How To Hang (Non-Woven) Wallpaper
Hanging wallpaper sounds super intimidating. Believe me, I've been reading DIY blogs for years and without fail almost all of them say that hanging wallpaper is something they hire out. With the one exception of hanging peel and stick wallpaper, which I think we can all agree is a much simpler process.
Last year I purchased this mural from Rebel Walls and installed it in my eight year old son Phoenix's closet.
It was a small expanse of wall and I figured if I screwed it up royally I could rip it out and just paint in there...but the installation turned out to be fairly simple and I was done in about two hours. This project is what gave me the confidence to tackle this entire wall in Lincoln's room.
Sources: wallpaper | bed | play tent | rug | cloud shelves | curtains | duvet cover (similar) | fox pillow | striped sheets | blue pillows | pom-pom pillow | Wall Color: blue- Farrow and Ball De Nimes, taupe- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
The key to success for me here isn't that I'm some master wallpaper installer, it's simply that both papers I purchased were non-woven. These papers are made of cellolose and textile fibers bonded together and are actually not paper at all. Traditional wallpaper can be thin and finicky to hang. Common problems include wrinkling, bubbling, or even tearing unless it's done just right and if you are planning to install that type of paper, I absolutely recommend looking into hiring a professional. But non-woven paper is incredibly forgiving and if you use the right adhesive can even be removed and repositioned during installation if needed (like I needed to multiple times). So let's get into all of the ins and outs of installing non-woven wallpaper yourself!
Sources: wallpaper | bed | play tent | rug | cloud shelves | curtains | duvet cover (similar) | Wall Color: blue- Farrow and Ball De Nimes, taupe- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
Supplies:
- wallpaper- there are so many amazing places to source wallpaper, but the two places I have used and can highly recommend are Rebel Walls and Pimpelmees (the latter's website is in Dutch, but Google translate is your best friend and their English customer service couldn't have been more helpful during the installation process).
- Roman Pro 880 adhesive- it's pre-mixed and was a dream to use, it didn't dry quickly and at one point I had to pull an entire panel off and start over, this adhesive allowed me to do that and didn't damage the paper or the wall in the process.
- scraper
- sponge
- scissors
- metal ruler (optional)
Let's get into it!
The wallpaper came on one long roll and all the pieces were connected. Once I started to unroll it each panel was very clearly marked with big blue lines where the sections began and ended. So the first thing I did was cut each section with a pair of scissors.
I did a very careful neat line at the top of my sections and left the bottom section a little more imperfect knowing it would be trimmed off. I kept my sections in order by placing each cut section at the base of the wall where it would go. This wallpaper was a mural and each section had a very specific order, but the pieces were in order on the roll so it was just a matter of keeping them in the same order as I cut them off.
The next thing I did was pin up my pieces where they were going to go on the wall.
This step is optional, but gave me some extra security that all of my sections were in order as well as make sure I liked the placement of everything. I was going to have to cut out a pretty big section of wallpaper for my window and I didn't want to remove any of my central animal's heads or something like that- if I had needed to shift the entire mural over to the left or right I could have planned for it at this point.
Once you're happy with your projected placement and have each roll at the base of the wall section- it's time to start pasting. I poured some adhesive in a roller tray and used a regular paint roller to apply the paste to the wall. I applied enough on the wall for the entire first section, don't do any more than one section at a time or your adhesive will start to dry and you'll have to reapply.
Once the adhesive is on, it's time to place the panel, this is the trickiest part- but don't stress! Just keep in mind that you can reposition if needed. Starting at the top press the top line of paper right along the top of the wall. Obviously you want the paper to start at the very top where the wall meets the ceiling. This is where I cut my sections previously so the line was already straight and I didn't have to go back with an exacto knife. I then very carefully lined my panel up and lightly pressed it down to the wall. Once I was 100% sure it was in the right position I went back with my scraper to press it down to make sure it was nice and secure. Once I got to the bottom with my scraper I pressed it into the wall where the paper met the trim and made a crease. Then I took my scraper tool and pushed it into the crease while I ran my exacto knife along the top of the scraper- removing the last few inches of paper and leaving me with a perfectly sized panel.
The first panel is arguably the easiest since the following panels will need to be lined up. But it's not too bad! Keep in mind I did this entire wall of wallpaper by myself while I was quarantining with Covid- so if I can do it you can too, I promise!
The second panel is going to be exactly the same process, but after lining up the top with the ceiling make sure the right side aligns with the first panel. typically go every 12" and make sure the image is lining up perfectly while pressing it lightly in that area. Once I went all the way down then I would come back through with my scraper to align the rest.
After that, it's pretty much the same process for the rest of the paper! Aligning with the ceiling and previous panel and pressing it down.
Some helpful tips in dealing with difficult areas:
Excess Glue
If you have glue oozing out of any of the panels, don't sweat it just wipe it off with a sponge! The glue will dry clear so you don't even need to worry about getting it all off.
Cutting around outlets/light switches
Remove your outlet cover before starting that section! Once your outlet cover is removed go ahead and place the top of that section, but don't press down too far. Go poke a small hole in the wallpaper where the outlet is and then turn that hole into a X. Once you have your X then fold back the sections and use your exacto knife to cut the rectangle. Make sure you cut your rectangle smaller than your outlet cover and these cuts don't need to be perfect because your outlet cover is going to hide all the imperfections!
Cutting out a window
I used a nice long metal straight edged ruler to do this, but you could also use your scraper. I placed the wallpaper above the window glued it down and used my scraper to press it to the wall and then I placed my straight edge right along the edge of the window. Using my exacto knife I cut as clean of an edge as I could along the window. I can tell you my cuts weren't perfect, but they were pretty good. Just take your time and try not to stop and start a bunch of times.
Sources: wallpaper | bed | play tent | rug | cloud shelves | curtains | duvet cover (similar) | fox pillow | striped sheets | blue pillows | pom-pom pillow | Wall Color: blue- Farrow and Ball De Nimes, taupe- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
Want to watch a video of the entire process? Here's a link to the insta-stories I filmed during the process right here. Good luck- if you end up hanging some non-woven wallpaper yourself be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram, I would love to see it!
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