Let’s talk peel and stick wallpaper! Specifically, how to actually install peel and stick wallpaper. Spoiler alert: it’s EASY! This was my very first wallpaper experience and I would 100% do it again. Honestly, it was extremely satisfying to install and I’m already looking forward to finding another wallpaper project in my house. 🙂 If you can’t tell, this room will be the nursery for our baby girl who is due in September!
Some things to note:
- This is an accent wall wallpaper install.
- The wall texture is smooth.
- I didn’t have to wrap any corners.
Materials:
- Wallpaper – here’s the print I used
- Wallpaper smoother
- Utility knife
- Tape measure
- Laser level (you could use a 4′ level, but IMO this is a huge time saver)
- Painter’s tape
- Semi-gloss paint
I didn’t end up using the 12″ paint shield pictured above, but it could be useful to smooth out the wallpaper!
Step 1: Prep the wall
Paint the wall with a semi gloss paint so that the wallpaper can be easily removed if you want to change it down the road. Using a flat or matte paint could cause the drywall to peel off with the wallpaper, and then you’d have to repair the drywall.
If you’re doing an accent wall, you may want to decide on a paint color for the rest of the room & paint prior to installing the wallpaper. That way, you won’t have to have to worry about getting paint on the wallpaper after it was installed!
The other three walls in this nursery will be painted Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore, so I went ahead and painted the adjacent walls. I also removed the outlets and painted the baseboards. That’s all the prep work I did!
Step 2: Set up the laser level + hang the first panel
Measure the wall height and add an extra 6″-12″ to that. That’s how long you’ll want to cut your first panel.
I highly recommend using a laser level.. it makes things so much easier! Set your laser level up so it aligns with the edge of the panel. I made my first panel flush with the wall corner. I used painters tape to hold the wallpaper level, and then I peeled back about 16″ of the backing paper off and begun sticking it to the wall.
Be sure to leave a little extra wallpaper at the top; you can trim it after it’s hung with your utility knife. You’ll also trim the excess off at the baseboard with your utility knife.
Use your wallpaper smoother to push out any air bubbles. I like to press it down and toward the edges while peeling the backing off. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll see how easy it is!
Step 3: Align remaining panels and repeat!
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WHERE THE PATTERNS ALIGN BEFORE CUTTING THE SECOND PIECE! I made the mistake of assuming my pattern begun at the same location on each roll, but I was wrong. Determine where your patterns line up on the wall, THEN make the cut.
I preferred to match up the pattern, get the panel level, and then use painters tape to help guide me as I hung each piece. Remember, you need to cut your panels long enough so that you have a little extra at the top and the bottom. Once the panels are hung, you can go back and trim the excess at the ceiling and the baseboard.
Trimming around outlets is easy – just use your utility knife to make the cut and smooth it out the best you can.
AND THEN YOU’RE DONE!
I did this entire wall in one day! (well, technically two days if you count painting the day before install.) What do you think? Have you hung wallpaper before? I’m hoping to do our half bath next. Now that I’ve done it once, I can’t wait to it again! I mean it really changes a space in a fun way!
