How to Reglue a Wall Border With Common Household Products

Prepare the double boiler by adding water to the bottom pot and adding the top pot. You can make a double boiler by using a smaller pot inside a larger pot. There should be at least 1 inch of space between the bottoms of the two pots. Add enough water to the larger pot to reach 1 inch above the bottom of the smaller pot.

Turn the burner on "high." While the water is heating, pour the flour and the borax or alum into the top pot. Use a whisk to incorporate the dry ingredients.

Pour water into the flour mixture, slowly, using the whisk to blend, until the liquid is as thick as heavy cream.

Continue stirring the mixture with the whisk as it heats. Heat the mixture until it has thickened like gravy.

Remove the smaller pot from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Stir in the clove oil to help preserve the paste.

Clean beneath the loose wallpaper border with a dry paintbrush, for small lifts, or a soft whiskbroom, for larger areas, to remove any debris.

Apply a thin coat of wallpaper paste to the wall with a small paintbrush, for small lifts, or a 2-inch wide paintbrush, for larger areas.

Smooth over the wallpaper border, pressing it gently to the wall, with a damp sponge. Wipe away any excess wallpaper paste that seeps out along the edge of the wallpaper border.

Pour leftover paste into a plastic or glass container with a lid and store in the refrigerator. The paste will only keep for two weeks, so do not make it too far in advance.