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Tag: tutorial on how to wallpaper with paste

How-To Hang Wallpaper Like a Pro!

If you follow me on Instagrammy favorite place on the web to share snippets throughout my day – then you know I had a busy weekend wallpapering. The kids room took a design turn after we found out a few weeks ago that baby #3 is going to be a girl.  In the end, as a family, we decided the kids will stay in the rooms they are currently in and the girls will eventually share a room once the baby is ready to move in.  So what does that mean??  Design changes!  The room that was going to be a shared boy / girl room was no longer needed.  Since we had already started on the transformation for my little guy, it meant we had to continue chugging along.  And let me tell ya, he’s a happy camper!

After choosing a new paint color (Benjamin Moore Hazy Skies) that I was very unsure of, because it was way lighter of a color than I’m used to, I am now thrilled with the decision.  Why?  Because I’ve been adding in colors in other ways.  Layers, my friends!  Layers are huge and in a kids room, books and toys add an amazing pop!  BUT, I was in need of more.  Yes more!  And that more resulted in a fun + unique wallpaper for the focal window wall that instantly turned the entire 12′ width into a photo gallery wall

Turn any wall into a Photo Gallery Wall with wallpaper! It adds dimension and endless possibilities for any space.

How fun is that?!  And before we go any further, I want to give you a peak at the before and after…

Turn any wall into a Photo Gallery Wall with wallpaper! It adds dimension and endless possibilities for any space.

I want to show you more of the room because it’s turning out pretty fantastic, but I can’t.  That’s to come – pinky swear!

Turn any wall into a Photo Gallery Wall with wallpaper! It adds dimension and endless possibilities for any space.

This incredible wallpaper is made by Taylor & Wood through Graham & Brown and it truly brings a wall to life.  I knew I wanted to do something fun on this focal wall.  Originally I was thinking a stencil, but this is way better.  So let’s jump right into how I installed it…

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

How-To Hang Wallpaper…  LIKE A PRO!

Similar to the last time I hung wallpaper in the powder room, this paper was also NOT pre-pasted (wallpaper that has paste and is activated with only water).  After wallpapering a few areas in my home, I have found that higher-quality wallpapers typically are not pre-pasted, so instead a paste has to be added.  I actually think the paste is easier to use than putting the paper through water.  I wrote a tutorial a long time ago on How-To Hang Prepasted Wallpaper, if you want to check that out.

Supplies:

  • Wallpaper
  • Wallpaper Paste
  • Smoothing Took
  • Sharp Razor or blade
  • Other handy tools for wallpapering are: a tape measure, a laser level, a pencil

Supplies for wallpapering like a PRO!

The Steps:

1. To start off, I found it best to measure the wall and cut a piece of wallpaper the length of the wall + an additional 6-8″ for extra at the top (ceiling) and bottom (floor).

a little helper is always fun + keeps you entertained!Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

2. I wasn’t worried about centering the paper on the wall for this project (in the powder room I did) and started at the left most edge of the wall. When hanging wallpaper, I find it best to add the best directly to the wall, THEN add the paper.  I used a cheap $1 brush to add enough paste to cover the width of the wallpaper (not the entire wall).

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

3. Once the paste is in place, then I started at the ceiling (adding about 2-3″ extra paper to trim), I hung the paper making sure to match the seam of the adjacent paper.  NEVER overlap the paper.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

4. When the paper initially adheres to the wall, there are always bumps and wrinkles.  No worries.  Simply smooth them out with the plastic smoothing tool.  It’s best to start at the top and move down the wall, as well as from the center of the paper and smooth out towards the edges.  You want to press firmly, but not too hard so all the glue seeps out.  Alittle glue seepage is okay and expected.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

5. Cutting around windows, doors, and outlets.  Thought to be tricky, but really not.  For the large window, I added the paste to the wall.  Then I hung the paper temporarily (very lightly) and trimmed the paper around the window using a scissor, leaving about 2 extra inches for trimming.  Once I cut the paper, THEN I went back and adhered the wallpaper to the wall properly.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

Here is a picture of me trimming the wallpaper around an outlet.  I used a sharp razor, cutting a small hole at the outlet and trimmed so the entire outlet was exposed.  The paper was wrinkled, but I smoothed it out after the hole was cut.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

CONFESSION: totally my opinion... Wallpaper is kind of like giving birth (that’s all I thought about throughout the process).  Going into it, your excited and ready to do “the work”.  You’re in the midst of it cheering yourself on.  Then there are some snags along the way and you start to get frustrated and defeated.  The end is almost near. You’re exhausted and your patience is done.  AND it’s over.  All is beautiful and you can sit back and relax.  After a few days, the memories start to fade and within no time, you think back that it wasn’t so bad after all.  Until the next time…

Anyway, let’s move on.  Obviously you  know where this prego girls head is.

Here are some pictures mid-project (the moments when exhaustion started to set in).

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

And the result once finished.  The part of enjoyment…

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

I started to jazz up the wall by hanging a few real picture frames over the “frames”.  It started to bring in some color and dimension!  I used a few pieces of command strips to keep the frames in place instead of nailing them to the wall.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

We (meaning my son + I) have a lot more ideas for making this wall even better.  In the meantime though (after hours of joyous wallpaper hanging) a few pictures and frames did the trick for fun.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

I even added some hooks for hanging a few hats and metals.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

Tutorial + Tips + Tricks for hanging wallpaper. Do It Yourself but get the results of a PRO! Splurge on the paper / Save money on the install.

So there you have it.  A 2 in 1.  A tutorial on how-to hang wallpaper + a fun & unique way to create an instant photo gallery wall.  A LOT more is happening in this room to make it suit the style of my little guy.  More to come soon…

Powder Room Remodel: Repairing Wall and Hanging Wallpaper

Between baseball, a birthday party, and celebrating Mother’s Day (shout out to all the moms out there – hope you had a great day), there was very little time to actually get anything major accomplished on the DIY homefront this weekend.  BUT, somehow with 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there, I was able to squeeze in a few trips to Lowe’s (for supplies) and a few moments to hang wallpaper.  And thankfully with those spare moments, I actually got alot done and I feel like I’m making progress – even though it’s slow.

owder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

Since announcing the plans for the powder room and sharing details on the removal of the toilet and pedestal sink, the room has really taken a drastic turn – for the good. When I left you last, there was a huge hole in the wall from where the tile backsplash was removed and the wall colors were still orange and beige.  Well not anymore.

Before I could even think about wallpapering, the hole had to be repaired.  I’ll admit, I haven’t had the best of luck patching holes and achieving a flawless finish.  It’s definitely an art.  I’m good, but not great.  (need a great tutorial on patching holes in the wall?  check out Sawdust Girl).  THANKFULLY, most of the hole will be covered with the new vanity, so I wasn’t super obsessed with making it perfect and smooth.  To start, I grabbed  a 2′ x 2′ piece of sheetrock from Lowe’s, cut it to fit tightly in the hole (a tight fit is key), and spackled the edges.  This isn’t the best way of patching a hole, but it’s the lazy way I took – again because I know it’ll be covered with the vanity.

It took a few days for multiple thin layers of spackle and drying time before I could give the wall a good sanding.  The hand sander gave a really nice smooth finished surface.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

Once the walls were smooth and clean, I was able to paint and wallpaper the room.

I started out with painting the corners and edges at the window and door of the 3 non-wallpapered walls.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

The color is Blue Mystery by Valspar and it’s almost an exact match to the background color of the wallpaper.  Even though it’s blue, it has a deep purple / violet hue.  It’s actually a very different blue than my office, but with the foyer in between the two spaces, you can’t notice the differing tones.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

Once the walls were done, it was time to get down and dirty with wallpapering!

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

How-To Wallpaper using Paste

I had thought the wallpaper I chose was a pre-pasted wallpaper (wallpaper that has paste and is activated with water) but when I added water to the back of my sample piece, I quickly learned it wasn’t.  So this was my first time wallpapering using paste.  I was apprehensive at first, but it actually wasn’t at all as difficult as I thought it would be. I wrote a tutorial a long time ago on How-To Hang Prepasted Wallpaper, if you want to check that out.

Supplies:

  • Wallpaper of your choice.  I chose Amy Butler Lacework in Midnight.
  • Wallpaper Paste
  • Smoothing Took
  • Sharp Razor or blade
  • Other handy tools for wallpapering are: a tape measure, a laser level, a pencil

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

1. To start, I found the center of the wall and made a mark.  Then knowing the width of the roll (20.2″), I determined how far over the edge would need to start (1/2 of the overall which is 10.1″).  I made another mark and used my laser level to make marks all the way up the wall (which will be the location for the edge of the wallpaper).

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

2. After determining where the wallpaper edge would be placed, I added the wallpaper paste to the center section of the wall using a brush.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

* There are several techniques to hanging wallpaper, but I thought it would be best to follow the steps that came with my wallpaper roll.  Another method that is readily used is to apply the paste to the wallpaper back, fold over both ends of the strip (being careful not to crease the paper) so that they meet in the middle.  This gives the paste a chance to activate.  Again, the instructions with my wallpaper said to apply the paste directly to the wall, which is what I did.  If you want to see more on the other application, I found this helpful step by step method.

3. After the paste was applied, I took the end of the wallpaper roll (leaving about 3″ extra at the top) and adhered it to the wall aligning the edge with the mark I made on the wall.  Then continued to roll it out down the wall.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

4. As I was adhering the paper to the wall, I used the smoothing tool to eliminate the bumps, wrinkles, and air bubbles.  It’s best to start at the top and move down the wall, as well as from the center of the paper and smooth out towards the edges.  You want to press firmly, but not too hard so all the glue seeps out.  Alittle glue seepage is okay and expected.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

5. Once the first panel was hung, it was time to hang the second adjacent sheet.  The same steps should be taken, but this time it’ll be key to align the seams so the design / pattern matches (especially with the paper I was using).

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodelphoto credit: my 7 year old!

6. Once the paper is up and in place, it’s time to trim – the ceiling, edges, and base. Using a sharp blade / razor, follow the crease / edge and gently cut the paper.  It might be damp from the paste, so try not to pull the paper because it’ll rip.  Scissors also help.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

I also had to trim around the light fixture…  that’s to come.

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

And the result is…

…a beautiful, bold focal wall!

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

The quality of this paper is amazing.  Comparing it to the previous time when I wallpapered, this paper is alot heavier which hides many of the imperfections on the wall – score!

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

Not to shabby going from this…  to this…

Powder Room Remodel: Patching holes and hanging wallpaper - Follow along on this bold transformation #powderroomremodel

Plan of Action for #powderroomremodel:

  • Choose and buy sink
  • Choose and buy toilet
  • Choose and buy faucet
  • Remove sink
  • Remove toilet
  • Repair hole with new sheetrock
  • Repair floor @ sink and toilet
  • Hang wallpaper
  • Paint
  • Add crown moulding (yes, my 1st moulding ever)
  • Assemble sink
  • Install sink and faucet
  • Install toilet
  • Accessorize – mirror, pictures, etc.

7 items crossed off the list since last time.  Now that’s progress!

But there’s still more to come. Stay Tuned.

Have you ever hung wallpaper?  What method did you use?  Was it pre-paste or the kind where you had to add the paste?