Thread: Papier Mache....with starch?

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Has anyone heard of using liquid starch to make papier mache? I was asking my MIL about papier mache (she's a former teacher) and she said for projects that starch worked out really well....Has anyone used this before?

I've never personally used it but I have heard of people using it before. We used to use powdered wall paper paste when I was a kid.

Ive used it quite a bit. Its actually worked great for me. Use it along with blue shop-towels ( a very super strength paper towel you can find at home centers or auto parts stores)...the combination of just the the 2 dries quite sturdy! Newspaper works great too, it just takes more layers to build a good thickness. Thick brown craft paper is also ideal.
Its convinient, cheap, and your hands smell great afterwards. Its can also used along with some other ingredients for an even more heavy duty mache.

I add liquid starch to a regular water/flour mache mix. It really helps cut down drying time and really stiffen up the mixture. I need an extra layer or two of newspaper to really get the shape right on my wire forms, but my starch enhanced mache props last longer than non-starched props.

I use Stolloween's recipe, which DOES include one cup of liquid starch.

My daughter still has a dinosaur she made in preschool using liquid starch. She is 23 now.

Thanks for all your help! I haven't jumped into papier mache yet, but it is definitely #1 on my list. Most of my favorite projects that I drool over from other haunters are mache....soooo time to get on with it!!