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Searches on both wheat paste and paper-mache turned up lots of handy information for your craft activities. First, we learned that wheat paste is a popular adhesive for hanging political posters. In particular, underground groups like wheat paste because it's cheap, and easy to make in large batches. Plus a wheat-pasted poster can be next to impossible to remove from a wall. Bonus! Second, while wheat paste is often used in paper-mache, several artists who create paper-mache sculptures note that wheat paste can attract mold or mildew over time. This can be aggravated if you live in a humid climate. If you want your paper-mache items to last longer, they recommend buying wallpaper paste which usually has an anti-fungal agent in it. Make sure to read the precautions on the paste's label, especially if you have children working with paper-mache. Now for the recipes -- there are two basic ways to make wheat paste. Both involve the same ingredients of wheat flour and water (which is not only cheap, but safe for use with kids). In one version you use hot water and boil the mixture. This offers a stronger adhesive quality, which is ideal for
putting up posters, but is not as important for paper-mache. The cold-water version uses a ratio of one part flour and one to three parts water. You'll need to test the ratio yourself until you get the consistency of thick glue. About.com recommends adding a few tablespoons of salt to the mixture to help prevent mold, but we couldn't find confirmation on this. In any case, you can't beat wheat paste as an inexpensive, fast, and kid-friendly craft tool.
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