How to put up wallpaper

Start by stripping the old wallpaper (if any) and prepare the wall by fixing any imperfections or cracks, etc

Now decide where you want to start. A corner is the best place to start as you can be sure to get the first sheet in a good, vertical position. If this is not possible then, using a string and weight, draw a vertical line down the wall. You will be attaching the first sheet of wallpaper along this line and the first sheet will dictate if all the others are in line with each other, so make sure you draw the line vertically or you will mess up the whole room!

Now cut the wallpaper into strips just a few centimetres taller than the wall where you are going to stick them. (You will be sticking them vertically so measure the wall height, not width!)

Now you need to put the glue (paste) onto the sheet. Obviously you want to put it on the back of the sheets so lay them face down and begin painting on the glue. A table is best for this but make sure whatever surface you use that you keep it clean and check in between sheets so you don’t get glue, etc on the wrong side of the wallpaper.

Hang the first sheet, starting at the top of the wall. Allow it to overlap by a few centimetres to allow for error – you can always cut away the excess at the end. The most important part to line up is of course the side of the strip (the vertical length) along the corner or line that you have drawn on the wall. Start pressing the lengths at the top and squeeze out any air bubbles, working your way carefully down to the bottom of the wall.

The rest is easy: just repeat over and over until you have finished the room. The only difference is you need to hang all the rest of the strips in such a way that the pattern lines up on each sheet. This is why you have the excess length so that you have a few centimetres to play with on each sheet and can move it up or down if necessary. Start a new strip at each corner (i.e. don’t attempt to stick around a corner!)

When you have finished you just need to trim off the excess at the top and bottom of each wall. Press the paper right into the edge with a blunt knife then cut it with a sharp knife for best results.

Tip: Make sure you have enough paper to start with, it makes life much harder if you have to go out in the middle of a job to get more supplies. You also risk not being able to find the same colour or style as what you started with! So make sure you have more than enough before you start.


Peter is the head of Brisbane renovations, a fully-qualified team of professional designers and builders. Operating in the Brisbane area for over 40 years, they can help you with any kind of design and building, and specialise in home renovations.