Over the years, I found that the quality of pre-pasted paper and borders varies. Some were wonderful and needed no additional paste. Others were awful and curled and fell down.
When we moved into one home I purchased $120 worth of wallpaper and border for our daughter's room. She wanted it done in pink and purple with a frog/princess border and it came pre-pasted. Assuming the higher priced paper and border would be good quality I did not use additional paste and it seemed to go up easily and beautifully! I finished her room and left to go downstairs. When I returned to her bedroom 2 hours later I met a disaster. 80% of the wallpaper was down on the floor! I was so angry I found myself putting it up in a huff with a stapler and elmers glue. After my temper had cooled I ended up taking it all down. The quality of the paper was so bad that once the walls had dried completely you couldn't even see nor feel any wallpaper paste residue or discolor. It looked as if nothing had been done to her walls at all (and obviously the paper came right off with no treatment or ripping!).
That's when I learned. No matter what I will always use extra wall paper paste in the future. What a waste of time and money! Never again.
Homemade wallpaper paste
1 cup cornstarch
1 scant cup sugar (more than ¾, but less then 1)
2 teaspoons powdered alum
Mix above together with just enough water to dissolve the ingredients. Then add 6 quarts of rolling boiling water, stirring constantly. This paste can be stored in an air-tight container for some time.
(This is an old, old vintage recipe from an old cookbook I have and is attributed to Mrs. Leota Gregory)
Related products available through Amazon;
Golden Harvest Universal Wheat Wallpaper Paste
Roman 1 gal Heavy Duty Wallpaper Adhesive, Clear
Rust-Oleum 1-Quart Suregrip 122 Heavy Duty Clear Strippable Wallpaper Adhesive
Golden Harvest 20 oz. Universal Wallpaper and Border Adhesive with Applicator
