza or pme cutter.

If you are making a pair of shoes,

flip the pattern to cut the second shoe creating a left and right shoe.

Position form in front of heel.

Moisten top of heel with gum glue and attach sole to heel.

If you want to line your shoe, this is the time to cut a lining 1/4" inside the line of the original sole pattern. Brush with luster dust and place over sole of shoe.

Just as you cut the sole, roll gumpaste out and cut according to pattern, remembering to flip the pattern if you are making a pair of shoes.

Brush the edges of your sole with gum glue and place the top part of your shoe in place.

Take the cardboard triangle and place into the upper shoe

as a support while it dries.

Add additional trim to decorate the shoe, according

to the design you want to achieve. On this one,

I added white gumpaste strips brushed with copper luster dust.

Check heels and soles from every angle to be sure that they are straight
and allow to dry completely for 2 days.
(Resist the temptation to pick them up and check them---it is hard (I know!)---but the soles will crack if disturbed before they are completely dry.)

If you would like to achieve the look of patent leather,

brush with confectioner's glaze once shoe is completely dry.

And the last bit of advice is to have fun with it. Create, laugh and have loads of fun.
After all, it is only sugar!!

Shoe Patterns

Pictures, patterns and tutorial by Jacque Benson 2007 . all right reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.