Hanging Non-Woven Wallpaper: The Complete Beginner's Tutorial

Non-woven wallpaper is the ideal choice for beginners. Follow this guide and you will get a perfect finish.

What You Will Need

• Non-woven wallpaper
• Adhesive for non-woven wallpaper
• Smoothing roller
• Wallpaper smoothing spatula
• Utility knife and fresh blades
• Metal straight edge
• Spirit level or laser level
• Sturdy step ladder

Step 1: Prepare the Walls

A clean, dry and smooth wall is essential. Fill any holes with filler, sand down any imperfections and apply a primer if needed.

Step 2: Mark Out the First Vertical

Using a level, draw a vertical line about 50 cm in from a corner. This line will be your guide for the first length.

Step 3: Paste the Wall

That is the beauty of non-woven wallpaper: you paste the wall, not the paper! Roll the adhesive onto the wall over a width slightly greater than the length of paper.

Step 4: Hang the First Length

Unroll the paper from top to bottom, lining it up with your pencil line. Let it overhang by a few centimetres at the top and at the bottom.

Step 5: Smooth It Down

Work the air bubbles out from the centre towards the edges with the smoothing spatula. Work methodically from top to bottom.

Step 6: Trim Off the Excess

Using your metal straight edge and a razor-sharp utility knife, trim the paper cleanly at the top and at the bottom.

Step 7: Hang the Following Lengths

Repeat the process, butting each length edge to edge against the previous one. With patterned papers, line up the pattern match before you press the length down.

Pro Tips

• Change your knife blade regularly
• Work at room temperature (15-25°C)
• Wipe off any adhesive marks straight away with a damp sponge
• Do not heat the room while the paper is drying