Best Recipes For Stiffening Crochet Snowflakes (2024)

There are many ready-to-use fabric stiffeners you can find on the market, such as Mod Podge, Aleene's fabric stiffener, API Fabric Stiffener, etc. However, I would also like to share a few of my favorite recipes that you can easily make at home to create your own fabric stiffener.

Begin by selecting your primary component; you will only need one of the following ingredients:

• Starch (Corn, Potato, Wheat, or other)
• Gelatin (Unflavored)
• White School Glue or any other PVA (Polyvinyl Acetates) based glue

Additionally, you will require water, cloth towels, bowls, rust-proof pins, blocking board or Styrofoam board (you may also use a regular piece of cardboard covered with a thin clear plastic bag for protection). For the Gelatin and Starching methods, you will also need a small pot and kitchen stove.

Stiffening With Starch

This recipe is forHard Stiffeningusingstarch – corn, potato, or wheat based starch are the best.If you wishto make aMedium Stiffener, you can simply reduce the amount of listed starch in half.

1. Dissolve 3 Tbs of Starch in 1/2 cup ofCOLDwater.You can use any starch you have in your kitchen – corn, potato, or wheat based starch are the best.
2. The mixture will look solid white, like milk.
3. Boil 3 cups of water in a pot and slowly add your starch mixture to the boiling water,stirringconstantly (to avoid lumps) for 40-60 sec until it looks clear. Remove from the heat at the boiling point.
4. Pour the stiffener from the hot pot into a bowl and keep stirring it from time to time until it cools down to 90F-100F, or to a comfortable temperature for your hands. The stirring process will prevent a thin film appearing on the top of the mixture, and will also help to cool it down faster. Your starch stiffener is now ready to use; it should look slightly creamy (whitish-silver color) with a consistency of a cough syrup. It may be more or less transparent, depending on the starch type you’ve used.
5. Soak your crochet snowflakes in the stiffener for 2-5 min, and while you are waiting, prepare a bowl with warm water and have a cloth towel handyto keep your fingers clean, as they will get very sticky from the solution.
6. Remove your snowflakes one-by-one from the stiffener, squeezing the extra liquid out.
7. Stretch and pin your snowflakes onto the blocking board, rinsing your hands in a bowl of water whennecessary. Allow snowflakes to dry, then carefully peel them from the board. It may take up to 24 hours to dry at room temperature or just a few hours in the sun.

Stiffening WithGlue

This recipe is forHard Stiffeningusing a non-toxicwhite school glue/PVA(Polyvinyl Acetates)based glue. I would not recommend it for medium or light stiffening. Also, be sure to use iton white or light fabrics only, as it may whiten slightly the original color.Working with glue may not be the most pleasant experience due to its slimy texture. However, it does result in super stiff snowflakes with a firm crochet structure.

1. Prepare an equal amount of glue and cold water (I used a small 100 gr cup for measuring).
2. Pour cold water into a bowl, then add the same amount of glue to the water.
3. Mix all until the consistency is smooth and even. The mixture will turn out solid white with a consistency of buttermilk; it will feel slimy on your fingers.
4. Soak your crochet snowflakes in the stiffener for 2-5 min, and while you are waiting, prepare a bowl with warm water and have a cloth towel handyto keep your fingers clean, as they will get very sticky from the solution.
5. Remove your snowflakes one-by-one from the stiffener, squeezing the extra liquid out. Stretchand pin your snowflakes onto the blocking board, rinsing your hands in a bowl of water whennecessary.Allow snowflakes to dry, then carefully peelthemfrom the board.It may take up to 24 hours to dry at room temperature or just a few hours in the sun.

Christmas snowflakes never get old. It's a great way to keep traditions and pass them down from generation to generation. Here is my FREE pattern withrow-by-row instructions and crochet diagrams for 12 different snowflakesusing size10 cottonthread.I hope you enjoy making them!

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