DIY $8 Peel and Stick Wallpaper

If there's ever been a DIY I'm proud of, it's this one. I love, LOVE the look of accent walls, but being a perpetual renter, I've never had the option of painting. And, let's face it, peel and stick wallpaper can be pricey! In my new house, every single wall in every single room is gray. When I tell you I needed to break things up in here, I NEEDED to break things up in here. And thus, the $8 peel and stick wallpaper hack was born.

There are several reasons this wallpaper hack is so great. One, it's incredibly affordable. The difference in wallpapering the room in this post was $27 for the hack and >$90 for traditional peel and stick wallpaper. Secondly, the products you need can be found at Target, which I'd consider to be pretty accessible. If you're reading this during COVID lockdown, Target offers contact-free order pick up. Yay! Next, the customization options for this wallpaper are endless. You can paint, color, draw, stencil--whatever your heart desires. Paint doesn't seep through, even after multiple coats. And lastly, it's temporary, making it perfect for renters and those of you (us) who have a tough time sticking to one decor style. It tears off easily and the residue left over from the adhesive is water soluble, so a quick wipe down with a damp rag will take it right off.

So, how do we make this godsend of a DIY? Let's find out.

Products You'll Need:

Contact paper (covers 30 sqft) $6.29

Elmers glue (affiliate)

Additional Products:

Sponge brush, or something similar to apply the glue to the wall

A bowl to dump the glue into

Whatever you'll need to decorate your wallpaper (paint, markers, stickers, stencils, etc.)

Step 1. Prepare your supplies

Give your wall a quick wipe down to make sure there isn't any residue that could prevent the wallpaper from sticking.

I decided to turn my glue into DIY mod podge to thin it out, and the recipe I found called for 1 cup of glue to 1/3 cup water. This wasn't a necessary step, but the 2 bottles of glue I bought wouldn't have been enough to cover the 85 square feet of wall I was wallpapering otherwise.

Measure your wall from ceiling to top of baseboard and cut out your first strip of wallpaper, leaving at least 1/2" overhang. There are guides on the back of the contact paper that make measuring and cutting a breeze. Save the backing you pull off of this first strip and use it as a template to cut out all subsequent strips.

Step 2. Apply your wallpaper

Work from top down. Apply a thin layer of glue to the wall a section at a time, making sure you get all the way up to the ceiling and corner of the wall. Peel off about 2 inches of the backing paper and position the strip of wallpaper into place. Make sure it's straight. Use your hand to smooth out any air bubbles and press the wallpaper into the glue. Use your non-dominant hand to hold the wallpaper in place while you use your other hand to pull down more backing. Repeat this down the entire length of wall.

Step 3. Trim

Once you reach the baseboard, use a credit card to press the extra overhang behind the baseboard and cut off excess with a box cutter.

That's it. That's literally all there is to it.

After applying the wallpaper comes the fun part. Design your new blank canvas of a wall however you'd like. I made a star-shaped stencil out of card stock and colored it in with a sharpie. I've also used a stencil with paint in the past which worked just as well.

So, what do we think? Is this something you'd like to try out in your own space? Anything you'd add or change? I'd love to hear your thoughts! If you decide to tackle this DIY for yourself, I'd love to see your creations. Send them my way on Instagram, @hailsbells1.

Thanks for reading and happy wallpapering!

Some helpful tips:

-I find that smoothing the wallpaper out with my hands is sufficient enough. If you decide to use a smoothing tool, be mindful that the wallpaper is thin and can easily tear.

-I've never had any luck removing the backing paper off the entire strip at once. Removing a little at a time works best.

-This contact paper is pretty forgiving. If you need to peel it up and re-stick, you have the option to do so. But, be conservative of how many times you remove it, as the adhesive will eventually wear off. Additionally, if the paper get stuck to itself, it's pretty much toast, so be careful.

-If you find that your wallpaper is sliding around, you've used too much glue. Give it a second to get tacky and try reapplying the paper.