So it’s Easter weekend, and I had a paste project for the neighborhood all planned out for the holiday. I got my biggest piece up early in the evening, and grabbed a friend to ride with me for the rest of my evening.. Surprise, surprise.. he kicked half a bucket of paste over in the floor of my car.. so I salvage what paste i can, and work til I’m out.
The next morning, I head to my local independent hardware store.. everything is closed.. cause it’s stupid easter. Store after store.. and Home Depot doesn’t even carry paste anymore.. So what’s a girl to do? Some dude recently told me that all women are good for is having babies and cooking.. so i got out my blessing rings, and scattered sage throughout my house in honor of our goddess mother and cooked a bountiful batch of Earth Paste.
I related my story of defeat and triumph to Mr. Lincoln, and he thought everyone could use a refresher on making paste from scratch.
Here’s the deal.This is for a decent sized batch. Get a big pot.. those ones for cooking lobsters are good, cause it won’t bubble out and get everywhere.. pour in 6 cups of water, and 4 cups of flour …1.5:1 ratio water to flour…(preferably wheat flour, but white works just as good). Stir them up really well with a whisk, so there’s no lumps, etc. Heat this up til it boils on medium heat, but make sure you don’t burn it, and stir it every couple of minutes.. it will boil quickly..
So it boils, now turn down the heat to low, and add more water until you have a clear thick mush, and cook this goopy-ass mess for half an hour, stirring every 3 minutes or so.. you kinda just have to watch it so it doesn’t burn. After 30 min, it should be the consistency of thick paint..
So after 30 min, remove from the stove and pour in a bucket or whatever, and let it cool for 15 min. Then add a handful of sugar or cornstarch (or both) and stir that in. This makes it extra sticky. Now from there, you can add Polycrylic or wood glue, or anything else you could think of to add to it for extra stickiness or whatnot. Experiment within reason.
Let cool about an hour or so, and you should be set. If your glue is too thick, just add a bit of water. If you don’t add glue or Acrylic medium, you can actually eat this stuff, or feed it to the orphan kids that hang out at the mall.
So now, you’ve got your glue.. Get an empty bottle of dish soap, and make sure all the soap is all out. Now put your glue in there. Amazing! You are much more portable than with a bucket. I keep a funnel in my car with the bucket, so i can refill the bottle if need be. You can easily put this in a plastic bag with your brush and walk around inconspicuously, pasting away quickly. It’s a fast way to get your surface prepared, by squirting your glue directly on the wall, and brushing it out.. or squirt it directly on the back of your paper. Whee.
Article by olive47
published with permission
