Okay, so this guide is more than a few weeks late…and really isn’t the best I could’ve done considering that I put it together out of sheer boredom while in the throes of a head cold…but hopefully some of you out there will find it handy!
When it comes to fondant, I’m hardly an expert. I’ve only dabbled with it a teensy bit, and have had to mostly rely on my experience with Play-Dough as a kid to figure out how to make these. Which really brings me to a point – if you haven’t tried playing with fondant, you should! It’s a legitimate reason to make cute, crazy and whacky figurines – which can be used to decorate cakes or cupcakes, and are entirely edible!
Now, since this guide will show you a step-by-step of how to make all five figures above (bear, puppy, pig, bee and giraffe), it’s quite long so I’m going to put it behind a cut. If you read through it and have any questions, just send me an email and I’ll do what I can to help! 
Onwards to the guides!
First of all, the things in my fondant play kit:
1. A decent little knife for cutting fondant
2. Fondant/clay modelling tools (the fondant ones work better, but the clay tools work almost as well and cost a fraction of the price!)
3. Clean, small-tipped paint brushes
4. Colouring pastes and gels (avoid working water watery dyes as they will give you GRIEF)
5. A small rolling pin for rolling the fondant
6. Fondant stamp-cutters
7. Wilton grass icing bag tip (it’s what I used to make the grass in this picture)
8. Frangipani petal cutters – I have these in a range of sizes and use the smallest to cut mouths and bee wings
9. Vegetable shortening – if your fondant becomes too hard or dry, working a little vegetable shortening helps it to become soft and pliable again
10. Tylo ‘glue’ – an edible glue I purchase at my cake supplies store, which is marvellous for sticking fondant pieces together. If you can’t get access to any, you can use natural vanilla extract in a bind (do not, however, use water as I find it doesn’t really wor and just gives you sticky fondant)
11. Gum Tragacanth – a very fine powder which can be kneaded into fondant to thicken it and make it more stable and pliable to work with. Not necessary, but I find that fondant is much easier to handle when I add a little of this in. The down side is that it dries the fondant faster than normal, which means you do need to work quicker and that mistakes are not as easily rectified.
12. Icing sugar or corn starch – the natural heat from your hands will make the fondant sticky, so having this on hand to dust your working surface and your hands will help make the whole task more manageable!
13. Fondant! Whether self-made or store-bought, it’s up to you! I don’t have a mixer strong enough to mix it up, so I buy blocks of premade from my baking supplies store which suits me just fine
In this picture, we have:
1. Barry the bumbly little bee
Barry the bumbly little bee
1. Dust your hands and working surface with icing sugar or corn starch (icing sugar MUST be used if the fondant will be laid over marzipan as corn starch will cause fermentation). Cut off a small block of fondant and work it between your hands till it becomes a soft and pliable dough. If you are using Gum Tragacanth, it is a good idea to add it at this stage, making sure it is kneaded in thoroughly.
2. Use the handle of a teaspoon, chopstick, toothpick etc to place a SMALL amount of dye on the fondant (there’s a fair bit on mine since I know how yellow it will be and how yellow I want it), then begin to stretch and fold to work it. I find the best way to work my fondant is to roll it between my hands till it becomes a long sausage, then fold in half and repeat.
3. Continue working the fondant until it has developed a smooth finish and even colour. If you want it darker, then add a little more dye. If you want it lighter, work in more plain white fondant.
4. Break off a small amount, then roll it between your palms till you have a perfect little round sphere with no cracks in the surface.
5. Then, place it gently between your palms and roll it into a stumpy sausage shape – this will be the body of your bee! Use a chopstick or skewer (or the pointy fondant tool) to poke eyes in your shape, then add a small smiley with the round end of your frangipani petal cutter if you wish!
6. Make up some black fondant (this is a pain in the ARSE, if you can buy pre-coloured black, then do it! Otherwise, do not attempt this without some serious colour like Wilton’s black colour paste), roll it out flat then use your knife to cut it into small strips. Use one of the paintbrushes to paint a small amount of Tylo/vanilla extract onto the ‘back’ side of it.
7. Carefully place this onto your bee body and try and glue it on straight. I failed in the example photos – but hey, fondant + icing sugar + big expensive camera do NOT mix! (especially when there’s cold & flu meds thrown in the mix!!). Repeat to give your bee a second stripe.
8. Put a little Tylo/vanilla in the eye-sockets that you created earlier, then roll two tiny even-sized balls of black fondant and carefully place them into the hollows to make the fondant bee equivalent of boggly anime eyes 
Then, grab a little more white fondant and knead it till smooth.
9. Use your frangipani petal cutter to cut two petal-shapes – these are your wings. Lightly paint the backs with Tylo/vanilla, then flip over and carefully place them on the top of the bee. Let it dry, then you’re set to go a-buzzing 
Porky the rather pink pig
1. Dust your hands and working surface with icing sugar or corn starch (icing sugar MUST be used if the fondant will be laid over marzipan as corn starch will cause fermentation). Cut off a small block of fondant and work it between your hands till it becomes a soft and pliable dough. Add some pink dye and work it till it is evenly coloured, then break off a small piece.
2. Roll the piece into a round ball which has no cracks and lines in the surface, then place your finger halfway across the ball and start to apply very gentle pressure while rolling your finger backwards and forwards – this creates the snout.
3. Once the snout is formed, grab something pointy to make the eye and nose holes with – if you have a clay or fondant working kit, you’ll know which tool you need.
4. Poke holes for the eyes and nose, then use the small frangipani cutter to make the indent of a mouth.
5. Right – that’s the head almost complete! Place the head down, and grab two small bits of pink fondant and try to make them as similar in size as possible. Roll these between your hands till they are smooth balls.
6. Use vanilla extract or tylo glue to dab a tiny amount where you will place each ear on the head, then grab one of the little balls and pinch it to the side so it becomes like a teardrop in shape.
7. Slightly flatten it, then grab it by the tip and press it against the first section of glue on the head and hold for a few seconds to give the vanilla essence/tylo glue time to fuse the two pieces together. Repeat with the second ball to make the second ear.
8. Roll two small pieces of black fondant of similar size into small little balls – these are our eyes.
9. Add a little vanilla extract/tylo glue to the eye sockets, then gently place one of the ‘eyes’ in each socket, pressing them a little bit flat. Try and keep the appearance of them to the same size. And that’s how you make the pig
Percy the playful pup
1. Create some brown fondant (either purchase or make your own – see step 1 of the bee tutorial). Break off a small ball, then create the snout by placing your finger across 2/3 of the ball and gently applying pressure while rolling your finger backwards and forwards (step 2 of the pig tutorial). You should end up with a small head and huge nose – think of Snoopy
2. Use your fingers to slightly pinch the head to make it smaller, then push the nose back towards the head – making sure to push the fondant slightly up as you push back. This will give you a nice, defined snout.
3. Use your fondant tool (or something equally pointy, like the end of a chopstick) to create eye sockets, and the small frangipani cutter to cut either a smile or a more doggy mouth. Don’t worry too much about marks up near the nose – any mistakes will most likely be covered by the dog nose we put on. Grab another piece of brown fondant and roll it into a smooth sausage – this is for the ears.
4. Cut the sausage evenly in half, then roll each half into a smooth ball (I advise the sausage method as this will make it easier to end up with two pieces of fondant which are almost exactly the same size).
5. Pinch the tip of one into a raindrop shape, then gently pinch it flat. Repeat with the second ball.
6. If the end is too pointy, gently pat it down with a fingertip, then paint a little vanilla extract/tylo glue onto each side of the head and gently place each ear down – moulding the ears to the shape of the head and making sure they’re placement is as even as you can make it.
7. Pinch off a piece of black fondant and roll it smooth but into a slightly elongated ball which will make an oval-shape when you pinch it completely flat. This is the puppy’s nose.
8. Paint the top and a little of the front with your vanilla extract/tylo glue, then place half the nose on top and gently fold down. Pat it gently into place, then add more vanilla/tylo to the eye sockets.
9. Roll two tiny balls of black fondant of even size, then place carefully in each socket and gently press down. Ta-da – your puppy head is complete!
The puppy actually looks ADORABLE with paws (as seen in the photo at the bottom of this post. I forgot to document the making of these, but it’s very simple! Roll two small balls of brown fondant of similar size so they are smooth, then use a sharp knife to press two indents into one end of the paw to create toes. That’s it
Bernard the bashful bear
1. Create some brown fondant (either purchase or make your own – see step 1 of the bee tutorial). Break off a small ball, then create the snout by placing your finger across 1/3 of the ball and gently applying pressure while rolling your finger backwards and forwards (step 2 of the pig tutorial). This is the opposite of the dog – your bear should have a large head, and a small snout!
2. Poke in some eye holes, then pinch off two small pieces of brown fondant and roll into balls with smooth surfaces – keep a careful eye out for any creases or cracks that cannot be fixed once the fondant is dry.
3. Slightly flatten each ball, then paint some vanilla extract/tylo glue onto the head where you want each ear to go, then place and hold till they have fused together. Yes, these are reminiscent of Mickey Mouse ears
4. Using a ball-ended tool, press a small indent into each ear to make them more ear-like (?!)
5. Add your mouth using the frangipani petal cutter, then roll a small ball of black fondant into a smooth ball, then pinch it flat so it forms a black circle. This is the bear’s nose.
6. Place a little glue on the top and front of the snout where the nose will go, then gently place it on and fold it over, patting it into place.
7. Place a little tylo/vanilla in the eye sockets, roll two tiny black fondant balls for eyes and gently press one into each socket to complete your bear
Gerald the gentle giraffe
1. Dust your hands and working surface with icing sugar or corn starch (icing sugar MUST be used if the fondant will be laid over marzipan as corn starch will cause fermentation). Cut off a small block of fondant and work it between your hands till it becomes a soft and pliable dough. Add some yellow dye and work it till it is evenly coloured, then break off two similarly-sized pieces and one smaller one.
Roll each piece into a round ball which has no cracks and lines in the surface, then place your finger halfway across the biggest ball and start to apply very gentle pressure while rolling your finger backwards and forwards – this creates the snout (step 2 of the pig tutorial).
2. Poke in eye sockets and nostrils, then break the smallest ball of yellow, split in half and roll into smooth balls. Use vanilla extract or tylo glue to dab a tiny amount where you will place each ear on the head, then grab one of the little balls and pinch it to the side so it becomes like a teardrop in shape, then glue into place (step 6-7 of the pig tutorial). MAKE SURE you leave room for the horns.
Cut a mouth using the small frangipani petal cutter, and that’s most of the head sorted!
3. Roll the second large piece of yellow (the only pre-rolled piece you have left) smooth, then roll while applying pressure gently to one side to create a ‘bell’ shape. Press the larger end flat onto a surface dusted with icing sugar – this is your neck.
4. Paint the top of the neck with vanilla/tylo glue, then use a curved, flat tool to mould the top of the neck to the head so that the join is less obvious.
5. Once that’s done, make up some brown fondant (or use any you have left over from making puppies or bears) and grab a small piece.
6. Split it in half, then roll each piece into a smooth ball before gently squeezing into a sausage with one end left bulbous. Dab a little vanilla/tylo where you want to place these between the ears, then place and hold until they are fused together.
7. Grab more little bits of brown fondant of varying sizes, roll them into smooth balls then glue randomly all over the neck and back of the head to create random-sized spots!
Add two black fondant balls for eyes (making sure to add vanilla/tylo to the sockets first), and your giraffe is complete
As for how to add these to the top of a cupcake like this – you MUST use a Wilton grass tip - I make up a batch of bright green ROYAL ICING (buttecream will not stand in such lovely stiff peaks), place my fondant figure on top and then pipe green ‘grass’ all around them on top of the cupcake/buttercream swirl. Make the scene sweeter by adding fondant cut-out flowers of varying shapes, colours and sizes
[tags]buttercream, royal icing, fondant, cupcakes, cute, cupcake toppers, cake decoration[/tags]
Fantastic tutorial, Ellie! I particularly like Gerald the giraffe—he’s so cute!
I really need to get some flower cutters; the last bee I made looks so amateurish compared to yours, with the crisp and perfect wings.
These are so lovely! I do have most of the tools but I wish I could find supplies like fondant in stores around here -I’m too lazy to make it myself!
@Angela @ A Spoonful of Sugar – Thanks honey
Gerald the giraffe is my fave too 
And yeah, flower cutters are great to have in the fondant work case – useful in so many ways!
@Aldana – Thanks honey! And have you tried ebay for fondant? Lots of stores which take orders online will also ship for you
These are sooo cute! My favourite’s gotta be Gerald! He looks so perfect
You put a lot of work into, not only the fabulous little figures, but also that post Ellie. Mammoth effort.
Fantastic.
Awesome! I have always wondered how those beautiful decorations are made, so informative, thanks
So terribly excellent! Thanks for writing this up!
So cute, and I love the tutorial. Love them all although I have a soft spot for Percy and Gerald. Can appreciate the effort this took to document!
Thank you so much for this! My 2-year old has become obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine cakes lately (we were showing him pictures of real engines on Flickr, and he got all excited when some pictures of Thomas cakes came up in the photostream, and now he specifically requests to see “Thomas cakes! Thomas cakes!”) I like to bake, but I’m not very artistic. I had no idea how to decorate with fondant and always thought it would be way too complicated for me. But you’ve inspired me! I think I’ll start with Play-dough and maybe even work my way up to the fondant Thomas cake.
They’re all so adorable! That bee though, has got to be the cutest thing ever!
These are GREAT! Have you tried making Skinner shades with the fondant, for butterfly wings or flowers? For that matter, have you tried using a pasta machine to roll the fondant out?
Wow! They’re all so cute. My personal favorite is Porky the pig. Maybe because I’m called ‘Piggy’ at home. I think I’ve found my soulmate!
glad to see a giraffe in there – playing with fondant is like plasticine – lots of fun but I never was so creative as that when I used to do it
I’m in love with Barry! Very patient of you to take plenty of step-by-step snaps!
They are just adorable!
Barry is my favorite. This is so helpful!
oh my gosh! it’s been so long since I last stalked your website (since your site went down
) and I am soooo happy to see your new posts! And what a great coincidence too, I just made a fondant teddy bear yesterday! Love your giraffe the most 
Those are absolutely adorable, and perfectly executed. I’ve done a lot of cake decorating, and even did it professionally for a few years, but I’ve never been good at molding because my patience wears thin. I’ll give these a try though, because your instructions are so complete. Thanks!
hey ellie, that’s so cute. now if ONLY i have half your patience, i might just be able to whip up something like that…
These are adorable
Thank you so much for the wonderful step-by-step tutorial.
I’ve also recently discovered the wonders, accessibility and ease of working with fondant! GREAT tutorial. I posted a link on my edible crafts column at craftgossip.com so even more can learn from your wisdom. Thanks for sharing! meaghan
This is wonderful. I really appreciate this as I have been wanting to do this for a while but haven’t gotten around to it. Dean and Deluca sell little fondant animals very similar to yours for a fortune and making them at home not only saves money but adds that personal touch. Thanks… these are awesome!
this looks so cute
i love it!!
I love this guide! I’ve been wanting to play with fondant for a while now (never worked with fondant before, and there’s an intimidation factor involved), and this step-by-step guide makes it seem like a reasonable, attainable goal. I appreciate all the work you’ve put in here, the photos and tips are great. So cute too—you make it look like child’s play!
Those are adorable! I’m definitely going to have to make something with fondant soon, I miss playing with playdough.
Soooo Cute!
WOW-this is fantastic! The directions are wonderful, I feel like I could actually do this. Thanks so much for sharing, I’ll be linking.
Hi Ellie!!
I’m so glad you and your recipes are back!!
you’re one of my favorite websites that I like to check often (almost every day)
@ovenhaven – Thanks sweetie
Gerald is my favourite too!
@Steve – Thanks Steve
@lili – pikelet & pie – My pleasure, I’m glad you found it helpful
@Min Jung – Thanks, I just hope that folks find this handy
@Helen – Thanks Helen
@CM – I think Thomas might be best as a cut-out job…I don’t think I’d have the patience to attempt a 3D replica myself
@Y – Thanks sugar
@Cori – Skinner shades?
@Miakoda – LOL! Aww, thanks for the comment love
@Johanna – Thanks sweetie
@Jen – Thanks hon
@Katie – I’m glad you think so
@Val – My pleasure!
@Nikki – Thanks for coming back to visit
@Beth – I hope the instructions work for you
@ilingc – Aww, it’s easy!
Trust me!
@Susan – My pleasure
@Meaghan (Chic Cookies) – Thanks hon
@Natalie – Wow, I had no idea! But I always prefer to make my own…well, everything
And I agree that homemade gives a very nice personal touch!
@Recipe man – Thanks
@Sandie – I consider this the adult equivalent of child’s play
After all, fondant is play-doh for those who know how to operate a stove 
@brilynn – Thanks!
@stephanie – Thank you
@Rachel – I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
@Reenah – Thank you sweetie
It’s good to be back 
Your figures are great. Have not worked with fondent in the past, but you make it look so easy I think I will be trying.
The one question I have is does the fondent become stiff or hard enough to make a person? I have a friend who has asked me to make a cake for an event and wants to have a person on the cake. I figure with a little work I can figure it out, but was wondering about how to make the figure hard. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks
Angie
@Angie Weidemann – Thanks hon
Fondant dries hard if you leave it out long enough, and will dry harder if you knead in some gum trag. Just be careful of any humidity as that can make it soft and soggy again 
I’m so glad I discovered your website. Its fabulous, and the figurines are soooooooo cute!
Awesome! Great work!
This is awesome!! I’ve made some bees for a cake I’m doing this week and they are adorable *_*
http://www.flickr.com/photos/inenya/3921450423/
These are great! Does the characters remain semi soft so kids could eat them? I find my fondant character get so hard. I once had a cake made by someone and their figures remained so pilable, that my 1 year can still squish with his hands and get them. Do you any ideas on how to keep it soft for kiddies?
WAOH YOU ARE TOO MUCH. I TRIED IT AND ITS PERFECT. KUDOS
@chocy – Thanks hon, I’m glad you liked the post
@Cee – Thank you
@inenya – They’re adorable! Nice work
@tammy – If you leave out the gum trag then it should still stay relatively soft
Are you sure you’re using fondant and not pastillage?
@vivian – So glad to hear it!
Thanks for letting me know! xo
OMG you save the day my grandaughter what’ed cup cakes for her class , but!!!!!! she whated animals on the cup cakes. Well when I found your web site I was jumping up down thats how appy I was LOVE YOUR SITE
THANK YOU!
I can’t wait to try these for my daughters Three Little Pigs birthday! You give such great instruction on how to make them– it seems so easy! Kudos!
-Sylvia
the designs are cute!!!!they can attract kids…
Thanks for sharing this with us. I’ll be attempting my first fondant cake WITH FIGURINES for my daughters birthday. I just wonder how early in advance can I make the figurines. Do you let them air dry? I know you have to store them in a dark area so they won’t fade. DO they have to be in an air tight box? Sorry for all my silly questions. I took a couple of wilton classes but they never taught us anything about figurines. THANKS!
How do i stop my models drying out and cracking?
@Tomasita Negron – I’m so glad my site came in handy for you
@Sylvia – I hope all went well with the birthday celebrations
@johanna – They’re definitely fun for kids
@Liliana – You can make them as far in advance as you like, so long as they’re stored in a cool, dry, dark place, they won’t change colour or get mouldy
@Rhona – I’m sorry but I’m not sure, I’ve never had that problem before with my fondant.
Hi Ellie, Thanks sooo much for this tutorial.. all of them are soooo adorable!! I made gerald the girrafe and the puppy.. they came out sooo cute!
Can’t wait to put them on a cake or cupcake.. love the idea of the puppy paws too !
@Anar – My pleasure! Congrats on doing the giraffe, it’s definitely the tougher of the instructionals, but I think it’s worth the effort
I just wanted to stop and say thanks for the directions as well as share my attempt at fondant bees (and one bee sketch that shows up in that filter)!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelyoung/tags/bee/
Thanks again, everyone loved the bees!
Rachel Soma recently posted..Star Wars Pin-ups
Rachel, looks like you did a fantastic job with those little bees! Thank you so much for dropping by and showing me your handiwork!
Hi Ellie
I just made a baby in a diaper for my daughter inlaw’s baby shower cake and they want to keep it to put on his first birthday cake. I know you said to store them in a cool, dry, dark place. Do you think that is sufficient for preserving for long periods such as a year?
Thanks
Barb
I think if they want to store it for a year, they may be better off if they invest in some food-grade silicone sachets which will absorb moisture from the container that it’s stored in
What a great tutorial!!
Great pictures and explanations!
Thanks a million!!!
Flo, from Miami FL
Thanks Flo
I’m glad you found this post useful 
The fondant figures are absolutely amazing!!!! Just gorgeous, thank you so much for your tutorial.
Which cupcakes and chocolate icing did you make to go with the animal fondant figures. Also do you have a recipe for the royal icing grass?
So excited to hear from you
Blair
Hi Blair, the icing I used here is a basic chocolate buttercream (you can use the one from my Devil’s Food Cupcake post). As for the royal icing, it’s just 1 egg white, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1.5 cups pure icing sugar all beaten together to firm peaks with an electric egg beater
Good luck!
These are the cutest. I’m just starting up, so there are a lot of stuff to learn still.
Could you post your recepy for the Royal Icing stiff enough for grass. I have tryed some, but it didn’t go as planned!
/Anna
Hi Anna, that’s not a problem at all! I’ll try and put one through in the next few weeks