Believe wallpaper is just for covering walls? These creative ideas will inspire you to rethink traditional treatments.
Frame Up
Design an entire gallery of art with framed wallpaper. Coat a variety of thrift-store frames with high-gloss spray paint, then allow them to dry overnight. Insert wallpaper pieces into frames. (Note: We glued the paper on top of the glass or frame backing.) Lay the framed pieces on the floor, and play with the placement. Transfer to the wall when you’ve achieved a pleasing arrangement.
Dainty Damask
Think pink—pink giraffe, that is—for a little girl’s room. Tape a long section of damask-print wallpaper to the wall with painter’s tape, then draw the animal’s outline on the paper, either freehand or using a tracer that enlarges the image. Cut out with scissors or a precision-cutting utility knife. For easier removal, apply to the wall with repositionable spray adhesive. This cute idea translates to other shapes and works equally well for a boy’s room.
Read on for great ways to perk up books, personalize coasters, and redesign flea market finds.
Stylish Stack
Unify a collection of books by covering them in a selection of wallpapers that pick up the colors in the room. Using each book’s paper cover as a template, trace onto wallpaper, cut out, and wrap around books; tape the inside flaps to keep the cover in place. For a pretty vignette, stack a few books on an end table or a sofa table, then top with a small arrangement. The same book-covering technique works beautifully for volumes on a bookcase as well.
Coaster Couture
For custom-made coasters that coordinate with your décor, have a glazier cut and sand ¼-inch-thick glass into 3½-inch squares. Affix plain paper to the bottom and wallpaper to the top of each square, using decoupage glue. Apply one or two coats to wallpaper side, then allow to dry. Glue felt dots to the bottoms of the coasters to protect surfaces from scratches.
Grand Opening
You’ll greet the morning with a smile when you dress up a flea-market find with cheerful wallpaper. Cut strips to fit the background of a vintage cupboard, then affix in place with decoupage glue or wallpaper paste. Fill the piece with grooming necessities, and fluff with charming trifles for a happy start to your day.
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