How One Renter Created Her Own Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper

UpdatedOct 12, 2018 2:59 AM EDT

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When blogger Amal Iqbal and her husband decided to move into yet another rental apartment in San Diego, she knew this one had to differ from the last. Not ready to commit to a house but weary of the typical white box that California rentals often are, Iqbal got creative. “I was tired of waiting to buy a house in order to have a home,” she explains.

A DIYer at heart, Iqbal set out to transform the apartment’s stark walls into a personality-rich statement. After falling for a traditional wallpaper that required paste (which is as difficult to remove as it is to install), Iqbal would do anything to make it landlord-friendly—including crafting her own adhesive. “I just kept asking myself: What would be the worst thing that could happen?” she says. “So what if you mess it up? Clean it up and start over again.”

Iqbal initially set out to wallpaper the back of an IKEA Billy bookcase using a mixture of 1 cup water and ⅓ cup Elmer’s glue, since that was all that remained in the bottle. She didn’t love the results, but the DIY adhesive proved a happy accident: Iqbal was surprised by the ease with which the wallpaper came free afterward. Suddenly losing the security deposit was no longer a concern, and she set about papering her living room.

While eagerness is commendable, don’t simply dive in and begin applying the wallpaper right away. Ensure your walls are smooth and clean: sand over any Spackle; wipe surfaces down with warm, soapy water; and then allow them to dry. This will help the application process proceed as smoothly as possible and help the material adhere longer, too.

After mixing the adhesive, Iqbal suggests testing a patch on a small, inconspicuous area, such as a shelf or a piece of spare poster board. “Test everything,” she stresses. Mastering your technique before diving in can help accelerate the process, too: no more double-checking instructions while balancing precariously on a ladder.

Once you feel confident in the general process, begin in the middle of the wall. It seems counterintuitive, yet applying in the center first can make all the difference when it comes to straightening the edges (not all rental walls are created equal).

Iqbal suggests applying the wallpaper 6 to 8 inches at a time and keeping the remainder of the roll secure with clothespins. Using the paintbrush, apply the glue 6 to 8 inches down the wall, then lay the wallpaper on top and smooth from the center toward the edges with the smoothing tool. From there, it’s as simple as unroll and repeat until you’ve covered your desired surface.

The time-consuming yet rewarding task of applying wallpaper can become skewed when you’re up close and personal for so long. Step back and give the wall a once-over; that can help identify any problem areas—and it also affords you a chance to give yourself a pat on the back.

What takes only a handful of hours (it took Iqbal eight to complete a 9-by-10-foot wall) can transform an entire room. Plus, when you’re ready to remove the wallpaper, simply pick a corner and peel at a 45-degree angle—simple as that.

Kate McGregor covers everything related to the home, from design inspiration to IKEA hacks. She has been the market assistant at ELLE Decor where she focused on curating product for the print magazine’s market pages.

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