Review | Stiffy Fabric Stiffener

Reported by Michelle Laycock

Several years ago I taught a fabric stiffener technique at a paper crafting class. When Craft Critique was in search of tips on using products related to fabric I decided to dig my Stiffy Fabric Stiffener out of the cabinet and play.

Stiffy fabric stiffener is a liquid medium that dries invisible and leaves a matte finish on your fabric. It is a popular product used in crochet. In sewing, it can be used to laminate lace to fabric and for applique.

But Stiffy isn't just for sewing! It can also be used in paper crafting. Add fabric to your cards to give the receiver a tactile treat.

For use in paper crafting, Stiffy works best if you start with a thin, light fabric. In this tutorial, I've chosen a beautiful chocolate brown stone-washed silk. (I happened to have an out-of-date silk skirt that I no longer wear, so I'm giving it new life by recycling it for this project).

Place your fabric on a non-stick surface. Don't use a paper surface, as the fabric will stick to the paper. I use my craft table with no surface protection.

Brush Stiffy fabric stiffener all over the silk using a foam craft brush. Let dry at least 45 minutes. You may want to hang it on a clothes line. If you are impatient, speed up the process by using a heat gun.

When it is dry, iron your silk with a low setting.

The silk can now be cut with a scrapbooking cutter just as if it is paper. You can also stamp on your silk with pigment ink, punch the edges of your silk with a corner punch and adhere using glue stick or glue dots.

Looks like cardstock, feels like silk!

In my finished creation, all of the chocolate brown layers are actually stone-washed silk which gives the card a nice feel!

To use lightweight fabrics in paper crafting, Stiffy fabric stiffener is exactly the medium you need to make the job turn out right. Even a light, airy, untameable silk can be used in the same way as cardstock... for a beautiful effect!

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