Making Delicate Easter Doily Baskets With Stiffy Fabric Stiffener

I have a daycare in my home, and am in the middle of making some Easter crafts with the kids. I saw this craft on television, and fell in love with the idea of making delicate Easter baskets out of ordinary crocheted doilies. To do that, you need a fabric stiffener, and this product made by Plaid, is called "Stiffy".

Product Description

Stiffy comes in a plastic 8 ounce bottle, measuring 6 1/2" tall. It has a screw off cap, allowing you to pour it out of the bottle, or you can squeeze out just a small amount through the 1/8" hole.

Although there are no ingredients listed on the bottle, it smells and feels like white glue (think Elmers). There is a small seal on the label that assures us that this is non-toxic, as certified by the "Art & Creative Materials Institute". It is a water based formula.

Uses

Any time you need to stiffen a fabric or bow, this product, Stiffy, will work. It works on most fabrics, and specifically lists cottons, syntheics and blends. You can create beautiful fabric bows, stiffen your needlework, stiffen lace or trims for crafts projects, or you can use it as I am right now, which is to mold my draped doilies into bowls.

It's Easy!

After shaking the bottle well, I poured a small bit (about 1/4 cup) into a clear glass bowl. I saturated my 8" diameter cotton doily in the Stiffy, and placed the wet doily over an inverted glass bowl. In about 2 hours the Stiffy dried completely, and I was able to gently pull up the edges of the doily until it literally popped off of my bowl. The end result was a beautiful lace looking Easter basket! It's quite stiff and durable as well.

The label also gives you directions on how to make stiff fabric bows, using a similar technique. You could use this on laces, ribbons, trims, doilies, appliques, and even certain costumes. The directions say that this Stiffy is a permanent stiffener. You could tint the "glue" like substance to give your projects a hint of color.

Closing Thoughts

I found my bottle of Stiffy Fabric Softener at Michael's craft stores, and the 8 ounce size rang up at $5.00. It has definitely helped my daycare children make some memorable Easter baskets for their Mother's!