If you find it hard to make miniature polyclay rose petals using the first method, you can use a glass headed pin to shape petals. This may work better with some brands of clay. To use this method, cut off a tiny section of a small roll of clay then press the round head of a sewing pin into the disk of clay to make a cup shaped petal as shown above.
Adding Petals To the Rose Centers To add the petals made in the previous step to the rose centers, use the knife blade or an embossing tool or toothpick, to gently press the base of the petal to the rose center, near the bottom of the rose center. Rub the petal into the clay of the center with the embossing tool to hold it fast against the center. Leave as much of the petal free as possible. Use the smooth glass head of a pin to bend the top edges of the petal underneath the petal, forming a slight point in each petal.
Continue to add petals around the center until you have at least five petals on a full rose. You will need one full rose, two or three partial roses, or small roses, and five rose buds to decorate the hat cake.
Adding the Calyx Leaves With the rose petals on the roses, blend the base of two to three rose leaves into the base of the rose at a suitable point for the calyx (base) of the rose. For a cake, your roses need to have a small base so they will sit flat on the cake. Leave the leave free at the top, and tease them slightly away from the rose with the head of a pin. Use a toothpick or embossing tool to blend the green from the leaf bases all around the base of the rose to form a green calyx. Set the rose aside to harden, then cut around the base of the calyx with a clay blade, and slide the rose off the tip of the pin and onto a baking tile.
Bake the Roses, Buds and Leaves at the recommended temperature, for 5 to 8 minutes. Translucent clays brown quickly in thin petals.
