Pirate Fondant Figure

Ok, we've been invited, seen the decor, and even learned how to make a pirate mast.  Now onto the cake!

Now this had to be one of my most fun figures.  I was so scared of doing them when I first attempted tackling Buzz Lightyear last year but now it's one of my favorite things to do.

I started by mixing up some brown gumpaste to create the boots.  I know at this stage these don't look all that appetizing so keep your mind clean people LOL.

***TIP ***
When making legs, arms, hands, anything double that requires it to be even. Roll into a sausage shape, I like to use my fondant smoother to keep it more uniform when rolling it.  Cut it in half and that will keep things even.

Create a bit of an elbow type bend.

Round out the toe are a bit but not too much.  Now use your gumpaste ball tool to make indention's at the top of the boots.

Here you see me rolling out black fondant to make the legs.  I'm using the fondant smoother that I mentioned earlier.

Bend them around like this picture and now you have two legs.

I like to use bamboo skewers for support but I'm going to try thicker dowels next time.  Sometimes my figures seem to be a bit "holy" bending a bit backwards towards the heavens giving glory.  =)  Sometimes they need a little stick in the bum to help support them so that's my next thing to tackle with these guys.

I used a little tylose glue on the dowels before sticking them through the legs and boots, find that recipe at the end of my hula girl figure tutorial.  Remember to leave at least an inch and a half below the bottoms of the boot to give you something to stick into the cake later on.

It's important to let this part of the figure dry for at least a day before putting on the torso.  That will help it to be sturdy enough to support the extra weight.

You can create the head and hands now if you'd like.  Take your sausage shape and flatten them out a bit on one end.  Now use your utility blade to cut slits for the fingers.  Gently smooth out the finger tips so they are not so pointy.

I use another one of my gumpaste tools to create fingernails.

I created the head and left it to dry in a flower shaper.  If you want more details on making a fondant face check out my hula girl figure tutorial.

For the torso I took a ball of fondant and shaped out the neck and shoulders, tapering in a bit at the waist.  Sorry this next picture is a bit fuzzy.  Put some tylose glue on the dowels before gently placing the torso on  the legs and through the dowels.

I will admit I didn't create a template and just made the vest freehand. Perfection isn't needed, have fun with it!  You want to put it on before you put the arms on.

I created arms with white fondant.  I flared the ends near the hands a bit to keep the pirate look going.

***TIP***
For best results in attaching arms to your figure.  Cut them at an angle.  They'll attach smoother onto your figure.

I cut some toothpicks a little over half sized and covered in tylose glue.  Stick into the torso and then attach arms on.  That is how I attached the hands as well.  As you can see I've used some supports under the hands to help them keep their shape as they dry.  You'll see in my pirate cake post what these are actually for.  You can use dowels or styrofoam to help as well.

Now back to the figures head.  For his hair I added a sort of blonde blob of fondant on his head.  I kept the top a bit thick for what I'm about to do to it.  I think it looks a bit Elvis at this stage but don't worry it won't look like this for long.

Sorry again for the fuzzy picture, I will have a talking to with my photographer, lol.

My son Mr T had his haircut a few days before his party.  We decided to have some fun and he left with spiky hair so I figured the pirate figure had to match! I took some scissors (only used on fondant of course) and just started "chopping" the hair to get the spiky effect.  I think it came out really fun, don't you?

A few lines added to the back to finish off the look using another gumpaste tool.

Now add some tylose glue to a toothpick and stick some in your figure's head and the rest into the torso to attach.

I added a few more details to finish the pirate effect and forgot to take pictures of these steps.

I added a red belt, which looking back I wish I had done BEFORE I placed the arms on.  It would have been A LOT easier.  I also used my extruder to make a string for the eyepatch.  The eyepatch was just a small blob of black fondant flattened a bit.  After placing the eyepatch on I added a bandana around his head.

I had a great time making this figure and I hope you have fun making one too.  I'd love to see your creations from this post.  Please comment and send me an email, it sure makes my day!

See the little white post behind his bum, yup helping him stay upright =)

Be on the lookout for my pirate cake tutorial and the pirate food post as well. Thanks for visiting!

I'm linking up with these parties this week! Check them out.