*NOTE* – I have since figured out that this post is only applicable to MATTE PPA.  When you mix water with PPA gloss it still works.  Only PPA matte messes up when you add water to it.

Anyone who has been reading the blog for awhile will know that I enjoy trying different sealants with paper quilled jewelry, experimenting with them, and showing you how to use them.  Click here to read all posts about sealant!

One of my favorite sealants to use as a base sealant for all of my jewelry is liquid matte sealant
(see it in this post and this post).  It is a white liquid that soaks into the paper quilling and makes it sturdy and water resistant.  I usually like to add either a few coats of this, or use 1-2 coats and then a topcoat for shine and extra water resistance.  It has served me well for several years (though there are a few tricks when using it, which I will highlight in another post).

**added note**  Now I have found a liquid sealer available in the US that works just as well as the liquid matte sealant I used for so long.

I thought maaaybe if I diluted another sealant with water to make it liquid, it would work in a similar manner.  So I thought I’d start with another absolute favorite of mine, PPA (perfect paper adhesive).  Click here to read all about using PPA.

I love PPA, I really do.  It has so many uses and I use it both as a glue and as a topcoat for sealing jewelry.  It has many other craft uses as well!

But after this experiment, I will not be mixing it with water to dilute it and use as a liquid sealant 😉

What I did was dilute the matte PPA in a ratio of approximately 1:1 with water (it may have been a little more water than glue, I kind of eyeballed it.  Then I used it just as I use liquid matte sealant by dipping my jack o’ lantern earrings into it, front and back, letting it soak in briefly, blotting on a tissue, and letting to dry on a plastic surface.

 

using diluted PPA as a sealant

 

 

At first it looked pretty much just like the liquid matte sealant.  But once it started drying I knew it was a no-go…..  OH NO!    As you can see it created a white film all over the surface (on both sides).  I have absolutely no idea why it does this, but now I know not to do this!

Using diluted PPA as a sealant for quilling

 

 

Actually it COULD be kind of a cool effect IF you were looking for a white crackly finish to your piece. Maybe for an old vintage type look?

I was kind of excited about my idea so I quickly dipped both pairs of my earrings into the sealant.  Which means I basically ruined both pairs:

Using diluted PPA as a sealant for quilling

 

I attempted to dip the pieces into liquid matte sealant after they dried to see if it would improve at all.  It made them more sturdy, but they look exactly the same.

I feel it’s great to share both successes and failures, especially with my work in sealants since I want to help others find the best option for sealing their jewelry.

I still think PPA is one of the best products out there (for both sealant and glue).  But it definitely doesn’t work to dilute it with water to get it to soak into the paper.

Lesson learned.

Do you have any sealant successes or failures that were surprises?  It’s always fun to experiment even if it doesn’t turn out as desired!

 

Stick around and check out some of the other fun stuff on the blog!

  • Click here to view more free paper quilling tutorials!
  • Click here to view paper quilling tips and tricks!
  • Click here to view a list of places to buy quilling supplies around the world!
  • Click here to view some of my own quilling projects, with tips so you can make your own if you’d like!

*All products and supplies mentioned in this post I purchased and/or made on my own.

*This post contains some affiliate links.  If you purchase products through the affiliate links I get a small percentage (at no extra cost to you!).  I only link to products that I believe in and/or love to use myself.  Thank you for supporting my blog!