This tutorial is beginner level but assumes you know a little about working with gumpaste. Start out with basic gumpaste tools. You'll need 28g white paper covered wire (the cloth wire is too thick so I prefer paper).
You can use any rose petal and calyx cutter, you can see the size I have, but you can use smaller and larger cutters if you want.
I cut my white tape into 4ths and start by wrapping the wire at just around the tip about 5 times, see wire on the far left. The bend the wire over into a hook, see middle wire. Then continue wrapping around the hooked wire at the tip about 5 more times and then continue wrapping down the length of the wire. This makes a tape center for buds and for the orchid column, so no need to let dry. I do this a lot because...well...I just don't have the time to wait.
Moisten the taped bulb (I use water) you just made and take a small piece of white paste and wrap it around.
Cover the bulb end completely and shape it into a bent carrot.
Next, roll some white paste thinly and cut the rose petal cutter to cut it out. Notice this is a smaller cutter than I showed before, that's because I made 2 orchids.
Making sure the throat isn't sticking to your board, use a toothpick to ruffle around the shape. You only need to roll over each part of the throat 2 times and then move to the next spot. Make sure to release the throat from the board (to make sure it isn't sticking) after each roll. Also make sure to keep your work in front of you and the tip of the toothpick up, so the tapered part is against the edge of your paste. This might take a little practice if you've never done it before, but it's not hard.
Now place a little water on the back of the column and attach the throad to it. The pointed end is the back and placed where the column meets the wire. The column stick out of the top a little and the throat is wrapped around.
Here are a few pictures to help you. This is what I see looking from the top.
And here is what I see from the side. Use your fingers to help curl the bottom of the throat back and form it.
Roll out more white paste thinly. Use the calyx cutter to cut it out.
Place the calyx onto thick foam. Use a toothpick (or a veining tool)to draw a line down the center of each petal to make a vein.
Now place the calyx onto firm foam and use a ball tool to curl each petal. Starting from the tip of the petal and pulling toward the center (don't roll the tool but press and pull) Once you curl one point, turn the calyx over and repeat for the other four. I like to think of this like a little man, you curl his head one way, and his arms and legs another.
Put just a bit of water onto the center of the calyx and insert this onto the wire with the throat. The head of our little man is curling forward (arms and legs curl back) and the head is over the top of the column.
Here's a picture of it from the side/back.
Here's a picture of it from the front.
Use a little canary petal dust to color the inside of the throat. I used lime petal dust to color the back where the orchid meets the wire and in the front where the throat meets the petals/sepals.
Then dust the entire orchid, front and back with super pearl luster dust.
Next, steam your flower to set the colors. Just wave it over a pot of steam, just enough to see it start the shine, that means it's melting the coloring into the paste. Don't do too much or you'll melt your flower!! Wait until it dries to touch your flower also, or it will leave finger prints.
You're ready to tape your flowers together. You can use green or white tape. Now have a nice cup of tea, water's already hot!