Starching Tips for Microcrochet

Hello, micro makers! One of the topics I get asked about the most is “Do you starch your microcrochet pieces?” and then the related question “How do you do it?” Today’s post answers these questions and provides some other helpful tips for starching success!

I do starch flat motifs like these Bloom mandalas:

I may or may not starch 3D micro flowers, It depends on if I want the petals to stay a certain shape or not - micro dahlias, starched; micro roses, not starched (see photos below).

I use a mixture of half white/school glue aka PVA glue and half water to starch. I dab the mixture onto the piece and then pinch it in to get the mixture evenly spread throughout all of the stitches. Here’s a link to an Instagram reel I made showing my process so you can see how I do it:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CFxjWxDBEDs/?utm_medium=copy_link

One bottle of glue this size has lasted me quite a while. You don’t need much glue at all, just a few drops if you are only starching a couple of pieces.

I usually batch my starching, meaning I wait to do it until I have a dozen or more pieces to starch and then do them all at the same time.

I also recommend having a damp cloth or paper towel close at hand when you are ready to do your starching so you can wipe off your fingers periodically or wipe up any accidental spills.

White glue can be cleaned up easily with water before it dries, and it peels cleanly off of most non-porous surfaces after it dries (though not off of your crocheted pieces!). It’s very easy to use!

Hope this is helpful info for you! Do you starch any of your crochet pieces? What methods do you use?

Sabrina