DIY Hack: How to Make Wallpaper Paste

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

Wallpaper is just one way to add elegance and sophistication to your interior decor. There are endless patterns and styles to choose from, making it an incredibly versatile option for decorating walls.

Most wallpaper is pre-pasted these days, but some types will require the use of wallpaper paste when applied. Luckily this can be made easily at home with materials you might already have lying around in your kitchen! With that in mind, let’s delve in and learn how to make wallpaper paste.

Making Wallpaper Paste: 2 Easy Methods

Method 1: Simple Homemade Wallpaper Paste Recipe

Supplies

• 9 cups Water
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 4 1/2 cups Flour
• 3 Tbsp Alum

Mix flour and sugar in a bowl. Then slowly add a cup of cold water. Use a whisk or spatula to beat the mixture until no lumps are visible.

When done, pour the mixture into a saucepan and add two cups of cold water. While you’re stirring, constantly bring the combination to a boil under medium heat.

Once the mixture is denser and firmer, remove it from the heat and add alum. Allow the wallpaper paste to cool down, then store it in an airtight container.

Conversely, if your paste hardens, it’s always advisable to mix it in small amounts of warm water until you get a thick paste that resembles sour cream. When doing this, maintain one mixing cycle (clockwise or ant-clockwise), as this will help you avoid lumps in your mixture.

Method 2: Using Cornstarch and Water

When using this method, it’s always important to note that water plays an important role while preparing your wallpaper paste. So before you being making your paste, it’s always essential to determine the amount of homemade paste you be making.

Supplies

• Cornstarch
• Measuring cup
• Cold water
• Whisk or spatula

Step 1: Measure the Water and Cornstarch

Start by measuring the amount of cold water and cornstarch you will use to make your homemade wallpaper paste.

Measures 10 cups of water in a large pot. Place the pot on the stove without turning on the heat.

Then measure one cup of cornstarch in and place it in the cooking space next to the large stockpot.

Step 2: Making the Wallpaper Paste

Once you have measured all your ingredients, it’s time to make your wallpaper paste. Keep in mind that it’s always essential to mix the ingredients carefully when making this mixture, as this ensures you end up with a smooth wallpaper paste.

Take a spatula and slowly add small amounts of starch into the large pot as you keep constantly stirring the mix of cold water and starch. Note that one hand should always add the starch while you stir with the other one.

Once you have mixed all the measured flour with water, you should have a completely smooth paste. Note that if your paste has lumps, it will not be good enough to use.

Step 3: Bring It to Heat

For the third step, turn on your stove to medium heat, which helps make the mixing process easier.

Keep stirring until your mixture’s consistency is thick and gluey. Remove the large pot from heat. Note that at this stage, you should have a somehow translucent mixture.

It’s worth mentioning that you can always start making your homemade wallpaper adhesive using a whisk — that should help avoid lumps in the first place. Eventually, you will be required to change to a wooden spatula once the mixture thickens.

Step 4: Cool the Wallpaper Paste Mix

Once the wallpaper mix is thick enough for wallpapering, turn off your stove and take the pot off it.

Using your wooden spatula, continue stirring your homemade wallpaper adhesive for a few minutes until the bottom of the pot is cool. Then transfer the paste into an airtight container, or the container you will be using to install your wallpapers.

How to Check the Thickness of the Wallpaper Paste

Its goes without saying that wallpaper paste should always be thick enough to allow you to do wallpapering with no hiccups. But this begs the question, how do you check if your paste is thick enough?

When checking the thickness of your wallpaper paste, it’s always advisable to stir it while it’s still in the pot and seep it down to the pot from your wooden spatula. If it’s watery, you need to adjust it to your paste.

Start by scraping the bottom of your pots. If you find any lumps, turn back your heat to the lowest level and quickly stir the mixture clockwise.

Ensure you maintain the same rhythm while you stir the mixture. Then seep the mix after a few stirs to check if your mixture has thickened, and repeat this method until desired results are achieved.

Note that it’s not advisable to use water wallpaper paste since it will drip on your floors.

Tips When Making DIY Wallpaper Paste

1. Add sugar to your flour. It helps prevent the paste from hardening too much.
2. If your paste is lumpy, mix it in a blender or food processor to remove all the lumps.
3. Add alum – it acts as a preservative that prevents mould or mildew from growing on your paste during storage.

DIY Wallpaper Paste FAQs

How Can I Install Wallpaper Using Homemade Wallpaper Paste?

Before you begin, always ensure that you cover the surface using plastic or white paper. Avoid using newspapers since the ink on such paper will bleed.

Place your wallpaper on the white paper and spread the paste on its back. Then book your wallpaper by folding its pasted sides together and allowing it to rest for approximately 3-5 minutes for the paste to set. When done, install your wallpaper. That’s it!

Can I Use Wheat Flour to Make Wallpaper Paste?

Yes, you can use wheat flour to make homemade wallpaper paste. To make this wallpaper wheat paste, you require 5 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar and one gallon of cool water.

Mix the sugar and flour in a bowl, then transfer it into a large pot. And turn on the stove and bring it to medium heat.

Start mixing the flour and water using a whisk and work out all the lumps. Once your wheatpaste begins to thicken, use a spatula and cook it until it begins to look clear.

When done, remove it from the heat source and allow it to cool down to room temperature before storing it away or using the batch you created.

Can I Use the Commercial Paste on Wallpaper?

Yes, you can. Since it’s one of the alternatives to wallpaper paste when using a commercial wallpaper adhesive, it’s always important to follow the manufactures instruction — this ensures the wallpaper sticks flawlessly on your walls.

How Much Wallpaper Paste Do I Need?

The amount of wallpaper paste needed depends on the wall area you want to decorate using wallpapers. If you are covering different walls in your household, it’s essential to prepare a batch of wallpaper paste and vice versa.

Does Wallpaper Paste Ruin Paint?

Yes and no. Upon removing your wallpaper, the paint on your walls may be pulled off.

However, if you had applied sheen before installing the wallpapers, the adhesive will not damage your walls upon removal.

Make Your Homemade Wallpaper Paste

And, that is it! Learning how to make wallpaper paste on your own is some art that one can add an individual twist and personality based on different preferences and how you cook and store it.

That said, we hope that the above article will help both pro and novice persons looking forward to their own wallpaper paste.