An Easy Step By Step DIY Installation For A Removable Wallpaper

Removable wallpaper is so much in fashion these days, and it makes for an easy DIY project. As you all know, my laundry room is a work in progress right now and we are cleaning, decorating, decluttering, and organizing. We are together in this challenge and, thank you for being with me so far in my declutter and organize series. I decided to go for a DIY removable wallpaper for the laundry room project!

Before You Start

Although DIY removable wallpaper looks beautiful, it doesn’t work for every room. For instance, you can’t put it in the bathroom, as moisture would ruin it very fast and it can come off easily. It’s great for people like me as I am someone who constantly changes my decors. If you are like me, go for DIY removable wallpaper as opposed to the traditional type, because it’s really easy to remove, and leaves no damage to your wall or paint.

Once you decide that this is what you want in your decoration project, you are good to go. Amazon has several of these DIY wallpapers and they are very affordable. All you have to do is measure your area in square footage where you want to place them, and order the wallpaper rolls.

In my opinion, DIY removable wallpaper is a great substitute for a traditional wallpaper and less daunting to use. It’s much easier to reposition. The chances of messing up are very minimum.  There is “no risk” involvement… and this tutorial is going to make you a pro, anyways!!

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Required Supplies and Tools

You don’t need any fancy tools to install this DIY removable wallpaper, and it requires just a few basic supplies:

• Wallpaper
• Tape Measure
• Level
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Utility knife (I highly recommend this)
• Scissors
• Plastic smoother set
• Step stool or step ladder or large ladder (as per your need)
• Extra help (I did it by myself, and it was a heck of a hard job)

Steps For DIY Removable Wallpaper Installation

Before we begin, I would like to mention a few things. Check your rolls for any damage or miss-print before the applying. Have enough rolls to complete the job. Running out of wallpaper during your DIY project would not be a great idea. Make sure that the color is correct and the print is the same as you ordered. Once you check all these things, you are ready to start!

1- Peel and Stick Slowly

First off, double check that your surface is clean, dry, and smooth. Actually, it does work on a textured wall as well as our laundry room walls are textured. The instructions say “smooth walls only”, but I would completely ignore that. The only thing you need to keep in mind is not to clean your walls with any strong chemicals. Otherwise, the wallpaper will not adhere to walls properly

The backing is very easy to remove but do it very slowly. What I did was place my paper without removing the back first, in order to check the position. Once I was sure where I wanted to place it (as my walls are not even at all) I made sure it sat where I exactly wanted it to be without skewing it. You can use your level to get a perfectly even look. I then slowly removed the back for maybe 6 inches, and gradually worked my way down the wall.

I should mention that I had to remove the wallpaper several times just to correct the position. It was a bit time consuming, but the greatest part is that it’s very easy to rehang.  Peeling the back slowly is a magical step.

A Rule Of Thumb

Draw a straight verticle line using your level, or long ruler, 20 inches from the left-hand side of your wall (that rule is what the manufacturer recommends). I start from the right side….shhhh! Perhaps, if you are hanging this DIY removable wallpaper to a feature wall, then start in the center to ensure symmetry in your design. By now you all know how much I care for symmetry! The first panel is where you have to be extra cautious. The rest is easy. Leave at least 2 inches extra on the top. If you have a bit of a crooked wall, then you just visualize it.

2- Smoothing

After you stick the wallpaper to the desired wall, then slowly press it in with your hands. Finally, use a plastic smoother to push out any air bubbles from the center outwards. Applying gentle pressure, use the smoother tool over the full length of the product to make sure there is proper adhesion to the wall.  I would repeat this step at least a 3 times.

3- Lining Up The Pattern

The second panel is way easier to hang than the first panel is. Check that your pattern is not upside down! I didn’t care for overlapping when placing my second panel. All I cared for was to match my pattern correctly. My design would have been compromised by overlapping it. If your pattern is not aligned nicely, it will not look pretty and will not give you a professional look. If you find it difficult around the corners, just cut accordingly.

4- Cutting Around The Outlets, Windows, And Doors

While working around the outlets, windows, and doors, keep your scissors and utility knife a the ready. I was surprised to see how easy it was to work with the removable wallpaper. There is no need to remove the outlet cover. If you cut your edges nicely, it will look pretty good. It was a bit hard to place around the window as my wall was small, and I was left with a tiny space to work with, but finally, I figured it out. Once you are in the flow, everything will come easily to you. Snip the paper in the window crease to give it a more professional look.

5- Final Cutting

Cutt any excessive wallpaper using your craft scissors, or paper scissors. Then, use a utility knife for straight and smooth cutting. Be a bit careful while using your knife, as I am guilty that I scratched my new molding and top boards above the wainscotting for the first couple of cuts until I figured out that I can place a metal ruler behind the paper for a sharp and smooth and flawless cut.

6- Small Areas

Be careful when you get to the point where you can’t use the full-width panel. The most important part here is to align your panel first then peel off the backing for up to 1 foot, and stick it to the top of the wall. Once it’s placed, then use the scissors to cut the required width by leaving a bit extra on the side just to give yourself a cushion. Small areas are a bit tricky. I have to be honest that I struggled a bit with them, but if you have extra help, it should not be that difficult.

7- Repeat

Repeat step 1 to 6 when you start a second wall. It’s going to be the exact same process. You can cover as many as walls by following these steps. I am actually going to use the same DIY removable wallpaper in a different design for our rooms for feature walls, as I really like how it turned out in our laundry room.

8- Final Touches

Once the entire laundry room was finished, I checked all the walls again for any bubbles or air under the wallpaper, or if there was any rip or tear. I also used the smoother tool again one last time, just to give it a very smooth and sleek finish. My walls are textured, and this paper is not really recommended for the textured wall, but I didn’t care for the manufacturer’s instructions. It really looks great!

A good tip for you: If you are really worried that the wallpaper will not stick for a long time, then you can use adhesive spray on the bottom and top of the paper to give it a stronger push. I haven’t used it yet, but if in a few weeks if I see that it’s peeling off, then that’s the option I have in the back of my head.

So there you have it, all my tips and tricks. and it’s not really hard! It is a bit more time consuming, but on the other hand, you will get pleasing results with a great eye-catching look!

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Tell me if I missed anything. Or, if you like traditional paper as opposed to this DIY removable wallpaper? 

Here are some of my favorite designs for you!