From books to walls, store bought contact paper surely brings with it a bang for your buck. A cheaply purchased roll will cover 1/2 of an eight foot wall. Pull out your paints and create a custom design on the wallpaper. In an afternoon you can inexpensively cover any wall with whatever your heart can imagine!
Use this DIY to bring new life to a space and make it easy to update whenever you desire something new. This project is great for renters, since the contact paper easily comes off walls without leaving residue.
Materials you will need include; contact paper measured to your wall space, paints, brushes and a stencil of your choice.
To make the wallpaper you will simply layout your paper in pre-cut lengths and apply your paints. Freehand draw a design if you are willing or use a stencil to repeat a simple pattern for a bold impact. Plain white contact paper comes with a grid printed on the back that you can follow for perfect placement.
I decided a more friendly erratic placement would coordinate with my imperfect design pattern. After painting the paper let it dry for 3-4 hours. Then simply peel off the backing and adhere to the wall. I would recommend a second pair of hands to help with he instillation as hanging any paper straight on a wall can be a challenge.
~ Victoria
Images: Victoria Hudgins
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Love it! I'm a fan of the contact paper comeback and this is a great idea especially for renters. It's so hard for a rental to feel like home when you're unable to make it your own without fear of your security deposit being charged for damages.
But how easy is it to remove?
I am thinking back to a time I hung a paper window blind, which has adhesive on the top, to the ceiling as a temporary room divider. but when i took it off, it ripped off part of the ceiling!
I'm kind of an "ask forgiveness, not permission" renter, and would have been more inclined to just paint the crosses right on the wall and then wing it when I moved out. Maybe not the wisest, but I've actually never had a landlord hold deposit for anything on walls - paint, wallpaper, or otherwise. I guess I've just lucked out.
That being said: this is the kind of project I'd like to see more of on AT!
Swandieve, contact paper actually has one of the easiest adhesives to remove. That is why schools allow kids to cover text books with it and renters often take it on and off of kitchen shelves.
I suppose after years it might take a bit of elbow grease but it should always be able to be completely removed:)
My experience with contact paper is that it removes under layers of paint and drywall and is actually not easy to work with - bubbles, repositioning, etc. I would be more inclined just to paint a pattern directly on the wall and then re-painting the original color when it is time to move.
wouldn't it be easier to adhere it to the wall then apply the stencil?
I'm a landlord and I would much rather negotiate paint colours with a tenant up front than be left with peeling paint and torn drywall from things like this. It's happened a few times and in my experience, it does leave a residue, despite what it says here.
Also, it's much easier to fill a nail hole in a wall from a hanging picture than to remove the sticky backing and inevitable grease mark that things like the 3M (and other) sticky picture holders leave.
@Famous Amos: Goo Gone works for me
Personally, I've never used a contact paper that pulls away cleanly if it's been on for more than a year so I hesitate to try this idea - but - I love the idea of making your own wallpaper.