DIY fabric wallpaper,,,,,,need advice
 

Many years ago I saw this done on a home decor t.v. show, it looked easy enough but if anyone has done this and it's worked for them, I'd love to know how you did it.

Here's my plan, I have a California King bed skirt with 14 inches of fabric along three sides. I plan to cut the fabric in half lengthwise and fuse it on to some under wonder and use it as a border at the ceiling. I don't know what kind exactly or where to get old fashioned mixable starch like my mom used to use. I know the fabric is supposed to be dipped in and soaked in the starch, gently wrung out and then applied but I have no idea about the ratio of starch to water. I plan to use a few tacks to help keep it in as well.

Thanks ahead of time for any suggestions.

I'm just curious as to why you would use laundry starch instead of wallpaper paste. You can still buy laundry starch in the grocery stores.

Go with wallpaper paste! You can iron and starch the fabric so it looks good when applied to the wall, and apply with the paste and it will be perfect -- all nice & neat. The other way will generate a mess, it won't look nearly as professional and you'll have streaks of starch down the wall.

From what I understand the reason for the starch is because it's so easily removable when you're ready to take it down but I can see that it will be a sticky mess on both sides of the fabric. Not only a sticky mess but I'll be up on a ladder with sticky hands trying to hold on. I'm going to rethink this. Thanks ladies.

If you decide to do it - you don't need to wonder under anything. In fact I would think that would keep it from sticking

I did this with a friend once. Soak the fabric in 1/2 starch 1/2 water. Sponge down the wall area to be "papered", wring out the fabric by gently squeezing and apply to wall area smoothing as you go. There should be minimal drip and this is easily wiped away. In my experience this type of application goes better with 2 people. :)

PS: Try in small area to test first and get your procedure down. Be sure your fabric is not bleeding at all.

Edit: I found this on the web. http://budgetdecorating.about.com/od...bric-walls.htm

I've heard of this technique from some of the more seasoned citizens in my circle, but I've also heard its not a good idea to use starch because it attracts bugs. Can anyone speak to this?

I have walpapered with fabric using FABRIC Starch right from the bottle--no problems and easy to do

I have never done this but it sounds neat. When I put up wallpaper border I always made my kids help me. I would line up 4 kitchen chairs along the wall and get a whole roll of border ready to hang. I would just step from chair to chair around the room smoothing the border as I went as the kids moved the chairs for me. I could put border around a whole room in no time at all. Good luck.

The starch is an old Navy wife trick for doing wallpaper on the cheap and not leaving marks when leaving housing. If I remember correctly, use the liquid starch (blue?) that comes in jugs from the grocery. Spread a thin layer on the way, then press your fabric into it. When you want to remove it, just wet the fabric, wash the walls, and presto! Back the way it was. Of course, we filled picture hanging holes with white toothpaste, too, so go figure! Oh, and the old wallpaper paste would bring bugs...wash the walls first with TSP to avoid that.