Two images have been placed side by side in a rectangle shape. On the left, a woman uses a plumb bob to draw a straight line on a beige wall before installation wallpaper. On the right, a woman is installing wallpaper on a wall and bent down to ensure it is adhering to the wall correctly. A ladder is behind her.
Kate Schanz at work installing Palest Hint of Pink Gingham by emily_bolter_designs on a nursery wall.

Wonder what you need to know when installing your own wallpaper? Find out an expert’s 10 top tips here! We met Kate Schanz after she wallpapered a Spoonflower employee’s home. When they raved about her work afterward, we knew we had to talk to Kate to learn a few of her secrets! Read on to learn Kate’s professional advice on things to choose, think about and do before starting your next wallpaper adventure.  

1. Choose the Spoonflower Wallpaper Substrate That’s Best for Your Project

Kate: Spoonflower offers four different types of wallpaper: Peel and Stick, Pre-Pasted Removable Smooth, Non-Pasted and Grasscloth. There are two important things to take into consideration when choosing which Spoonflower wallpaper substrate is right for your project: 1) your space and 2) your goals.  

Here’s my take on the offerings: 

Peel and Stick: Great if you’re renting your home and also great for kids’ rooms if you might like to switch up the wallpaper as they grow—or if you yourself like to change things up frequently! 

Pre-Pasted Removable Smooth: A user-friendly, first-time-DIY option that can go anywhere in your home. This wallpaper is also easy to switch up, but a slightly more involved than the aforementioned Peel and Stick since you do need to wet the paper first to activate the adhesive. That being said, this wallpaper is very easy to reposition while you’re installing it—so while it takes a bit more prep, it’s the easiest to match up seamlessly on your wall due to its ease of repositioning.     

Non-Pasted Wallpaper: A solid choice for high-traffic areas like hallways or kitchens as well as commercial spaces! This Spoonflower option is both durable and strong and will protect your walls long term. With this option, you’re in for the long haul. 

Grasscloth: A more delicate option that offers texture you can also see. I love how this wallpaper looks above wainscotting in dining rooms or in a space where kids can’t potentially color on the walls. 

A woman is installing wallpaper with a pink-and-white gingham design in Peel and Stick. She is trimming the border of the wallpaper by the baseboard.
Kate installs Peel and Stick for this nursery project, as the substrate is easy to remove and change as the child gets older.

2. Take Time to Select Your Design

Good luck! The wallpaper design possibilities in the Spoonflower Marketplace are endless… but if you’re having a hard time choosing what design you’d like to use, try one (or more) of the following: order some samples in designs you like, think about choosing Peel and Stick the first time—so it’s easy to switch up if you change your mind—or consult an interior designer if you find yourself needing guidance! 

3. Properly Measure Your Space 

Once you’ve made your decision about where you’d like to add wallpaper it’s time to measure your walls.

Kate’s measuring tips:  
– Measure the length, width and height of each project wall
– Measure in inches
– Round up to the nearest whole number 

A woman is installing wallpaper with a pink-and-white gingham design on a beige wall.
Kate installing wallpaper—each panel installed is called a drop.

4. Calculate How Much Wallpaper You’ll Need

Spoonflower has an online wallpaper calculator, an easy-to-use tool where you can plug in your wall height and wall width, and it will generate the amount of wallpaper that you need. Once you have those numbers, it does the hard work for you!

If you’d rather use put your math skills to work, you can also use the following formula:  
– Add all of the widths of your walls together. 
– Divide that number by the width of the wallpaper to obtain the number of panels or “drops” needed to cover your space. 
– Divide the length of the walls by the length of the roll to determine how many drops you’ll get out of one roll. 
– If there is a pattern repeat, add the repeat amount to each drop and redivide. 

A woman is bent down as she installs wallpaper with a pink-and-white gingham design on a wall making sure the pattern lines up.
Measuring is an important step, as it makes sure you have enough for your project!

5. Double Check Your Math Before You Order Your Wallpaper 

If you’re ordering your wallpaper from somewhere that doesn’t provide a roll estimate calculator, you’ll want to double check your calculations are correct as underordering can delay your project. This is important because some wallpaper, like Spoonflower’s, is printed in what’s called a dye lot, rolls can vary in color and pattern match if they come from different print batches/dye lots.  

Want to learn how Spoonflower prints wallpaper? Read all about it in this Help Center article.

6. Properly Prepare Your Walls for Wallpaper 

Proper wall preparation is key to proper wallpaper installation. So much, in fact, that maybe you’ve heard people say something to the tune of “if it was installed correctly, it will be easy to remove.” What they’re referring to is wallpaper-specific primer and careful wall preparation, because it’s an important step to take.  

Here are some wallpaper preparation tips:
– If you’re hanging wallpaper that either comes pre-pasted or will require paste, consider priming your walls beforehand—your future self (or the next owners of your home) will thank you. 
– Before hanging Peel and Stick wallpaper, giving your walls a good clean with a wet cloth will ensure your paper sticks well. Just be sure to let it dry first!
– Never hang wallpaper directly onto drywall or on top of existing wallpaper. 
– Repair and smooth any rough areas on your walls. 
– Fill in any holes left over from fixtures or art (you’ll also want to take said wall fixtures and art down from the walls for an easier installation). 

A woman is bent down looking at wallpaper rolls that she is taking out of a box full of them. The wallpaper has a pink-and-white gingham design.
Kate inspecting all of the wallpaper rolls before installation.

7. Triple Check Your Wallpaper Before Installation 

Something I always do before I install wallpaper is take a good look at the wallpaper before beginning to hang it. To do this, I unroll one roll at a time to check for any defects or color variations between rolls. The folks and machines who make and package wallpaper are only perfect 99% of the time. There’s always a possibility that different dye lots were packaged together by mistake, or the machine caught a snag and ripped the paper somewhere along the line. This may sound like a tedious or unnecessary process—but I promise it’s worth it.  

A woman uses a plumb bob to draw a straight line on a beige wall before installation wallpaper.
Using a plumb bob to create a straight line on a wall.

8. A Plumb Bob Helps You Hang Your Wallpaper Straight 

A simple plumb bob can help ensure you hang your wallpaper correctly because it creates a visual straight line on your wall. If you don’t have a plumb bob, attach something like a fishing weight to a string to create a “plumb line.” 

Once you have a plumb bob or a suitable alternative, a) measure the width of your wallpaper, b) hang the plumb bob at the top of your wall at the width of your wallpaper and c) use a pencil to make your plumb line more permanent. Move your plumb bob along with you as you go, removing it so that it’s not in your way while you hang your wallpaper. 

9. Use the Proper Amount of Paste

Check and see if your wallpaper substrate requires paste. If it does, there are a couple different options when purchasing wallpaper paste, but not too many thankfully. Your local hardware store or paint store will usually keep wallpaper paste in stock. 

Once you have your wallpaper paste, DIY worlds collide here because you’ll need a paint brush and a paint roller/tray.  

Pour your paste into the paint tray and roll the paste on either the back of the paper or directly onto the wall, depending on the material. (The instructions included with the wallpaper roll will tell you the preferred pasting method.) 

Use your paint brush to “paint” along the edges and in the corners of your space. A higher “tack” means it’s stickier and will be useful for bathrooms with humidity or ceilings. 

A woman inspects that two rolls of installed wallpaper are lining up down as she installs wallpaper with a pink-and-white gingham design on a wall.
Installing wallpaper takes care, but with a little confidence, it can be done!

10. Even Beginners Can Do This

Wallpaper, for the most part, is pretty durable. Feeling confident moving and sliding it around on the wall is a key part of the process. There are a few things to keep in mind to handle wallpaper like a pro.

– Use a smoothing tool to get out any air bubbles.
– The same smoothing tool can be used to achieve a straight edge while you cut the paper on the wall.
– Always use a sharp knife to avoid tearing the paper. (A snap blade is perfect for this project.)
– Peel and Stick wallpaper is designed to be repositioned so feel free to stick and unstick it as many times as you need! 

Bonus tip: Be PROUD of your work! Wallpaper is a “big picture” kind of deal. You may notice the small imperfections of your work, but I promise your dinner guests won’t be hung up on those… they’ll be enjoying dinner in your beautiful dining room and will be oh so impressed that you have WALLPAPER in there! It can never be perfect, but hopefully these tips help you achieve your highest level of perfection. Good luck! 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much wallpaper will I need for my project?
Spoonflower’s wallpaper calculator allows you to learn how much wallpaper you’ll need for your project. All you need is the width and the height of your walls.
Can you install wallpaper yourself?
At Spoonflower, we believe in the power of DIY. However, that doesn’t mean it’s best to always tackle every project yourself. You can read more about what we recommend for each of our four wallpaper substrates when it comes to installation at this Help Center link.  
Can you install wallpaper directly on drywall?
While it can be done, Kate Schanz recommends in this tutorial that it’s not recommended.

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