This is such a simple way to completely transform your space plus it's cheap and renter friendly!
You'll need:
• a tape measure
• utility knife
• drop cloth or something to cover your floors
• a sponge or rag
step 1 - prep your wall
First, you're going to want to prepare your wall. If you have any holes like we did, you'll want to patch these up and sand them down. We didn't bother painting the patches since we were just going to cover them with the wallpaper. Then, make sure you wipe down the wall well so there's no dust, or, like in our case, dog hairs.
step 2 - get everything ready
Now you'll want to gather your supplies and prep your area for the wallpaper application. The wallpaper produces a lot of goopy adhesive that can spill over onto your floors so you'll want to cover them up. We used an old shower curtain as a drop cloth to protect our floors. You'll also want to have a wallpaper smoother and a utility knife for easier application and trimming.
step 3 - cut your wallpaper
Before you start wallpapering, you'll want to cut your wallpaper to a size that's better to work with. I measured out the length of the wall we wanted to cover and added a couple of extra inches just in case. It's better to cut before you wet the wallpaper as it becomes more difficult to handle and cut once it's wet.
step 4 - apply your wallpaper!
You can follow the instructions directly on the roll of wallpaper but I have a couple of tips. First, the instructions say to soak the wallpaper for 30 seconds. If you are working with very long pieces, I do not recommend this as the paper becomes too soggy and delicate to handle without ripping. Instead, I recommend starting on one end and dipping it only enough to wet the paper. Then like a U shape, pull the end out and start dipping the middle of the paper moving until you've reached the other end. Lay it on the floor folded in on itself (sticky side in) as per package instructions. Once you've waited for the adhesive to activate (5 minutes is recommended but it activates much quicker than that), apply the wallpaper from top to bottom using the wallpaper smoother to ease out any air bubbles. If you're covering an entire wall, you can start slightly above the wall, on the ceiling, so you have a little bit of wiggle room to fit the piece perfectly. You can trim the excess off at the end. I also recommend using a level to make sure that your lines are straight but its pretty forgiving if you start off with the original edge on the roll. As you smooth out the wallpaper, the adhesive will start squeezing out so you can wipe this off with a wet sponge or rag as you go. Once you've reached the bottom, I used the smoother to hold down the wallpaper and the utility knife to trim the excess wallpaper. Make sure you use a sharp knife so that you don't accidentally rip the wallpaper as I mentioned it's delicate once it's wet. You can also wait for the wallpaper to dry a little before trimming to make sure it doesn't rip.
When you apply your next piece, make sure you are matching up the correct side to the piece already on the wall as one side has a thicker band than the other so that the pattern can match up to the previous piece. Here's a close up of the seam after painting (right by the second peg from the left). If you line them up well, you can barely tell its two separate pieces.
