Handy ways to stiffen fabric


I have been loving the How About Orange series of blog posts on stiffening fabric. Jessica used a bottle of Stiffen Stuff but I thought I would road test a few products that you may have hiding at the back of your cupboard.
I cut 3 pieces of fabric and used PVA glue, starch and a clear craft sealant.

And the results are in:
Starch : I had mixed up a thin paste & brushed it on but the starch turn white & was a bit of a mess. Gave it a rinse & hung it out to dry. With an iron it was certainly crisper than originally but not stiff.
PVA glue: A 50/50 mix was brushed over the entire back and was left to dry. It was probably the stiffest but the fabric dried with a slightly wrinkled effect.
Sealant: This particular paint is for plastic but I would imagine you could use any sort of art sealant. The fabric was definitely stiffened and it had the nicest finish but there was a smell from the paint.
The glue & sealant paint are great alternatives for quick crafty projects when you don't want to purchase a commercial stiffening product.

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