How to make a paste for artwork

Once upon a time, when there was no special wallpaper glue in the stores , and the choice of wallpaper was very small, they were glued to the walls with a compound that was prepared at home, and everyone knew how to make a paste. Now this glue is used in children's art, for making papier-mâché and paper applications. A paste is cooked only from flour or starch, so it is absolutely safe. Even if the kid accidentally stuffs his finger, stained with glue, in his mouth, there will be no serious consequences. That's why this glue is preferable for classes with children, especially very small ones. While doing creative work with a baby, it's not a lazy person to weld a paste, especially since it's very simple. This glue is also good for making papier-mâché, since it firmly bonds the paper, it is very convenient for further processing of the product, the paper form itself turns plastic, does not deform, it is easy to be primed.

Due to its special properties, the paste is also used for gluing textiles. Many applied artists, puppeteers, as well as theatrical decorators successfully use this glue in their work, preferring it to all modern chemical compositions. In addition, due to its environmental friendliness, the paste is more appropriate for making things that people will then come into contact with, for example, theatrical masks and costumes.

How to cook a paste? For children's creativity it is prepared only from flour or starch with the addition of a certain amount of water. The more starch, the thicker the composition will be. As a rule, three or four tablespoons are required per liter of water. Starch is dissolved in water and put on a plate to boil. The glue is boiling over low heat with constant stirring for twenty or thirty minutes until it thickens. Then it is cooled and used for its intended purpose.

The starch paste is still boiled with the addition of joinery glue. This increases its strength, and also expands the scope of application for various artworks. Such a composition, of course, should no longer be used in working with young children. One day before cooking the paste, soak the granules of wood glue with cold water. When they swell, the solution is put on a stove and heated, but not boiled, so that it dissolves well in hot water and becomes homogeneous. Then the prepared adhesive composition is added to the paste during its preparation.

How to cook a paste, using not starch, but flour? The difference with the previous method is that the flour dissolved in cold water is poured with boiling water, and then put on a plate and boil, stirring, until thick. One part of the flour will require three parts of water. After cooling, the glue is poured into the jar, after first filtering to remove possible lumps.

There is another way to make a quality flour paste. This recipe contains glycerin, which promotes greater elasticity of the glue. For its preparation in a flour solution before cooking add a teaspoon of glycerin.

A flour or starch paste is stored well in the refrigerator. In the cold, glue will stay for about a week, preserving its properties. Too thick or thickened composition is diluted with hot water to the desired consistency.

The translucent jelly glutinous solution has a pleasant enough smell, it does not cause allergies, if it does not have any additional impurities. However, it should be taken into account that the natural composition of the glue attracts various insects that successfully reproduce in a favorable environment, so use it to glue wallpaper, given that there are currently a lot of specialized glue compositions for construction works in building stores, do not.