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Inspiration file: How to Make Fabric Wallpaper

Wallpaper has made a strong comeback, and I have to admit I’m falling for it. I love the look of wallpapered walls, cabinets, dressers, doors, etc. but the commitment of wallpaper still scares me. Our first home was covered in 100 years worth of layers (upon layers) of wallpaper that I personally had to strip. I NEVER want to go through that again!

wallpaper

(via House to Home)

If you want the look of wallpaper, without the fuss of stenciling, or the permanency of pasted paper, then check out this fantastic tutorial by How About Orange! She demonstrates how to use cornstarch paste to hang fabric (preferably bed sheets or other thin fabric) to create “fabric wallpaper” that adheres well but is removable.

fabric wallpaper

via How About Orange

I have a sad dresser in my master closet and I think it would be fun to use this technique and create something crazy like this!

wallpaper dresser

source

How about you? Have you embraced wallpaper again?

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Comments

  1. This is so funny. Back in the early 70’s I did a whole bathroom in fabric on the wall and I did a valance over the sink, shower curtain and covered a hamper all with sheets. Except instead of “paste” I stapled it to the wall in places on the fabric that wouldn’t show. I only did one wall so it wasn’t too overwhelming. It was a flower pattern and did I ever get the compliments. It made such a statement. How I wish I had saved those sheets. They would be “vintage” now.

  2. I love a wallpapered bathroom, other than that not so much 🙂

    Although I just did the beadboard paper in a little hallway leading to our downstais, (Martha’s) so easy to use, I must say..

    Have a great week-end sweet friend,

    Kathy 🙂

  3. I have embraced it and hung it up in the dining room. Grass cloth no less! I’ve wanted to try the fabric on walls, that would be fun. There are lots of amazing things you can do with wallpaper.

    I’ve taken a bit off plaster, it’s not terrible, except where there are lots of layers, like others have mentioned. Keep it wet, wait, scrape and repeat!

  4. I agree taking wallpaper down is no fun, however, wallpaper certainly has come a long way in recent years so I don’t think it’s quite the disaster it used to be (at least, I hope it’s not! Haha). I don’t think I’d ever wallpaper an entire room or even an entire wall, but I did recently wallpaper a segment of my wall in my dining room, and framed it out with moulding. This feature literally stops people in their tracks when they come into my house for the first time. I’m so happy with the impact! I did the project before I had a blog, but you can see the finished product in this post:

    http://www.pigandpaint.com/2012/01/table-runner-before-and-after.html

    I also think it would be fun to use a bold, graphic wallpaper in picture frames, or to wallpaper artist canvas — that’s a great way to get the “wow” factor of wallpaper on your walls without the commitment. I’m still figuring out where I could incorporate that. 🙂

    Cheers!!

    Alison

  6. I have done the fabric wall treatment in several of my homes. Being an interior designer and military wife, I have to come up with easy to remove ideas since we move so often. Most people couldn’t believe it was fabric on my walls. I always find remnants and if it is too little then I “frame it out”. This also works great for the back of bookcases. I’ve done this for clients too and they love it! If you have not done this project before…you should try it!

  8. Hi Beth! I just started a make over for a friend and since she lives in a rental I did a whole accent wall in fabric in order to get some color on her walls. I actually tried to link up to your party, but was too late.
    I loved the way it turned out…I also placed an old dresser (I found on Craigslist for $20!?!) that I painted green along the wall. I’m really loving the color combo and now I’m trying to find a way to get those colors in my own home! 😉 If you’d like to check it out, you can see it on my blog…I just posted it on the 22nd!

  9. I love the look of some of the new, modern wallpapers out there, but can’t bring myself to put it up after spending so much time taking wallpaper DOWN. I’m embracing stencils for the moment, since they emulate the wallpaper look I would want anyway. 🙂

    Layers upon layers of wallpaper? How did you lice to tell about it?!?

    • I really wish I would have saved a scrap of each layer. There must have been at least 8 different layers going back to 1915! Shudder. It was not a fun time.

  10. I would never do wallpaper. Not after scraping it off of plaster for 5 hrs!!! I have heard of this before, in respect to apartment living, becuase it is removable. Still couldn’t do this to my walls, but maybe to a dresser, or bookcase.

    • Oh my goodness, 5 yrs?? I would never even want to see wallpaper after that. You poor dear!

    • LOL. That’s actually what this post is about! Using starch with fabric to make “wallpaper”.

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