Hanging wallpaper borders is a great way to make any room more colorful and stylish. Border wallpaper can highlight the style and decor of your bathroom, bed, workspace, kitchen or living room. Cutting wallpaper is an inexpensive and easy way to clean, hanging wallpaper will take less time than you would wallpapering your entire room. By following a few steps, you can refresh your room and give your room a new look.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Space
Step 1. Decide where to hang your wallpaper border
You can hang your wallpaper border just below the ceiling or crown molding, on the top 1/3 or bottom of your wall, or half of your wall. Choose a place based on your wishes.
Step 2. Clean the place where you will hang your wallpaper border
Use soapy water thoroughly to clean the place you will hang your wallpaper border. Make sure there is no dust, hair, or other particles on the walls of the area. Let it dry before you continue.
Get rid of mold on walls using a mixture of 2 cups (0.473 liters) of bleach per 1 gallon (3.785 liters) of water. This mixture will roughen the surface of your wall and can help your wallpaper border to stick more, but this is only optional
Step 3. Correct what is still wrong
Fill any holes or cracks with the compound compound, then you need to sand it down to make the area smooth. Clean the dusty area after you've sanded with a damp sponge.
Step 4. Use a measuring tool, a leveling tool, and a pencil to mark the top edge of where you will hang your wallpaper border
If you are going to hang your wallpaper border at the very top of your ceiling or crown molding, then you can use that top as your trim.
- Make sure you use a leveling tool when you mark the center of the wall where you will hang the wallpaper border. Otherwise, your wallpaper's border may be bent.
-
Mark the bottom of where you will hang your wallpaper border. Use the width of your wallpaper border to measure the distance between the edges. Use the align tool to mark the bottom of the place where you will hang your wallpaper border.
Hang Border Wallpaper Step 5
Step 5. Calculate how many rolls of border wallpaper you need to hang
Measure the length of each wall using a tape measure. Add these numbers as the perimeter of the wall. Measure the total length that each roll of wallpaper border can cover and divide by the total number of your walls.
- Make sure you buy 15% more of what you need, as you will need more wallpaper borders to match all the patterns together.
- You will need to measure all four of your walls each because most of the sides of your wall are not perfectly straight.
Step 6. Paint your walls using a wallpaper primer-sealer
Use a primer on the part you will use to hang your wallpaper border. Different types of primers should be used differently too. So preferably, you need to read the instructions that come on the packaging of your primer for details.
- Let your primer dry first, but no longer than 24 hours before you hang your wallpaper border.
- Do not use the primer on the outside of the line you have marked on your wall, because the primer can stain your wall.
Part 2 of 3: Setting Up the Border
Step 1. Cut a strip of your wallpaper border to the size of one wall using scissors, but you will need to add about 7.5 to 10 cm
Cut out as much wallpaper as you need to cover one wall, but add a little more. When you hang wallpaper borders, you will need more paper to cut out the edges.
Step 2. Remember you will need to measure each wall in order for you to get an accurate measurement
Step 3. Roll your wallpaper border in reverse
Roll the border of your wallpaper onto something loose tubular so that the adhering side is facing outward.
Step 4. Follow the instructions listed on your border wallpaper packaging to prepare it
Different wallpaper borders need to be prepared in different ways. Follow the specific instructions for your wallpaper border. Pre-pasted wallpaper is usually the simplest option, but unpasted wallpaper can be used as well.
- Pre-pasted wallpaper usually needs to be wetted first. You need to soak it in water for no more than 30 seconds.
- Unpasted wallpaper requires the correct adhesive material. If you are going to hang a wallpaper border on a painted wall, then you can use an adhesive for standard wallpaper. However, if you are going to hang a wallpaper border on a wall that already has wallpaper, then you must use an adhesive material that can be used to stick from one wallpaper to another. Stretch your wallpaper border and apply a generous amount of adhesive to the back of your wallpaper border.
Step 5. Shape your wallpaper
Pull the edge of the border of your wallpaper from the water, also remove the roll from the tube. Once you've pulled your wallpaper border about a meter from the water, fold it back over the pattern on the outside. Continue this. You need to bring the adhesive pieces together until you have several folds of wallpaper border like an accordion.
Step 6. Be careful and you have to be gentle when working on it
Don't let the edges of your wallpaper border become wrinkled.
Step 7. Leave your wallpaper border for five minutes
Forming a wallpaper border so that it becomes an accordion shape can make your wallpaper paper moist, can absorb liquids, and make the adhesive material sticky. You have to let your wallpaper border sit for a few minutes for the wallpaper to stretch.
Part 3 of 3: Hanging Border Wallpaper
Step 1. Start with the least visible part of your room
You need to start with the least visible wall in your room. In the end, this wallpaper will connect to the parts that are often seen. So, start at the edge of your wall that is rarely seen.
Alternatively, you can start at the edge of your entryway, to avoid any uneven seams
Step 2. Attach a strip of wallpaper border to your wall
Starting from the part of the room that is rarely seen, stick the edge of the wallpaper on the wall. The wallpaper you use must cover the edge of the wall and also stick to the wall next to it at least 1 cm long.
- If you've already drawn a line on your wall, then your wallpaper border should almost cover the line above.
- If you are pasting your wallpaper border just below the ceiling, then you will need to use the edge of the ceiling to align your wallpaper border.
Step 3. Smooth out the border of your wallpaper using the wallpaper brush
This tool can smooth out creases and bubbles, and can even out your wallpaper. Be careful when you smooth the border of your wallpaper because when you do, you can change the direction of the border of your wallpaper slightly, making it not straight. Keep checking to see if your wallpaper borders stay straight with the ceiling or straight against the walls.
Step 4. Continue to unroll your wallpaper border and flatten it against the wall until you reach the very last sheet
Keep hanging the wallpaper border until you reach the very end of your wall and the last sheet of your wallpaper border. Your wallpaper border should extend fully along the edges of your wall and on the next wall.
Cut off the excess wallpaper border on the next wall about 6 mm using a sharp knife or razor straight. Place something hard and straight next to your wallpaper border and use your knife next to something hard and straight
Step 5. Prepare the next strip border wallpaper
Measure the next wall and cut the next sheet of wallpaper border to match the pattern on the first strip that slightly crosses the line. Cut the wallpaper border to the length of the wall, roll it upside down, put it in the water temporarily, and let it sit so that your wallpaper border absorbs moisture and expands.
To set a wallpaper border, you need to align the pattern so that no one notices the gaps in your wallpaper border. This is the reason why you should choose where you will cut your wallpaper border for your next wall
Step 6. Install the next strip border wallpaper
Stack 6 mm from the first strip on the wall and continue hanging the wallpaper border on your wall. Remember that you need to level it when you hang it. Smooth it using a wallpaper brush until you reach the last sheet of wallpaper. Use a razor and cut the section above directly at the edge of the wallpaper border. You need to do this so that the two edges of the wallpaper border are perfectly even.
When you hang your wallpaper border, you want the edges of your wallpaper border to be even between one roll of wallpaper and another
Step 7. Continue this process until you finish hanging the wallpaper border in your room
Continue with the next strip of wallpaper border until you have hung the wallpaper border all over the walls of your room. Use the same process for each strip of wallpaper border. Make sure you get rid of all the bubbles and make each layer clean and clear.
Step 8. Wipe off the excess glue
When you hang wallpaper borders on your walls, you will need to remove excess glue on the edges of the wallpaper borders. Gently use a damp sponge to remove the excess glue.
Tips
- Check the numbers on the wallpaper border roll to make sure that your wallpaper borders are from the same stack. This will ensure that the color and pattern of your wallpaper border match perfectly.
- When you hang a wallpaper border, you have to do it right. You want the edges of your wallpaper border to match perfectly and look seamless.
- If you are installing the wallpaper border near the ceiling, it may be best if you have a friend who can assist you in the process and also help hold the strip of wallpaper border.
- Most designers will avoid installing a wallpaper border in the middle of the room. This is because the wallpaper border can make the room look small and choppy.
- Do not use adhesive material on the front (pattern part) of the wallpaper border because the adhesive will be very difficult to remove.
Warning
- Be careful when you use the ladder to hang the wallpaper border near the ceiling. Don't try too hard to reach the ceiling. It's better to get off the stairs and move your ladder when needed.
- Handle knives and razors with care. Do not let these tools be touched by children.
