How to Wallpaper Like a Pro – Easy Tutorial

28 Shares
0
0
28

If there was one thing I was ever scared of in the DIY world, it was how to install traditional wallpaper. Oh boy, did the sound of that make me shiver. I delayed it until I finally got to my dining room and decided hey, it’s time to get over this irrational fear and put up wallpaper that wasn’t peel and stick. Before attempting it I scoured the internet for guides and video tutorials went through dozens to find all the information I needed. So here I am compiling all that knowedge into this comprehensive tutorial on how to install traditional wallpaper, along with video clips from my Instagram highlights!

I completed my dining room makeover in April but never got around to writing a tutorial on it. In fact, Clare paint wrote about it before I got a chance! (not complaining at all, haha) So this blog post is going to be a series about my dining room makeover and I’ll cover all projects, including wallpaper and moulding installation as well as product sources. If you haven’t read my recent post about my top summer toys, I’d love for you to check it out here!

Alrighty so on to my traditional wallpaper tutorial. For my dining room design I wanted a fairly neutral design which would go with a variety of paint colors and not overpower the moulding design (I will write about that next) I ended up picking this almost Ikat like print from Magnolia home in Black and White and it complements the design perfectly!

If you’re a more visual person, you should check out the wallpaper stories on my Instagram here. If you’d rather read and get all the details in one place, read on through!

SUPPLIES needed

HOW TO INSTALL Traditional or Pre-Pasted WALLPAPER

Wallpaper primer/skim coat

If you have textured walls like I do (I have a flat ish orange peel texture which isn’t rough but still has grooves) then you might want to skim coat your walls with joint compound before proceeding. However, I am the laziest DIY-er in the world and I did not skim coat my walls! I don’t mind the little bit of texture peeking through so I went ahead and did one extra step of using wallpaper primer. This step makes sure the adhesive forms a good seal and it doesnt rip off drywall when you’re trying to remove the wallpaper at some point down the road. I just rolled it on with a roller and did 2 coats.

Measure and Mark Panels

The next step would be to measure the width of your wallpaper panel and mark that width on the entirety of you wall. This will help you figure out how many panels you need to cut.

Cut panels

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-5.png

Measure the length of the wall and add 4″ to that number. This number is the length of your panels – we add two inches extra on both ends to accommodate for wiggle room and to be able to cut clean edges on both ends. Cut panels using an xacto knife (if you buy the kit I recommend it comes with one and extra blades).

Activate/apply glue

My wallpaper is the pre-pasted kind, which means there’s already a layer of adhesive on the back and it only needs water to activate the glue. The other kind of wallpaper needs glue application and you would do it the same way by replacing water with the glue. Lay your panel front side down on a flat surface. Dip your roller in a bowl of clean water and roll over the back of the wallpaper to wet

Book wallpaper

Booking wallpaper means folding over the ends to meet in the middle. This is done to ensure the glue gets time to activate and moisture disperses evenly. Wait a minute or two before taking the panel up to install the wallpaper.

Apply to Wall

Take your panel to the wall and unroll the top half. Start pasting from 2″ above the wall (remember we measured 2″ extra from the top and bottom?) this is just an estimate you don’t have to measure. Use a level to make sure it’s going straight down (I used my laser level as a reference) Smooth it onto the wall using the smoothing tool in the kit and your hands. You can lift up the paper to fix any mistakes or bubbles. This is where traditional wallpaper is extremely forgiving. You can remove and readjust the wallpaper as many times as you like because the glue doesn’t dry for a while. Smooth it down all the way until you get to the bottom and then use your xacto knife to make a clean cut at the bottom edge.

Tip: Do not lift off blade from the wallpaper while cutting, that can cause a jagged edge. Replace the blade often (the tip comes off), I did it every two cuts.

For the second panel repeat the previous steps, but this time make sure to align the pattern to the first panel and leave no gap between the two panel and no overlapping either! Repeat the process until you get to the end of the wall. To trim off excess wallpaper on the side, use the same cutting technique described. See, it’s not that hard to install traditional wallpaper!

Success!

FINAL NOTES

I am not gonna lie, the first to panels were HARD. I messed up and made incorrect measurements, cut one panel too short and redid it. However, by panel three I was a pro! (more or less lol) and I find traditional wallpaper easier to install. Keep a damp cloth with you to wipe away excess glue from the paper or floor. Take your time with aligning the paper! But most importantly, if I can get over my wallpaper fear then so can you! If you find this wallpaper tutorial helpful please drop in a line in comments!

This post contains affiliate links to products that I used or recommend. If you purchase something through an affiliate link, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. I really appreciate your support!
28 Shares
4 comments
  1. Such a thorough guide! I’m about to put some contact paper on my basin cabinet and the advice on here was helpful with that too

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like
DIY Round Fluted Coffee Table

Easy Round DIY Fluted Coffee Table (How to build)

Round, fluted coffee tables or reeded trim furniture in general is so on trend right now. From wall paneling with fluted details to accent tables, I've been loving the look and wanted to make my own DIY round coffee table. There are so many DIY coffee table ideas out there but I'm sharing the best easy DIY tutorial which doesn't even require pocket holes! You read that right, no pocket hole screws involved for table legs or anything at all. Let's do this!
Read More