Paper like a pro with this beginner-friendly how-to guide to hanging wallpaper.
Installing that beautiful wallpaper eyeing you from your shopping cart isn’t as tricky as you may think. With a bit of know-how, it’s easy to apply wallpaper in your home (even for beginners!). It’s time to order that pattern you’ve had your eye on, and start hanging.
This handy overview of how to hang wallpaper makes the process super simple. Choose a wallpaper, gather a few common supplies, and fire up your “I can do it” attitude. With these step-by-step directions for installing wallpaper in your toolkit, you’ll get the hang of it in no time.
Before you begin
Regardless of which wallpaper design you’ve ultimately chosen, follow these critical prep steps to ensure a successful application.
Prepare the walls
The texture and finish of your walls can affect the way you install wallpaper. Rough surfaces (like popcorn or what’s known as “knockdown” or “orange peel” texture) prevent proper adhesion. These surfaces need to be smoothed out before you can begin.
Wallpaper installation tip: Thicker wallpaper materials like traditional wallpaper and some fabric wallpapers can camouflage light texture on walls.
Remove any nails, screws, switchplates, and anything else that protrudes from the wall. Next, wipe down the walls with a mild cleaning solution and let them dry completely. Rooms with buildup might require a second wipe-down (like kitchen backsplashes and bathroom walls). This also helps remove any dust that might make it difficult for wallpaper to stick to the walls.
Gather your supplies
To hang wallpaper, you’ll need:
- Ladder
- Craft or utility knife for trimming
- Ruler or tape measure
- Level for tracing guide lines
- Smoothing tool
- Pencil
For traditional or pre-pasted papers, grab some additional supplies like a sponge, bucket, water, and a water-resistant work surface like a plastic table.
Wallpaper installation tip: Chances are the corners of your walls aren’t actually plumb, a fancy way of saying “straight.” Using the corner seam can lead to crooked wallpaper. Instead, use your level to draw a straight, vertical line you’ll use as a true guide.
Where do you start hanging wallpaper?
Designs with an obvious focal point, like wallpaper murals or illustrated designs, benefit from laying out, or mapping, the room before you apply any wallpaper.
The dominant element in your wallpaper design should fall in the center of the largest wall in your space, or the wall across from the entry to the room. Use a measuring tape to determine the center of the wall and make a mark. This is where you’ll want to center your first piece of wallpaper. Cut strips of wallpaper that are slightly longer than the wall space they’ll occupy (you can always trim later!).
Wallpaper installation tip: Number the back of each piece to keep track of where it goes in your space.
How to install wallpaper with paste
After that prep and planning, it’s time to start sticking! Follow these steps for pre-pasted wallpaper and traditional wallpaper that requires paste.
- Prep your wallpaper as advised—either dampening the paste or applying paste.
- Hang your first piece using the plumb line as a guide. If you’re applying with a partner, you could skip the line and simply use your level to ensure a straight hang.
- Run your smoothing tool all along the piece to push out any wrinkles or bubbles and ensure firm contact with the wall.
- As you add each subsequent piece, the seams should touch but not overlap. avoid overlapping the paper. Look over the pattern fully from top to bottom to make sure the pattern matches evenly all the way down. You may have to shift each piece up or down a bit to make this happen.
- Trim off the excess paper along the top and bottom of the wall using your utility knife.
How to install peel-and-stick wallpaper
Before you begin, map the room to determine your starting point and draw a straight line to use as a guide. The process for applying peel-and-stick wallpaper is very similar to
- Peel off the backing paper about 10 inches from the top of the panel.
- Apply the wallpaper to the top of the wall, using your level or line to check for straightness.
- Slowly work your way down from the top, pulling the backing paper off and smoothing the paper with your smoothing tool as you go. If large bubbles appear, slow down, lift, and reapply the paper.
- For subsequent pieces, focus on aligning the pattern horizontally across the wall. Seams should meet but not overlap.
- It can be helpful to trim as you go in case you need a small or oddly shaped piece to use elsewhere in the room.
It’s time to expose all those outlets and switches you’ve covered up while applying wallpaper. Use your utility knife to carefully trim the wallpaper flush with the edge of each outlet. Don’t worry: the plate cover will secure the cut edges of the wallpaper.
