I have been wanting to DIY wallpaper for awhile now. However, I have been afraid of what I felt was a huge undertaking. Thankfully, peel and stick wallpaper exists and it was so simple to install. I purchased this paper from Wayfair and I absolutely love the way it changed my laundry/mudroom! The floral wallpaper design is perfect to add a slight feminine touch to our home. The design would also be beautiful in a living room, closet, or bathroom. It is pretty versatile and the best part is that it is a removable wallpaper. The first thing you will want to do is ensure the walls are clean. This is my laundry room/mudroom so there was plenty of dust and lint particles floating around. I personally love wiping things down with microfiber cloths. I did not even know how good and versatile they were until this past year and I am hooked!

After a little research, I was pretty aware that I would need to place my first piece of wallpaper as accurately as possible. If the corners of the walls in here were actually straight or square, it may have been beneficial to use a level. However, these walls are very uneven so I could not place my first piece directly in the corner of the two walls like I planned to do. Instead, I had to start a little further over, allowing about an inch of the left side of the wallpaper to begin on the adjoining wall. I would then be able to use a straight edge to cut a straight vertical line on the edge with the corner and install that first row as even as possible.

To apply the wallpaper, I peeled off a bit of the backing and stuck the exposed portion onto the wall. I had to readjust a couple of times to ensure the proper fit, however it was very easy to reposition. I then used the wallpaper smoothing tool (or plastic smoother) to get rid of any air bubbles and to press the material firmly onto the wall. I gradually removed the backing as I progressed down from the top of the wall. I personally believe that there is not a specific step by step way to do this. I kind of just winged it and it turned out well!

As I approached outlets and the window I used a blade (you could also use a utility knife) to cut around them. The biggest challenge that I experienced was in lining the wallpaper pieces up. I really wanted to make sure the pattern was consistent across the wall and that all of the pieces met up. I may have somewhat obsessed over it and that resulted in my shoulders and arms being extremely sore the next day. Of course, I am also fairly short so that may have an impact on things as well.

I chose to save on wallpaper and not go all the way down the wall since the washer and dryer will most likely always be here. My husband tried to convince me that I needed to go all the way, but when I told him how much the wallpaper cost he quickly sided with me. All in all, this was a fairly simple and straightforward project. I realized after the fact, that I did not do this the way many others have done it. Most people measure and cut prior to attaching it to the wall. I just went for it. After seeing it done both ways, I have to say that I prefer my method. I feel like I would have wasted so much paper if I would have cut first (because… math…) and I have a hard time with even drawing a straight line. I also feel like it would have been more difficult to make sure that the pattern lined up top to bottom if you cut it solely on the measurements.

If you are planning to DIY peel and stick wallpaper keep the following things in mind:

So what do you think? Have you installed peel and stick wallpaper before? Do you have a wall you would like to try it out on?