Recently I became a member of the LJ deco-den community and I posted this mini-tute there too so don’t be alarmed if you see two things at the same place! This is a mini tutorial on how to make fake whipped cream for your sweets and sweets deco. Right now the most popular thing used seems to be silicon, but i’ve heard that silicon smells bad and that it’s toxic! Plus I know that it’s messy and terrible to clean, so I don’t use it.

Instead I use acrylic modelling paste:

It’s about $10 for a 500mL jar and found at most art supply stores. The real use of this stuff is to create texture on acrylic art, but it is just the right consistency to be piped through a piping bag.

More details after the cut:

You can wash modelling paste off with water, mix it with acrylic paint to make strawberry or chocolate cream, and it doesn’t require a caulk gun to get out. Here is the paste mixed with a little bit of red paint to make pink strawberry cream:

There are some things to be aware of when buying modelling paste:

  • Texture: different brands have different consistencies. Some are runnier and some are really thick. All modelling pastes should be thick enough to use for piping though.
  • Test your paste before you deco with it! Some pastes dry translucent or off white, which you don’t want for your cream. Just add white acrylic paint to your modelling paste if this happens.
  • If you are buying this off the internet then be aware that modelling paste is also called ‘modeling paste’ (US spelling), ‘texture paste’ and ‘molding paste’. Remember to specify acrylic because there is modelling paste for cakes that is actually edible. You don’t want to accidentally buy that.
  • Modelling paste is thicker than silicone. If you are not used to how thick it is, add acrylic paint to it to thin it down.
  • Heavier modelling pastes may be prone to developing cracks. You can paint over it with acrylic paint or more modelling paste.

Another art medium that could be used for cream is impasto. Impasto is pretty much the same thing but a little thinner and dries translucent. The only issue is, when you add white acrylic paint to it to make it opaque it becomes quite runny, and it doesn’t hold its shape well and is a little hard to pipe.

UPDATE:  Modelling paste road test

So I didn’t think this road test through very well haha, I forgot to take good before/after photos so there’s really no pictorial comparison. Thankfully there haven’t been any big issues to show through pictures. This mirror was made about a month ago using a mix of modelling paste and impasto. Here is how it held up:

  • It took about two weeks to dry completely
  • The impasto made it dry with a slightly sticky texture, which attracted a lot of dust on the cream.
  • The items are attached very securely. I took this mirror out with me everywhere the way it is in my bag and nothing has fallen off yet.
  • The paste is unfortunately very heavy – I suspect using a light modelling paste would be better than medium or heavy.
  • There is no peeling of the paste from the plastic at all.

This lid was also made about a month ago and this was made by modelling paste with a small amount of red acrylic paint.

  • This also took about two weeks to dry
  • It dried with a slightly rough, ‘chalky’ texture – very realistically cream like which is what I prefer. Also it is attracting less dust than the impasto+modelling paste mix.
  • It’s not as heavy but i’m not sure if that’s because it’s smaller than the mirror or if it actually is less heavy.
  • The items are still attached very securely.
  • The cream is still very securely attached to the plastic.

Lastly, I need your help guys! Let me know if you have any problems with your experiences, what other brands are like, whether it is sticking to your items, etc. Also ask me if you have any questions :) .