Best Recipes For Stiffening Crochet Snowflakes

There are many ready‑to‑use fabric stiffeners on the market... Mod Podge, Aleene’s, API Fabric Stiffener, and more. But if you enjoy DIY solutions, here are some of my favorite homemade stiffener recipes that you can easily make at home.

Choose Your Main Ingredient

You’ll need one of the following:

• Starch (corn, potato, wheat, etc.)
• Unflavored gelatin
• White school glue or any PVA‑based glue

You’ll also need:

• Water
• Cloth towels
• Bowls
• Rust‑proof pins
• Blocking board or Styrofoam board (A piece of cardboard covered with a plastic bag works too)
• A small pot + stove (for starch and gelatin methods)
  

1. Stiffening With Starch

This recipe creates a hard stiffener. For medium stiffness, simply cut the starch amount in half.

How to Make Starch Stiffener

• Dissolve 3 Tbsp starch in ½ cup cold water; the mixture will look milky white.
• Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
• Slowly pour in the starch mixture, stirring constantly for 40–60 seconds until the solution becomes clear.
• Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
• Stir occasionally while cooling to 90–100°F (comfortable hand temperature); this prevents a film from forming on top.
• Soak snowflakes for 2–5 minutes.
• Squeeze out excess liquid.
• Stretch and pin onto your blocking board.
• Let dry completely (up to 24 hours indoors or a few hours in the sun).
  

 2. Stiffening With Gelatin

This method also produces a hard stiffener. For medium stiffness, reduce the gelatin by half.

How to Make Gelatin Stiffener

• Place 2 Tbsp unflavored gelatin in a bowl and add 1 cup cold water.
• Gently mix with your fingers to eliminate dry spots.
• Let sit 10–15 minutes until translucent.
• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
• Slowly add the gelatin mixture, stirring for 5–10 seconds until dissolved. No need to re‑boil; the solution will look like pale apple juice.
• Cool to 90–100°F.
• Soak snowflakes for 2–5 minutes.
• Squeeze out excess liquid.
• Stretch and pin onto your blocking board.
• Dry completely (up to 24 hours indoors or a few hours in the sun).
  

3. Stiffening With Glue (PVA)

This method creates very hard, very firm snowflakes.
Note: Use on white or light‑colored pieces only, as glue may slightly whiten the fabric.

How to Make Glue Stiffener

• Mix equal parts white school glue and cold water; the mixture will be thick and white, like buttermilk. Stir until smooth.
• Soak snowflakes for 2–5 minutes.
• Squeeze out excess.
• Stretch and pin onto your blocking board.
• Allow to dry completely (up to 24 hours indoors or a few hours in the sun).
  

A Timeless Tradition

Crochet snowflakes never go out of style... they’re a beautiful way to celebrate the season and pass handmade traditions from one generation to the next.

If you’d like to make your own, here is my FREE pattern with row‑by‑row instructions and crochet diagrams for 12 different snowflakes using size 10 cotton thread. I hope you enjoy creating them as much as I do.