Wheat Paste!?

As we continue our journey at the Octagon House we have miraculously learned something new, or rather old, I should say. How to make wheat paste! Wheat Paste, you say? Yes, wheat paste, I answer back.  I know, we were a little bit curious as well, but as always Maggie and I face our challenges head on...

When we first looked at the paper for the Octagon House we knew it was unlike any other paper we had worked with, but how hard could it be, after all we had done paper hanging in a multitude of places, both commercially, as well as domestically, we just figured we would have to be a little bit more gentle, after all, it  was real "card-stock" paper. 

After much research we discovered that paper from the 1800's was just that, paper, not the vinyl we use today, but actual paper, and when the committee at the Octagon House wanted a historical make over, they ordered period paper.  This leads me back to wheat paste.  Yep, you guessed it we went "old school".  The paste that is available today does not work with historically replicated paper, as a matter of fact, it damages it.  So after a lot of research we discovered we needed to make our own paste, hence wheat paste!

It isn't a complicated recipe, all you need is wheat flower, water & sugar, but it is a complicated process.  First, you have to cook up the paste. You can only make a small batch at a time because it only keeps a week in the fridge. Then once the paste is made the fun begins...

Pre-cutting paper, lining it up, pre-pasting everything, adjusting the paper & repasting again....it's hard and takes a lot of patience but the end result is awesome! 

One room down, plenty more to go, not to mention the staircase!

We have learned a lot on this job and will continue to I'm sure! We'll keep you posted!