One of the most important facets of planning any wedding is the cake and pastry. Chefs are always striving to come up with something elegant and memorable. Among the many ways to add originality and flair to their creations is by using edible rice paper feathers. This decorative flourish brings a sophistication to any cake style and, with rice paper such a low-maintenance medium to work with, anyone who can draw a simple feather shape and use scissors can easily replicate this unique look.

Create a feather-shaped template out of the card stock and place the template on a sheet of rice paper.

Trace the shape with the felt tip pen and cut it from the rice paper sheet.

Snip diagonal cuts along both edges of the feather with the scissors. To emulate the look of an actual feather use a pair of scissors with small, slim blades. The tighter and more narrow the incisions are, the closer it will resemble the real thing.

Dip a piece of wire into the clear piping gel, making sure it's been covered thoroughly, then stick it to the rice paper feather. Set aside and let dry for about an hour or two.

Dust the feather with pearl dust to give it a glittering finish, then wave it over steam from the teapot for a brief period of time. Don't keep it in the steam too long or it will damage the feather as this step is used to make the feather wispy.

Repeat the process for multiple feathers to adorn the borders of the cake.