Let's Get Started:

• Dust the inside of the painting tray with cornstarch and place balls of gum paste into each cavity - removing the excess so its flush to the tray. Allow to dry for a few minutes.
• Remove your half spheres (baubles) by tapping your tray onto your surface or with a toothpick. Paint with corn syrup and sprinkle with disco dust. (You can thin the corn syrup by adding a touch of grain alcohol.)
• Fill the bead mold with gum paste, remove and cut into sections. Turn the paint tray over and press the caps slightly onto the round forms. 

• Cut the small round circles and then using the icing tip, make another cut within the circle to make a grommet.
• Paint the grommets' gold.
• Paint the caps gold.
• With a small amount of candy melt, glue the cap to the bauble. (I used pink candy melts, as it's what I had on hand.) You can use any color. 

• Decide where you are going to place your baubles and apply a small amount of candy melt to the back of the bauble and press gently onto the cake. Then apply a small amount of water to the grommet and apply to the cake as well.
• Place a tray beneath your cake. Begin painting sections at a time with corn syrup. Be sure to cover even the tiniest spots around the baubles. Begin pressing and sprinkling handfuls of sanding sugar onto your cake. 
• I left the top of the cake bare and applied baubles only to the front - but that is your choice. 

• The toppers - baubles are glued to a dowel using candy melts. (I placed toothpicks underneath the sides of the baubles for support until the melts had dried.)
• Paint the back of the topper with corn syrup and sprinkle once again with disco dust.
• Touch up the cap and grommet with gold paint.
• Apply candy melt to the dowel and place a straw over top; and now the topper is ready for your cake.
• TIP - leave out the disco dust if you want the fondant to be edible.

To see more tutorials as well as beautiful cakes by Tanya Halas - check out her Facebook page Cake Heart!

Merry Christmas!