By: Fran McGee

      Title: Paperhanger's Paste
 Categories: Kids, Crafts
      Yield: 1 servings

      1 c  Non-self-rising wheat flour
      1 tb Powdered alum
      1 tb Powdered rosin
  1 1/2 c  Warm water
  4 1/2 c  Hot water
  1 1/2 c  Cold water
      8    Drops oil of cloves or oil
           -of cinnamon (optional)

  1. Mix flour, alum, an rosin in a large pot. 2. Make a paste by
  adding 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir until smooth. 3. Pour in 4 1/2
  cups hot water, stirring vigorously to break up lumps. 4. Place over
  low heat and boil until thick and clear. 5. Thin with about 1 1/2
  cups cold water. 6. Add 8 drops oil of cloves or cinnamon as
  preservative if paste will not be used the same day it is made.

  Makes about 1 1/2 quarts. Can be doubled for large projects.

  How to use it: This paste if best when used warm. As it cools, it will
  thicken. It can be thinned with more warm water. IF preseravtive is
  added, it will keep for several months. Paperhanger's paste can be
  used for paper-mache projects to obtain a hard finish. This paste
  makes a durable binding agent for gluing cloth on cardboard to
  reinforce box corners or for affixing scrapbook hinges.