I am a Crafter from way back and like to try most things. I have to admit I have not tried modelling fondant as yet as it always looked too complicated and overwhelming. However, watching Kelly sculpt this scarecrow in front of us and revealing some of her secrets for cutting down the work was inspiring and energizing. I am all for making things quicker and easier. Who knows, I may just try a few of these tricks.

I think the best ideas were with the sheaf of corn stalks and the scarecrow shown below...

Instead of moulding the sheaf of corn stalks with gum paste she used rice cereal treats (you could also use cake). The main advantage to this is that it takes a lot of the weight out of the project and helps prevent the cake sagging.

When it came to the scarecrow, instead of rolling large balls of gum paste for the body, head and pumpkin, Kelly used gumballs for the centres and wrapped a thin layer of gum paste over them. Again this helps with weight and the drying time, so she can keep creating.