How to Make Fabric Stiffener: Step by Step at Home

A stiffener makes fabric strong and rigid for craft projects. When you purchase a fabric stiffener that will be less expensive.

However, commercial stiffeners are sold in craft stores but if you try, you can make it very easily at home.

How to make fabric stiffener at home

The homemade fabric stiffener can be used to make fabric flowers and some other things. In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to make fabric stiffeners.

When I made a stiffener with burlap, I used the fusible website to stiffen the sides. And I used some formulas when I make stiffeners.

But I wanted to know that what fabric stiffener would be like. So I use three stiffening formulas using common household materials.

When I read and watch the YouTube video tutorials about making a stiffener at home. Then I wondered if I could modify the three methods to make a fabric stiffener.

Learn How to Make Fabric Stiffener Step by Step at Home

Things You’ll Need:

1. Large bottle of white glue.

2. Measuring cup.

3. Large bowl.

4. Wooden spoon.

Method 1: Elmer’s Glue Natural Stiffeners.

At first, you check equal parts of glue and water. Elmer’s glue is listed as non-toxic and safe on its label on the material safety data sheet. But this material is a type of plastic polyvinyl acetate.

So, it’s labeled for being safe, because I don’t think I had eaten. When mixing the solution, I used a glass bowl and a wooden spoon.

Now I would make this mixture is solid white and dry as clear strongly. This is the fast method for making homemade stiffener at home.

Method 2: Cornstarch Fabric Stiffener.

It’s our second method, when you want to make a cornstarch natural stiffener, you need 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/4C cold water, and 1/4 C boiling water. At first, mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch in cold water by using your wooden spoon.

Now take the 1/4C boil water and cornstarch solution, and then add slowly the cornstarch solution to boiling water, and mix it once more time with your wooden spoon. Now take the solution off the heat and before using cool down the room temperature.

The firmness is thick like tapioca pudding. That is drying clear and translucent. You remember that to make this solution you did not have to use separate bowls or pots.

After done, you washed theme the water bowl and wooden spoon they were safe to cook with afterward.

Method 3: Flour Starch Natural Homemade Fabric Stiffener

This is our third and last method to make stiffeners. Here in this method, you’ll need  1Tbsp flour, ½ C cold water, and 1/2C boil water.

Mix 1Tbsp flour with ½ C cold water and 1/2C boil water in a small bowl. The flour mixture is in the boiling water by a wooden spoon.

When the mixture looking thick, like gravy take off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

If you need to large stiffener piece and make a bigger batch using this ratio. If you need a thinner fabric you can add more water.

At this time, the mixture becomes goopier. But the mixture color is linen white not selling white. Remember that, if you are stiffening white fabric, it may not bright white after dries.

Final Words

As a result, we learn three different types of natural fabric stiffeners from this: Elmer’s glue/water, cornstarch stiffeners, and flour starch.

When you see the resulted in three different colors. If you want to stiffen the white fabric, you try Elmer’s glue starch, fabric starch or cornstarch methods might be the best whiteness.

But, if you want to make your stiffeners more vintage-looking? The flour method is fine.

On the other hand, Elmer’s glue is not natural, it needs separate equipment to use this method. These methods are long-lasting and get soft before washings.

However, Elmer’s glue is best but cornstarch and flour starch methods wash of easier and long-lasting not as making stiffness.

I hope now you can make stiffener at home, also I think this content will save your money as well. Keep well! Take Care! Bye Bye.

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