Video:How to Make and Use Wheat Paste

Transcript:How to Make and Use Wheat Paste

Hi, Lea Elleseff here and today on About.com I'm going to teach you how to make wheat paste, a clear and permanent adhesive.

This concoction is used by street artist, crafts people, and home decorators as a natural alternative to wallpaper and poster glue.

Wheat Paste Ingredients

Here's what we'll need:

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• a brush
• an image
• surface material (to paste onto)

Combine the Flour and Cold Water

First I'm going to cover the flour with cold water and mix them together, adding just enough water that the substance becomes pourable.

Now you want to mix them together really well so there are almost no lumps left.

Add Hot Water to the Wheat Paste Mixture

Now we pour our cup of hot water into our pot on the stove, and add the flour water mix into it, stirring in the meanwhile.

Now I'm going to turn on the heat and keep stirring, letting the mixture come to a boil. Soon there is more resistance as the mixture thickens.

Strengthen the Wheat Paste

Once this happens, I'm going to turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. At this point, I'm going to also add a tablespoon of sugar or cornmeal to strengthen the solution.

Use the Wheat Paste

Now the wheat paste is ready to use, here is how I'm going to apply it. Using a brush I'm going to smooth the paste onto the surface where the image will go.

With great care I'm going to place the image onto the surface, and seal it by painting on another layer of wheat paste. This additional layer is key as it protects the image from peeling and water damage.

Our final step is letting the wheat paste dry. Now you're ready to make wheat paste for your own projects at home.

Thank you for joining me. To learn more, visit us on the Web at homegarden.about.com.