Instructions for Stiffening Crochet Thread Items

The first thing you need is a stiffening solution. There are plenty on the market such as PLAID-Stiffy Fabric Stiffener and Aleene's Fabric Stiffener & Draping Liquid which can be easily found in craft stores such as Hobby-Lobby and JoAnn’s. Paverpol Textile Hardener and Powertex Fabric Hardener are considered fabric “Hardeners” and can also be used, however, I’ve only found them online.

You can find many stiffening recipes online that uses household items such as hair spray, powder starch, cornstarch, and sugar. Most of these recipes are decades old and are preferred by some crafters because they have the ingredients on hand and produces a cheaper stiffening solution. I don’t use these for stiffening because the outcome isn’t hard enough. The same can be said for some of the commercial stiffeners. 

Here are a few I DO NOT recommend:

• Mod Podge Fabric (plastic wrap stuck to the piece and I couldn’t peel it off)
• Aleene's Stiffen-Quick Fabric Stiffening Spray (too watered down)

I haven’t tried every product on the market, but so far, my favorites are the two fabric “Hardeners,” Paverpol and Powertex, and Aleene's Fabric Stiffener & Draping Liquid.

Choosing the Mold

If you’re like me, you have bowls in just about every size, so you should have no problem finding a mold for the piece you are making. 

Before you apply the stiffening solution, get out bowls that are close to the size of your piece and simply try it on for size. 

The bottoms of some bowls are not even, so what I do is cut out pieces of padding, such as paper towels, to raise the bottom, resulting in a flat bottom.

Molding

Its a good idea to cover the mold in plastic wrap. This not only protects the mold but it also makes it easier to remove the piece once it has hardened.

Pour the stiffener in a disposable plastic container. If it appears too thick, you can add a little water. You can try brushing on the stiffener, but what works the best for me is to use my hands.

Sop up the stiffener and work it through the piece, making sure all of it is covered. Wring out any excess.

Slide your crocheted piece over the mold. You want it to be a little snug. I always keep a cup of water nearby to dip my fingers in so they won’t stick too much while working.

Try to keep everything as straight as possible. You can take a small ruler and make sure the edge is at the same height all around.

Several hours later, if you see something is out of place, such as a band that isn’t straight or a stitch that is overlapping another, you can correct it.

It takes about 24 hours for the piece to dry enough to take it off the mold. 

                                                                                                       

Finishing Up

To remove the piece from the mold, place several fingernails under the top edge of the crocheted piece and pull. You might need to repeat this around part of the edge, but it should pop off fairly easy.

The piece may not be completely dry, and still pliable enough to do further corrections if needed. Set the bowl in a place where it will not be disturbed for another day or so.

You may notice clear glue pieces in corners or edges. They can be removed with a small brush. The inside of the finished piece may also have a slight shine. This can be removed with a quick and gentle rub of very fine sandpaper.

©2014 A. L. Galt

Questions? april@algaltdesigns.com