Contact Paper Used as Wallpaper DIY

Earlier this week, I showed you how I took contact paper that I bought at the dollar store, and used it as wallpaper to create a fresh new look in my master bedroom closet. I use the back of my master closet as my sewing space and was getting tired of looking at the visual clutter. I wanted a space that would inspire me to create and it just wasn't cutting it. 

On a trip to Magnolia Market late last year, I saw a few rolls of wallpaper that I just loved. Imagine my surprise when I found something similar to this Joanna Gaines Heirloom Rose wallpaper that costs $40 a roll, for only $1 per roll. I just love the dollar store! 

I ended up using 18 rolls of contact paper, so for more than half of what one roll of the Joanna Gaines wallpaper cost, I was able to get a similar look for a fraction of the price! Plus, using contact paper as wallpaper is such a great short-term solution. It peels off easily and doesn't leave a trace, so if you are renting, this could be such a great solution for you to personalize your space. I'm going to show you how you can use contact paper as wallpaper and share my tips and tricks with you today.

Easy Do-It-Yourself Contact Paper as Wallpaper

I'm going to start by saying that you can't be too much of a perfectionist to use this method. If you are, it may drive you nuts. Contact paper is not wallpaper. You will not be matching seams. It has adhesive on the back, which may mean that there may be bubbles after you apply the paper. All of those things are OK, and I promise you, the end result will be worth it. At least it was for me.

What You Will Need to hand Contact Paper instead of Wallpaper:

X-Acto Knife {this is my absolute favorite and costs next to nothing!}

scissors

screwdriver

Contact paper {I used this one, but got lucky and got it FAR cheaper at The Dollar Tree}

Do What Works in Your Space

Every space is going to be different. I actually hung a roll of contact paper up in the most out of the way spot the night before to make sure that it would stick to my textured walls. It passed the overnight test, so I went back the next day and started hanging the paper. I will confess, that in this closet, I have rolls hung up horizontally and vertically. You can not tell. Do what works in your space. 

Trim off Excess Contact Paper

I found that using the X-Acto knife was the easiest to use to trim when I was hanging the paper on the wall. I could cut around trim very easily. 

Measure...sort of

I'm mentioning again that this is not a perfectionists project. There won't be any hard and fast measurements. The best part about contact paper is that it has lines on the back of it for cutting. I would hang up a roll with the backing still on and make sure it fit in the space. If it needed trimming, I would leave a few inches as overlap or extra and mark it, using my scissors to cut the excess. The extra paper then could be overlapped onto existing contact paper {it will be nearly impossible to match up seams  like you do with wallpaper, so expect a 1/8-1/2" overlap of paper as you apply it} or trimmed using the x-acto knife.

Save Your Scraps of Contact Paper

I was lucky enough that one roll would nearly cover the whole wall of my closet when it was rolled vertically. I used scraps {like the one you see in the upper right corner} to fill in the extra space.

Peel and Stick

I found that it was easiest to peel the whole roll of contact paper instead of peeling as I went. There were times that it would stick places I didn't want it to stick too, but thankfully, it peels off and will stick again. If you make a mistake or find that it's not hung straight, simply peel it back and try it again.

Work out Air Bubbles

I've wallpapered a lot of times in my day, so I tried some of the same wallpaper hanging techniques that I have used in the past. However, contact paper is not wallpaper. I tried to use a wallpaper straight edge to work out the air bubbles and found that it was easiest to peel back the contact paper where the bubbles were and start again, smoothing as I went. 

I really love the end result and can't believe that it only took me 18 rolls of contact paper {which was only $18 at the Dollar Store} to make such a huge impact on my closet. 

Have you ever used contact paper for anything other than lining a drawer? If so, I would love to hear what you did!

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