Make Wheat Paste

This mixture of vegetable starch and water has been used as an adhesive for centuries. Street artists and concert promoters use wheat paste to put up posters, craftspeople use it in papier-mâché or decoupage, and professional bookbinders use it for archival quality repair. This article takes you through the simple steps for making your own.

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp (50 mL) wheat flour or wheat starch
  • a small amount of cool water
  • 3/4 cup (200 mL) water for boiling

Optional:

  • Additional 2 cups (500 mL) water (if you use a Make a Double Boiler-(Bain-Marie))
  • Sugar or white glue (to strengthen a weak batch)
  • Copper sulphate (a preservative and bug deterrent)[1]

Steps

Making the Paste

  1. Boil a pot of water. Pour 3/4 cup (200 mL) water into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Whisk the flour and cool water together. Take 3 Tbsp (50 mL) flour or starch and gradually add room temperature water while stirring or whisking. Stop when all the flour is wet and the mixture is runny enough to pour.
  3. Stir the runny mixture into the boiling water. Once the water is boiled, add the flour mixture while stirring constantly.
    • The mixture will foam as it boils. Stirring or whisking prevents the mixture from boiling over, burning, or forming lumps.
    • To reduce the chance of these mishaps, Make a Double Boiler-(Bain-Marie) by placing the pot of wheat paste in a larger pot containing roughly 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water.
    • If it thickens too much to stir, add more water.
  4. Remove from heat when thick and smooth. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes.[2][1]
    • If using starch, the mixture will be translucent when ready.[2]
  5. Perfect the batch. In many cases the batch will be ready to use once it cools. However, it's easy to make adjustments while the goop is still hot:
    • If the batch isn't sticky enough, stir in sugar or white glue. Begin with 3 Tbsp (50 mL) sugar or glue and add more if necessary.
    • To preserve the mixture longer and deter bugs from eating it, mix in a small amount of copper sulphate.[1]
  6. Let the mixture cool. Once at room temperature it should hold together as a gluey gelatinous paste.
    • Each brand of flour and starch is a little different, so the exact consistency will vary. As long as there are no lumps it should work well.[2]
    • To remove lumps from the paste, strain it through a thin sieve or pair of tights.[3]
  7. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Left at room temperature, the paste will begin to smell after 2 days and grow mold within a week.[1] Even for pastes without copper sulphate, there are easy ways to extend this shelf life:
    • Reheat unused paste in a covered container after each project to sterilize it.[4]
    • Pour a little water on top of the paste for storage. If the paste is cool the water will sit on top of the paste and prevent mold from reaching it. Pour out the water again before using.

Using Paste to Attach Posters and Street Art

  1. Apply paste to a surface. Using your preferred tool (such as a paintbrush or your gloved hands), apply a liberal coat of paste to a wall. It will adhere strongly to wood, stone, and most other surfaces.
    • Remove any lumps from the paste to prevent bubbles and lumps from tearing the poster.
    • Attaching posters to other people's property or in public places is illegal in some regions.
  2. Stick the poster or art onto the pasted surface. Do this slowly, rolling it up from one side to prevent wrinkles from forming.
    • For very large posters or high surfaces, a push broom may be useful.
  3. Apply additional paste over the poster. A glossy, sticky layer over the whole poster will dry into a strong adherent.[5]
    • If you used whole wheat flour, the paste may have brown flecks or tinge. Apply such paste lightly to avoid obscuring the poster.
    • If you don't have enough time or paste to cover the entire poster, prioritize the corners or furthest edges.

Art Projects Using Wheat Paste

  1. Decorate an Object using Decoupage. Wheat paste is an excellent glue to use in paper-based crafts.
  2. Recycle-Junk-Mail-into-a-Paper-Sculpture. Wheat paste is strong enough to support three dimensional sculptures as well, although you should mix in glue or sugar if your batch comes out too weak.
  3. Repair a Book's Binding. Many bookbinders prefer homemade paste to store bought glue, or use a mix of paste and specialized "PVA glue".
    • Some bookbinders recommend using starch powder rather than flour to create a more transparent paste.



Tips

  • Rice starch or flour is commonly used to make a similar strong adhesive. If other flours or starches are available in your area, try experimenting with different ratios of flour to water until you get a smooth, strong paste.
  • Follow the same instructions for a halved or doubled recipe.[1]
  • Starch paste can be diluted more than wheat paste and is thus preferred by bookbinders treating delicate materials.[2]

Warnings

  • Do not add super glue, rubber cement, or other volatile adhesives to your paste.[1]

Things You'll Need

For making paste:

  • Bowl
  • Mixing spoon or whisk
  • Saucepan or double boiler

For attaching posters, you need one or more of:

  • Wide paintbrush
  • Paint roller
  • Broom
  • Gloves you don't mind damaging

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 http://destructables.org/destructable/wheatpaste-recipe-putting-postersbillboard-alterations
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.limetreesstudio.com/tag/bookbinding-glues/
  3. ↑ http://myplasticfreelife.com/2012/10/want-plastic-free-glue-make-homemade-wheat-paste/
  4. ↑ http://www.edenworkshops.com/Bookbinding_Adhesives.html
  5. ↑ http://abduzeedo.com/create-wheatpaste-poster

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