The wallpaper is installed in my Pantry! This week I am sharing 5 takeaways from my first time hanging wallpaper. I never thought that I would put wallpaper in my home but when I saw the beautiful and unique prints from Spoonflower I was sold. I’ve heard horror stories from others that try to remove dated wallpaper in their homes. With the removable options nowadays that is no longer a concern. While I would like to think that the future owners of my home will absolutely love the wallpaper I also recognize that not everyone has the same taste. If they want to take it down all they have to do is saturate the pre-pasted removable paper and it will come off effortlessly. For my pantry remodel I found a fun citrus print that I knew would pair perfectly with the blue paint color for the cabinets.
This post is sponsored by Spoonflower but all opinions are 100% my own.
Before we get into my beginner wallpaper learnings, I want to mention 3 reasons why I chose Spoonflower wallpaper for my project.
- Spoonflower is a US company that empowers artists to create, print and sell their own artwork on fabric, wallpaper and home décor. When you buy from spoonflower you are supporting a US company AND the individual artist that created that design. You can also upload your own artwork!
- They have over 1.8 million designs… yes, you read that right! There is truly something for everyone.
- They have three types of wallpaper to choose from including two removable options. All of their wallpaper is PVC-free and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Get 15% off rolls of Spoonflower wallpaper through December 21st 2020 with code ORCWall15
5 takeaways from my first time hanging wallpaper
For my first wallpaper project I used a pre-pasted removable smooth wallpaper. I love the final look of the wallpaper in my pantry. It’s super classy but totally fun at the same time. The installation process definitely got easier as I hung more pieces and started to really figure out what I was doing. Below are 5 takeaways from my first time hanging wallpaper.
1. Have a helper – It really is a 2 person job
If it is your first time hanging wallpaper be sure to have another person to help you. I thought that I could do it all by myself but quickly realized that a second set of hands was needed. I found it difficult to get the next piece of wallpaper perfectly aligned while trying to hold it in place. It’s also nice to have someone that can stand back and tell you if everything looks level.
2. Make sure that you have the proper tools
Having the right tools makes the job much easier and will save you time and frustration. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks for the support! Let’s talk about what you’ll need.
A small paint roller was very helpful when wetting the adhesive side of the paper. It allowed me to roll on the water and be certain that I didn’t miss any spots.
If I took too long to position the wallpaper and it started to dry in spots, a damp sponge allowed me to reactivate the adhesive. A sponge is also helpful when smoothing out the paper.
A bucket of water is necessary to saturate the paint roller and sponge. If the water starts to get cloudy dump it and use clean water.
Utility Knife and Lots of Razor Blades
You’ll need to trim the paper at the ceiling and around any trimwork. Be sure to use a super sharp razor blade and have a bunch of extra blades on hand. I found myself switching out blades every few minutes. It’s amazing how quickly they dull and a dull blade is more likely to pull and tear the paper.
Having a tool to smooth the wallpaper made installation much easier. I also used it as a straight edge when trimming the paper at the ceiling and trim.
Painters tape is helpful to hold pieces in place while you are smoothing them out. It’s especially helpful to hold the pieces that extend past the ceiling in place.
3. Don’t assume that your walls and ceiling are square
I learned trying to get the first piece of wallpaper up that my walls and ceiling were not even close to being square. This isn’t very surprising when I think about the fact that it’s a tiny pantry. I doubt the contractor was too concerned about what is essentially a small closet. I used a level and marked a line on the wall to align the first piece.
I also decided to extend the wallpaper above the ceiling and then just trim it flush with the ceiling after the glue had set. This allowed me to get a visibly straight line at my ceiling.
4. Make sure that the sides line up when you fold/book the paper
On my first few pieces I didn’t know what to expect when I folded “booked” the pasted side of paper on itself to activate the adhesive. I thought that if I applied any pressure that the paper would be permanently stuck together and completely unusable but that isn’t the case at all. What I learned is that by booking it very loosely the edges of the paper dried quickly and didn’t adhere to wall when I went to install it. I had a wet sponge to fix this issue during installation but by making sure that the edges align properly when booking future pieces this saved me some headache and time.
5. Choose a high quality wallpaper
A high quality wallpaper is going to be more expensive but it is also more forgiving. Being that it was my first time installing wallpaper, there were definitely a few times where I had to remove and reposition it. Since it was such high quality thick paper I didn’t have any issues with ripping or with the print bleeding. If you’re working with a lower quality paper there isn’t much room for error.
Here are some finished photos. What do you think of the print that I chose? I think it’s just perfect for a pantry.
One Room Challenge Pantry Renovation Progress – Week 5
It’s going to be a busy weekend for me trying to wrap this project up! Fingers crossed that I’ll be ready for the final reveal on Thursday next week. The One Room Challenge team has extended the challenge for an extra week if needed. I’m still shooting to have it completed on week 6. I really want to get all of my pantry goods off of my dining room table.
Renovation Plan
Week 1: October 8th – Design PlanWeek 2: October 15th –Remove existing shelving and prep wallsWeek 3: October 22nd – Cabinetry BuildWeek 4: October 29th – Cabinetry Build- Week 5: November 5th – Wallpaper/painted accent wall & open shelving
- Week 6: November 12th – Final Reveal!
You can visit the One Room Challenge blog to see room transformations from all of the participants. Everyone will be sharing progress updates each week with the final reveals on November 11th-12th.
If you want to save this post for later you can pin the image below. 
I hope that these 5 takeaways from my first time hanging wallpaper are helpful for you. If you are a wallpaper guru I would love to hear about your tips and tricks. Let me know in the comments!
Follow me on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook so that you never miss a post.
DIY Tilt Out Cabinet
So pretty! Love the paper you selected! It’s so cheerful and is going to be lovely to look at as you go about your daily kitchen duties.
Thank you. I’m so happy with the print that I chose.
Cool, you did it very cool! I remember my first time doing renovations and gluing the wallpaper, I thought it was the worst day in my life, because the biggest problem was that I glued them alone .. It was so difficult the next day, I couldn’t even raise my hands hahahah. And even worse, I had wallpapers of just awful quality and it was so unbearable to glue them that I glued a small room for more than 13 hours … It’s a pity I had not seen your article before))) Thank you!