Uploaded July 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” – Claude Monet
Well, I certainly can’t claim the same of my real garden, where weeds sprout more often than blossoms! But thank goodness for cookies and royal icing! With them and little else, I’ve been able to craft a garden much closer to my dreams – one with nary a weed and with flowers that never go by, and one that can be eaten as well as admired!
Heads up! This arbor scene is a marathon of a project. But the good news is: its many tiny flowers and details can be made well in advance, and can also be applied to smaller, 2-D cookies if you haven’t the time to go full tilt with this project. I’ve also broken the project into two videos. In this first part, we’ll focus on making and assembling the arbor, and “planting” the garden with pre-made parts. In the second video, coming in two weeks, I’ll make many of those parts: flowers, shrubs, and other details (garden urns, sundials, and so forth).
RELATED VIDEOS:
3-D Garden Arbor Accessories (aka Follow-up) Video: youtu.be/5gvRCEVbW9s
How to Make Royal Icing (with Consistency Adjustments): tinyurl.com/nx7xhmq
How to Make Fondant Ribbon Decorations: tinyurl.com/pgcfhyj
How to Make Royal Icing Roses: tinyurl.com/m5hmfak
3-D Cookie Topiary (also, for cookie moss, starting at 9:45): tinyurl.com/yb26d6st
How to Make Edible Trees, Rocks, and Flags (for piped shrubs, starting at 2:06): tinyurl.com/ycot6ybc
RELATED TOOLS:
Wilton Baroque Mold: tinyurl.com/ybvfe64e
SugarVeil Brooches Mat: tinyurl.com/jvjc7vo
First Impressions Button Mold: tinyurl.com/y8p6ft75
Brick Texture Mat: tinyurl.com/y74lljrs
RELATED RECIPES:
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe: tinyurl.com/z4d82rb
Royal Icing Recipe: tinyurl.com/zx7a9jk
COOKIE QUANTITIES/DIMENSIONS (for 1 arbor):
Ground: 1 (6 x 8 ¼-inch) rectangle
Brick Walk: 1 (2 ¼ to 2 ½ x 4-inch) polygon
Arbor Arches: 2 (1 ½ x 2 7/8-inch) arches (Cut circle with 2 7/8-inch round cutter; then cut circle into a ring using a 1 ¾- to 1 7/8-inch round cutter; lastly, cut ring to a 1 ½-inch depth.)
Tall Arbor Posts: 4 (3/8 x 4 ¼-inch) molded cookies, using Wilton Baroque mold, or equivalent
Short Fence Posts: 2 (3/8 x 2 ½-inch) molded cookies, using Wilton Baroque mold, or equivalent
FONDANT PARTS (for 1 arbor):
Embossed Arch Insert: 2 half-circles (Cut with 1 ¾-inch round cutter; then cut 1 inch deep.)
Arbor Slats: 19 (3/16 x 1 ½-inch) rectangles
Fence Slats: 8 (3/16 to ¼ x 1 ¾-inch) rectangles
Fence Cross-Rails: 4 (3/8 x 3-inch) rectangles
Fence Knobs: 2 (molded using First Impressions mold, above)
Mini Fence Parts: 16 (7/8-inch) half-rings (Cut with 7/8-inch round cutter and back of standard pastry tip; then cut in half.)
Window Box: 1 (1/2 x 2 ½-inch) rectangle, shaped over 1 ½-inch square cookie cutter
PRE-MADE FLOWER NEEDS (for 1 arbor, total of 140 pieces):
Mini roses/buds (piped with #101S tip): 14/13
Groundcover pieces (with red/purple nonpareils): 25
Additional groundcover pieces (with yellow/white nonpareils): 29
Lupine: 6 for front garden beds; 2 more for scattering elsewhere
Wisteria: 5
Sunflowers: 10
Geranium pieces: 8, for one window box and plant
Mini daisies: 28
TO PURCHASE MY 4-HOUR VIDEO COOKIE DECORATING COURSE, MY BOOKS, OR APP:
juliausher.com/store
TO JOIN COOKIE CONNECTION, MY ONLINE COOKIE DECORATING COMMUNITY:
cookieconnection.juliausher.com/home
TO HANG OUT WITH ME ON THE WEB:
My site/blog: juliausher.com
Facebook: tinyurl.com/j6nm6te
Twitter: twitter.com/JuliaMUsher
Pinterest: pinterest.com/juliamusher
Google+: tinyurl.com/ha4huw9
CREDITS:
Music by: Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com
Videography/Editing by: Joe Baran, Workingman's Film, workingmansfilm.com
“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” – Claude Monet
Well, I certainly can’t claim the same of my real garden, where weeds sprout more often than blossoms! But thank goodness for cookies and royal icing! With them and little else, I’ve been able to craft a garden much closer to my dreams – one with nary a weed and with flowers that never go by, and one that can be eaten as well as admired!
Heads up! This arbor scene is a marathon of a project. But the good news is: its many tiny flowers and details can be made well in advance, and can also be applied to smaller, 2-D cookies if you haven’t the time to go full tilt with this project. I’ve also broken the project into two videos. In this first part, we’ll focus on making and assembling the arbor, and “planting” the garden with pre-made parts. In the second video, coming in two weeks, I’ll make many of those parts: flowers, shrubs, and other details (garden urns, sundials, and so forth).
RELATED VIDEOS:
3-D Garden Arbor Accessories (aka Follow-up) Video: youtu.be/5gvRCEVbW9s
How to Make Royal Icing (with Consistency Adjustments): tinyurl.com/nx7xhmq
How to Make Fondant Ribbon Decorations: tinyurl.com/pgcfhyj
How to Make Royal Icing Roses: tinyurl.com/m5hmfak
3-D Cookie Topiary (also, for cookie moss, starting at 9:45): tinyurl.com/yb26d6st
How to Make Edible Trees, Rocks, and Flags (for piped shrubs, starting at 2:06): tinyurl.com/ycot6ybc
RELATED TOOLS:
Wilton Baroque Mold: tinyurl.com/ybvfe64e
SugarVeil Brooches Mat: tinyurl.com/jvjc7vo
First Impressions Button Mold: tinyurl.com/y8p6ft75
Brick Texture Mat: tinyurl.com/y74lljrs
RELATED RECIPES:
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe: tinyurl.com/z4d82rb
Royal Icing Recipe: tinyurl.com/zx7a9jk
COOKIE QUANTITIES/DIMENSIONS (for 1 arbor):
Ground: 1 (6 x 8 ¼-inch) rectangle
Brick Walk: 1 (2 ¼ to 2 ½ x 4-inch) polygon
Arbor Arches: 2 (1 ½ x 2 7/8-inch) arches (Cut circle with 2 7/8-inch round cutter; then cut circle into a ring using a 1 ¾- to 1 7/8-inch round cutter; lastly, cut ring to a 1 ½-inch depth.)
Tall Arbor Posts: 4 (3/8 x 4 ¼-inch) molded cookies, using Wilton Baroque mold, or equivalent
Short Fence Posts: 2 (3/8 x 2 ½-inch) molded cookies, using Wilton Baroque mold, or equivalent
FONDANT PARTS (for 1 arbor):
Embossed Arch Insert: 2 half-circles (Cut with 1 ¾-inch round cutter; then cut 1 inch deep.)
Arbor Slats: 19 (3/16 x 1 ½-inch) rectangles
Fence Slats: 8 (3/16 to ¼ x 1 ¾-inch) rectangles
Fence Cross-Rails: 4 (3/8 x 3-inch) rectangles
Fence Knobs: 2 (molded using First Impressions mold, above)
Mini Fence Parts: 16 (7/8-inch) half-rings (Cut with 7/8-inch round cutter and back of standard pastry tip; then cut in half.)
Window Box: 1 (1/2 x 2 ½-inch) rectangle, shaped over 1 ½-inch square cookie cutter
PRE-MADE FLOWER NEEDS (for 1 arbor, total of 140 pieces):
Mini roses/buds (piped with #101S tip): 14/13
Groundcover pieces (with red/purple nonpareils): 25
Additional groundcover pieces (with yellow/white nonpareils): 29
Lupine: 6 for front garden beds; 2 more for scattering elsewhere
Wisteria: 5
Sunflowers: 10
Geranium pieces: 8, for one window box and plant
Mini daisies: 28
TO PURCHASE MY 4-HOUR VIDEO COOKIE DECORATING COURSE, MY BOOKS, OR APP:
juliausher.com/store
TO JOIN COOKIE CONNECTION, MY ONLINE COOKIE DECORATING COMMUNITY:
cookieconnection.juliausher.com/home
TO HANG OUT WITH ME ON THE WEB:
My site/blog: juliausher.com
Facebook: tinyurl.com/j6nm6te
Twitter: twitter.com/JuliaMUsher
Pinterest: pinterest.com/juliamusher
Google+: tinyurl.com/ha4huw9
CREDITS:
Music by: Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com
Videography/Editing by: Joe Baran, Workingman's Film, workingmansfilm.com
