Alternative to pressing home button to stop rearranging apps? To stop rearranging apps (i.e. after holding the finger down on an app so that they all start to shake, make them stop shaking again), the home button is used. Is there a gesture that does the same?
On iOS 5 to 8: Pull Down the Notification-Center!

You should swipe down just a little, else you get the notifications!  Still stops the wobble, bit not what you want.

So a little swipe from Top to the Button solves your problem!

Source: http://www.macbug.de/2012/01/22/ios-5-geste-zum-beenden-des-app-bearbeitungsmodus-2/