You guys! I hung wallpaper in my kids’ playroom under the stairs! I have NEVER hung wallpaper before, so this was COMPLETELY new to me. I was a little intimidated by wallpaper before, but it was actually fairly easy, and I would totally do it again in another room. I ordered this peel and stick wallpaper from Amazon, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. I followed the directions in the package, so if you have a different brand of peel and stick wallpaper, I would suggest following those directions. I installed the wallpaper all by myself (hooray for me!) and overall it was a very simple process. I chose a small area to tackle my first wallpaper project, with no outlets or weird angles to cut around, so that also simplified the process. I did my best to take pictures along the way to help make a guide for others to follow.
(This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase products through my links, I may receive a small commission—at no extra cost to you!)
Materials Needed:
Scissors
Pencil
*Before you start, here are a couple things to note:
- Please keep in mind I am no professional at installing wallpaper (this was my first time in fact!) so please follow the directions on the instructions that come with YOUR wallpaper!
- The directions recommend putting the wallpaper rolls in the room you will install them in for 48 hours prior to installation. (This is so the wallpaper can acclimatize to the room.)
- It also states that you should not apply the wallpaper on freshly painted walls—the paint should have had time to fully cure.
Here is a BEFORE photo of the wall in our play area under the stairs:
Step 1: Wash the wall and top edge of baseboard with a sponge and water only. (You don’t want soap to leave a residue, otherwise the wallpaper may not stick.)
Step 2: Use a measuring tape to measure 20″ from the left hand side of the wall, and make a pencil mark on the wall. (The directions recommend working left to right if possible.)
Step 3: Draw a plum line (straight line) down the wall using a level on your mark. This will be your guideline for placing the first piece of wallpaper. (That way if your left wall edge isn’t exactly level, your wallpaper will be.)
Step 4: Peel off about 12″ of the wallpaper backing.
Step 5: Apply first piece, lining up the edge with you plum line. Leave a little excess wallpaper at the top, and there will be a little excess wallpaper on the left.
Step 6: Smooth out wallpaper/air bubbles with a wallpaper smoother tool. Work your way down the wall, smoothing and peeling off a little of the backing as you go.
Step 7: Score the excess wallpaper with a utility knife using your smoother tool as a straight edge/guide.
First piece is done!
Step 8: Match up the pattern for the second piece of wallpaper. Peel off some of the backing again and overlap 0.5mm, matching the pattern. Smooth and work your way down the wall like you did before. If you need to adjust the placement of the wallpaper, you can pull it off and reapply. I found it easiest to smooth out if you only do a small section at a time (I tried not to do more that 12″.) Definitely use a wallpaper smoother tool, it will make your life much easier!
Step 9: Complete all your pieces following these directions.
That’s it! Step back and admire your work!
I had a few chunks of “wasted” wallpaper from the first roll because I had to match up the pattern, and ended up needing to use the second roll. I had quite a lot left over from the second roll. I would suggest you figure out how many rolls you need and then buy an extra roll to use if needed. You want all your rolls to be from the same dye lot so the color is consistent.
What do you all think of my first wallpaper project? I’m loving how it turned out! I may just decide to wallpaper another wall in our house soon! I actually really enjoyed the process—it was fun! I have plans to dress up this space a little more for the kids, so stay tuned for an update on the space! Thanks for reading, and I hope this is a helpful guide if you decide to tackle a wallpaper project too!
Other posts about kids’ spaces you might also enjoy:
Switching Things Up in the Boys’ Bedroom
Leave a Reply