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Hi, I’m following the large rose tutorial and its working out brilliant. My main problem though is that I just cannot get the polystyrene bud to stay attached to the wire (I heat it up in the candle flame etc) It seems to start off ok but then as I’m working on the rose it loosens off and the rose ends up wobbling on the wire 🙁 Any advice or help would be very much appreciated. Many thanks, Elizabeth.

Hi Elizabeth

Just making sure first that you are making the little hook at the top of the wire before heating and inserting into the styrofoam bud? The hook is what makes the wire grap into the bud. If you have made the hook and it’s still becoming loose try squishing a little melted chocolate or some royal icing at the base of bud to ensure that the wire does stay stuck in.
Melt a small amount of white chocolate in the microwave for 10- 20 seconds or even less, check it and mix with a spoon. Keep melting and checking in short bursts until the chocolate is all but melted. Any small lumps will melt from the residual heat of the bowl and from the heat of the chocolate. Pop the melted chocolate in a piping bag, cut a small hole enough for a flow. Chocolate will begin to harden up in the bag, just pop the whole thing in the microwave and warm it. You’ll only need about a 100g of choc.
To make quick royal icing, paddle to a paste, a little gumpaste or sugarpaste with a few drops of cooled boiled water to a flowing consistency and use in the same way as the chocolate. Leave to dry completely before adding petals.
An alternative method of inserting the wire is that as used by Raewyn Read in her rose tutorial here:

How to Make a Sugar Rose

Hope the above helps.