Here are two crocheted angels drying on my kitchen counter. The little one is Small Angel Ornament #1 and the larger one is Tree Top Angel #4 from Leisure Arts Crocheted Snowflakes & Angels designed by Wilma Stash with a copyright date of 1983.They were worked with a size 3 steel crochet hook in Baroque crochet cotton in Ecru.
Their heads are stuffed with merino top because that's what was at hand.
After I assembled them and sewed in the ends, I dipped their bodies, wings, and halos in warm water, then in starch. I spread a thin layer of starch over their heads so that there won't be color or sheen differences when they dry. I removed the excess starch with my fingers and paper towels before forming them into their angel shapes.
They are supported by cones made of leftover plastic Metro shelf liner stapled and taped together and held in place with bobby pins. I tried to support the larger angel's wings, but couldn't find anything that worked, so in the morning I'll probably have to re-flatten the picots.
I did not have any commercial laundry starch around the house, so I mixed pure corn starch and water together in a saucepan and boiled it until it got gloopy. Then I thinned it to a consistency I could work with. I could've "starched" them with sugar water, but I don't have as much sugar in the house as I have corn starch.
Hopefully they will both dry and harden before the people I made them for skip town for the holidays.
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