If you’ve ever completed a wallpaper refresh at home or in your office, you’ve probably found yourself wondering what to do with leftover wallpaper scraps. It’s hard to part with such beautifully designed wallpaper, even when the scraps are only ideal for an ant-sized room makeover. DIY Blogger Stacy Grinsfelder felt the same way after wallpapering her front entry and after seeing some of the DIY projects she created with her leftover Smooth wallpaper, it’s safe to say she’s figured out exactly what to do with old wallpaper.
Stacy: I recently finished a wallpapering project at my house. Even though I cut it very close and used every roll that I ordered, there were still scraps left from trimming the ends. Also, before I made the final choice for our front entry, I had ordered a healthy selection of 2’ wide wallpaper samples too—you can see my sampling process here! The samples and scraps left me with a substantial stack of bits and pieces that I couldn’t bring myself to throw away. Instead, I brainstormed a list of ten easy projects for leftover wallpaper, including a few tried-and-true projects already available on the Spoonflower blog.
1. Decorate With Danish Stars
If you’re looking for a simple craft, Danish stars are an easy and tasteful way to brighten up your fireplace mantle while adding a pop of color. When it comes to ideas for leftover wallpaper, Danish stars are the perfect craft thanks to the wallpaper’s sturdiness and in most cases, brightly colored patterns.
Check out this tutorial and follow the helpful tips listed below:
- Press each fold firmly to make sure the paper creases well.
- Use a paper clip to hold the star points together while they dry.
- Activating the paste on the Smooth Wallpaper with water to stick the star points together works reasonably well, but good, strong craft glue or hot glue is best.
2. Put Your Leftover Wallpaper in a Picture Frame
An elegant way to use and display old wallpaper is by placing it in a picture frame. While you could hang it on your wallpapered wall to add a little depth, it’s best to display it on a painted wall nearby. This is a great way to tie your space together without overdoing it. It’s also a simple and affordable way to make use of your leftover wallpaper after a large redecorating project.
3. Dress Up Your Outlet and Switch Covers
Matching custom outlet and light switch covers add a beautiful touch to any room in your home, and they’re a great way to use that leftover wallpaper. Depending on the wallpaper you’ve got on hand, you can use it to easily camouflage your outlets and light switches, or you can use it to make a statement by using wallpaper that’s complementary to the paint and other features in the room.
Before you get started, make sure to turn off the power by flipping the breaker in your electrical box. This should be done before you remove any outlet or light switch covers.
Follow these steps to complete this simple wallpaper craft:
- Cut the wallpaper ½” larger than the light switch cover.
- If you’re using our Prepasted Removable Smooth wallpaper, activate the glue by wetting the back thoroughly with a sponge.
- Wait 2-3 minutes.
- Wrap the plastic cover firmly, pressing the cut edges around to the back. Dampen the paper again as needed.
- Set the cover, backside down on a flat surface, and place a heavy book or cutting board on top to keep the paper edges from slipping out.
- Let it dry completely.
- Cut out the holes for the switch or outlets with a sharp utility blade or a precision knife.
- For added durability brush on a layer or two of decoupage glue.
4. Decorate Your Dresser with Wallpaper
If you’re still wondering what to do with leftover wallpaper, consider giving your dresser a makeover. Adding wallpaper to the front of your dresser drawers can give it a complete facelift. Consider changing up the hardware, as well, adding knobs or drawer pulls that go well with the shape, color and style of your wallpaper design.
Alternatively, you could use the leftover wallpaper to line your dresser drawers on the inside if you’re not ready to change the look of your furniture dramatically.
5. Create Beautiful Gift Boxes With Wallpaper
Wallpaper can be easily folded into a sturdy gift box. Follow this tutorial to learn the proper folding technique, then play around with the size until you find what works for you.
Wallpaper’s heavy weight makes it suitable for larger containers, and paper boxes of varied sizes work well as compartments inside of drawers to keep you organized. Once you’ve mastered the basic folds, the sky is the limit for your creativity.
6. Wrap Your Soap or Other Gifts
Handmade soap makes a perfect gift either alone or as part of a larger gift basket. Use wallpaper scraps as a colorful wrap, and customize by adding a ribbon or sticker label. This technique can also be used to add flair to any small rectangular store-bought or handmade gifts!
7. Wrap an LED Candle
Jazz up your LED candles with a simple DIY technique that helps you add to your home decor without breaking the bank.
Follow these two easy steps to wrap your candle:
- Cut a rectangle of paper that fits all the way around the candle but is ¼” shorter than the top edge.
- Wrap the candle tightly, and fasten the edges with clear tape.
You can even make several sleeves in different prints if you have multiple wallpaper scraps and swap them out whenever you’re ready for a change.
Just make sure you only use this tip on LED candles and not on candles with flames.
8. Cover Your Notebook or Day-Timer
Notebooks and larger daytimers can help you get rid of that old wallpaper while personalizing your journal, sketchbook, calendar or school books.
Follow these steps to create beautiful book covers:
- Trace the front and back covers of the notebook onto the paste side of the wallpaper. Do not include the binding.
- Cut out the pieces.
- Activate the glue by wetting it thoroughly with a sponge. Alternately, you may use craft glue instead.
- Smooth the pieces onto the front and back of the notebook, excluding the binding.
- While the glue dries, place the notebook under a heavy book or cutting board to keep the wallpaper smooth and pressed firmly to the notebook.
- When the paper is dry, trim off any extra paper.
- For added durability, you may brush on a couple of coats of decoupage glue.
Custom notebook covers make the perfect stocking stuffer. Find 10 more last-minute stocking stuffer ideas!
9. Brighten Up Your Refrigerator
If you’re wondering what to do with old wallpaper and you’ve got an abundance of it left, consider giving your kitchen a facelift by covering your fridge with the leftover wallpaper. A custom fridge is a great way to show off your personality while ensuring your home is as unique as you are.
Check out this great video tutorial from Instagram user @haleypasz to get your gears going!
10. Line Your Drawers With Wallpaper
Wallpaper makes an excellent liner for drawers. It is durable and wipeable, which means it functions beautifully anywhere from a dresser to a busy bathroom cabinet. If the wallpaper liner slips around, secure the corners by activating the glue with water or add a small piece of double-sided tape. See the complete how-to here!
11. Fold Your Leftover Wallpaper into Beautiful, Tiny Envelopes
Tiny envelopes can be used for an array of purposes. Send a secret note or string some together for a chore-reward system or a one-of-a-kind advent calendar. You can learn how to fold tiny Origami envelopes in this tutorial. Be sure to press each crease firmly.
To create a reward system or advent calendar, follow these easy steps:
- To string them together: Fold the top of the envelope over a piece of string and tuck in the flap according to the folding instructions. There is no need for tape.
- Add stickers or decorate as you like.
12. Make Beautiful Gift Bows
Nothing makes a gift more special than putting time and effort into the whole package. Give your loved ones gifts with beautiful wallpaper gift bows.
To make a gift bow, you’ll need the following supplies:
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- One paper fastener
- Four strips of wallpaper 1” wide — the lengths should be 12”, 11”,10”, and 9”
- One 6” strip of wallpaper for the center of the bow
Follow these steps to make your gift bow:
- Punch a hole at the ends of the center strip
- Punch holes at the ends of the longer strips and one in the middle.
- Overlap the edges of the center strip and place a fastener through the holes.
- Place the fastener through the center hole of the shortest strip of paper. Fold the edges under and secure them with the fastener.
- Repeat Step 4 for the remaining strips of paper. Keep the loops lined up or spread them out for a full, round bow.
13. Add Flair To Your Step Stools
Whether your children use step stools to reach your bathroom and kitchen counters or you use them to navigate your garage, basement or other parts of the home, there’s nothing wrong with making your step stool a little more beautiful. Add your leftover wallpaper to the tops of the steps on your stool to spruce it up and help it blend in with the rest of your home decor.
What Else To Do With Leftover Wallpaper
Now that you know how to use leftover wallpaper, it’s time to get creative! Hopefully, the ideas above will inspire some of your own. Don’t be afraid to explore other ideas for leftover wallpaper and see where your creativity takes you.
Using your old wallpaper scraps for these and other small projects is a great way to keep this usable paper out of landfills. Happy crafting!
Inspired to try out one of Stacy’s wallpaper projects but a wallpaper refresh isn’t in your future?
These projects require just a $5 Smooth Wallpaper swatch!
Making origami boxes out of wallpaper did not work for me,Paper is too soft,and doesn’t hold a crease well,which is integral for origam…i
Thanks for letting us know, Robyn, and sorry to hear that it didn’t work, that sounds frustrating!
We recommend our Prepasted Removable Smooth wallpaper for this project, is that what you used?
Best,
Betsy
Spoonflower
I have some lovely wallpaper but I can’t get the glue off the fabric. Any suggestions please.
Hi Jacqueline, Thank you for your interest in these projects! If your wallpaper is already pre-pasted, there is not an easy way to remove the glue. Our Smooth Removeable Wallpaper is pre-pasted, but you really wouldn’t know it until it is wet and the paste is activated. Crafts on this list like the wallpaper box and bows were made with scraps of our Smooth Wallpaper and since it never got wet, the glue was never activated. I hope that helps, but please let us know if you have any additional questions.
Best,
Amy
Spoonflower
Love these projects and beautiful pattern designs! They look fun and for me these tiny details are the ones that made Christmas so unique 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
I love these ideas for using wallpaper samples or leftover scraps for holiday decorating. What a fun tip!