How to Make Paper Mache Paste With Liquid Starch

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Things You'll Need

  • Bowl

  • Corn starch

  • Acrylic finishing spray

Liquid starch can be painted directly on the paper as it is placed on the mold.

Liquid starch is an adhesive used primarily on fabric during ironing, but it can also be used for paper mache. Liquid starch is thinner than most other kinds of paste used for paper mache, so the paper absorbs it very quickly. Making it into a thicker paste can help control the absorption rate and make it easier to handle paper strips without them falling apart.

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Step 1

Pour liquid starch into a bowl, and dip the paper strips into the liquid starch before applying to the paper mache project. Liquid starch is a concentrated adhesive that does not need the addition of anything else to work as a paste for paper mache.

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Step 2

Add corn starch to the liquid starch to thicken it, if desired. Add corn starch to the liquid starch until the liquid reaches the thickness you want.

Step 3

Spray the finished paper mache project with a transparent acrylic finishing spray paint. This is especially important if you added corn starch to make the paste thicker because corn starch attracts insects. The acrylic spray also makes the paper mache waterproof and the object last longer.

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