How to Wallpaper With Brown Craft Paper

Add a rich texture to your walls using the most simple of materials: brown craft paper. Long used for wrapping packages and parcels, brown craft paper is an ideal way to cover walls without spending a fortune on pricey wallpaper. The textured look of brown craft paper is ideal for covering problem areas, such as uneven plaster, cracks or imperfections.

Things You'll Need

• Brown craft paper--about 10 rolls for a small room
• Wallpaper paste
• Wallpaper brush
• Sponge
• Clear varnish

Instructions

1. Purchase a large roll of brown craft paper from a craft supply store. Tear the paper into large 12-inch pieces (they don't have to be exactly the same size or shape). Crinkle up the paper.

2. Apply the brown craft paper pieces to the wall, starting in a top corner of the room and working outward and downward. Brush wallpaper paste onto a 2-foot-by-2-foot section of the wall.

3. Select a piece of craft paper with a strait edge to line up to the ceiling. Gently press the paper onto the wall. Stamp it down carefully with a wallpaper brush. Leave any wrinkles in place; they will add texture and hide imperfections in older walls.

4. Wipe away any excess paste with a damp sponge. Continue to apply pieces, overlapping them as you go.

5. Seal the walls with a roll-on clear varnish once you have finished papering. This will help the look last longer.

Tips & Warnings

• Ordinary brown paper shopping bags work just as well as brown craft paper. However, you will need a lot of bags, even for a small room.