Loving the wallpaper trend but afraid to actually cover a wall? I'm right there with you.
When I was planning out my youngest daughter's nursery I fell in love with the idea of a wallpaper accent wall and desperately wanted to use Anthropologie's Thin Air wallpaper.
Unfortunately they don't offer a removable version and we had so much going on at the time (a cross-country move, a home reno, and a busy toddler) that putting up permanent wallpaper felt too daunting.
But the gorgeous abstract florals and blush tones of this wallpaper haunted my dreams and I was determined to use it somehow.
After many late night Pinterest searches, inspiration struck and I realized I could cover some styrofoam panels for the perfect (EASY) wallpaper accent wall.
The best part is the panels are very lightweight and easy to move around so they can be repositioned down the road when your nursery turns into a big girl room!
Ready to get started?
You'll need a few supplies including the wallpaper you want to use + maybe 2 hours to complete the project.
Don't have 2 hours in a row to work on it? You could easily do this project into pieces and work on it over the course of several days or weeks.
This post contains affiliate links - as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Supplies
- Styrofoam panels
- 3M 77 Multipurpose Adhesive Spray
- Canvas drop cloth (or a sheet / tablecloth you don't mind ruining)
- Scissors
- Tape (packing, masking or duct tape will all work)
- 3M picture hanging strips
- Wallpaper of your choice (I used this one from Anthropologie)
Tutorial
Step 1: Measure + cut your wallpaper
Lay the styrofoam boards out on your canvas drop cloth. The adhesive spray is STICKY so don't skip the drop cloth and ideally do this part outside. The spray isn't super smelly but always better to let the fumes escape outside instead of in the house.
Measure the length of your styrofoam panels and cut a length of wallpaper that's about 6 inches longer. You'll want enough overhang on both sides to make folding the paper over the top easy.
Lay the cut sheet of wallpaper over the styrofoam panel and line it up so the design looks straight. Make sure you have about 3 extra inches on the top and bottom.
NOTE: before moving on to Step 2 you may want to use a couple of thumbtacks to secure the wallpaper to the top of the panels. This will prevent the paper from shifting while you're gluing it to the board.
Step 2: Glue wallpaper to styrofoam panels
Once you have your wallpaper lined up (and tacked down along the top if needed), loosely roll the paper up from top to bottom.
Grab your spray adhesive and spray a fine mist over the top 3rd of the board.
Carefully unroll the wallpaper and smooth it down over the glued section. The adhesive will take about 30 seconds to get tacky so you'll have a little time to adjust the wallpaper if you need to.
Once the first section is glued down, repeat with the next two sections of the board until all of the wallpaper is glued down.
You should have extra paper on all 4 sides of the board.
Step 3: Fold extra wallpaper behind the panel
Flip the board over and fold the extra paper over the edge. I folded mine the same way I fold the ends of wrapping paper for Christmas presents.
Secure the folded sides with tape (glue would also work but takes extra time to dry).
Place command strips along the top for easy hanging.
Step 4: Hang your finished panels
All that's left is to hang up your boards!
In my daughter's room I started with 3 boards centered behind the crib and then added 2 more to give it a fuller look.
You could panel the whole wall if you wanted to or just a section like I did.
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Hey there!
I'm Michelle. momma to two little girls, interior design addict and firm believer that you CAN have nice things with kids. Learn more here.