When people think of wallpaper, they usually think of traditional wallpaper that’s installed with paste and more permanent. People also tend to associate wallpaper designs with a “grandma” aesthetic. But in recent years, there has been advancements in both the designs of wallpaper along with the application of designs and with that a newer wallpaper product of removable wallpaper.

There are now wallpaper designs of many different styles and patterns from traditional to modern to even floral. There are also removable wallpapers as well where you just adhere it to the wall like a large vinyl sticker.

The inclusion of removable wallpaper helps to add visual interest as well as additional color and art.

Keep reading to learn about how to install temporary wallpaper in your rental.

Supplies

• Dimensions of wall (length & height)
• Tape measure
• Squeegee
• Additional person for assistance
• X-acto knife
• Step stool or ladder
• Removable wallpaper

Pre-work

Before you begin you’ll want to receive permission from your landlord about installing the removable wallpaper. Your landlord or rental company shouldn’t be an issue since removable wallpaper typically does cause any damage to the walls itself upon removal.

I would also suggest ordering a sample of the wallpaper that you are interested in to see if you like the piece and to determine the texture of the wallpaper as well.

Wallpaper can come in either a smooth, canvas, or fabric texture. I ordered samples of the canvas & smooth material. Overall my walls are pretty smooth but since it is concrete walls, it does a bit of texture to it. I ended up purchasing  the canvas texture wallpaper to help camouflage some of the wall texture there.

Before you order

First measure the wall that you want to install the removable wallpaper on. Having these measurements is essential because it will determine the amount of removable wallpaper that you will need to order. Generally one roll of wallpaper is about 24” wide and the design of the wallpaper repeats after 48”. 

For my wall, the measure was a bit over 40” wide so I only order two rolls of wallpaper. Check the details on the individual manufacturer website to find out the standard width of one roll of wallpaper and when the pattern repeats itself. 

The height of the ceiling in my apartment is 8’ so I ordered a wallpaper that would be able the entire length of the wall.  So in the end my measurements of the wallpaper sample that I ordered were the following: 24”WX 100” H. ( The wallpaper company that I ordered from provided additional inches as well. To the overall height of the wallpaper)

After having the measurements, then you can place your order online from your preferred wallpaper company. The company that I ordered from was an Etsy store called ONDECORstore. Etsy has a lot of options for removable wallpapers. Amazon, Target, Tempaper Designs also have removable wallpaper options as well.

The wallpaper design that I selected was here.

After placing the order, you want to inspect the order to ensure that its correct and that the printing quality of the wallpaper is up to par with no errors/bad error.

After inspection, now you’re ready to install the removable wallpaper. Allow the wallpaper to sit out and stretch out to allow the removable wallpaper to flatten. This will allow the wallpaper installation process to be easier.

I would recommend setting aside about an hour for a smaller area. But if you’re wallpapering a larger area, set aside more time.

Installation Steps

The wall that I installed the wallpaper on was pretty smooth so I didn’t need to do any repairs to it.  But if there any major holes, fill the holes with putty and wait for it to dry before applying the wall paper.

Work with one panel at a time. Have one person (person A) on the step ladder and another person  (person B) holding the excess wallpaper  in the middle of the panel. Person A will line up the corner of the wallpaper which the corner of the wall.

• Begin to slow peel the paper backing on the back of the wallpaper slowly.
• Attach the adhesive part of the wallpaper to the wall in small areas and use the squeegee to smooth out air bubbles.
• Person B will continue to peel the backing of the wallpaper while Person A attachs the wallpaper to the wall.
• Continue process until entire panel is adhered to the wall.
• Once the wallpaper is on the edge of the baseboard, use the X-acto knife to slowly cut the paper on the edge of the baseboard, removing the excess wallpaper.
• Once you’ve finished the attaching the first panel, repeat the process until its complete. When you work with additional panel(s), make sure the pattern of the new panel(s) lines up with the prior panel that you first placed. If as your applying the wallpaper you notice that its office, its simple to slowly lift up the wallpaper and re-apply it until it matches up with the previous panel.

Let me know what you think down below! Have you installed removable wallpaper before? 🙂