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Gather the tools required for this project. Basic tools for installing wallpaper are scissors, bucket and sponge, level, utility knife, wide putty knife, screwdriver, wallpaper brush and smoothing tool. Measure from a corner or doorway the width of the wallpaper and mark the wall. Use a level to mark a vertical line on the wall. Place the edge of the first full sheet of wallpaper on this line.
Cut several sheets of wallpaper at a time, remember to leave overage for trimming off at the ceiling and floor. The sheets of wallpaper when matching patterns may be longer. -
Lay wallpaper that is not prepasted face down on a flat work surface and apply paste to the backside of the wallpaper. A paint pan and paint roller works well for this. Fold the top third of the pasted paper back on itself, pasted sides together. Fold the bottom third of the paper the same way, with the cut ends of the paper meeting. This is called "booking" the sheet. Allow 3 to 5 minutes for the wallpaper to rest.
Reverse-roll each cut sheet of prepasted paper with the paste side out. Immerse in water, grasp the end of the roll, and pull slowly through the water. Be sure the paste is thoroughly wet. Book the sheet the same as for pasted paper and allow to rest. -
Unfold the top third of the first sheet of wallpaper and place on the wall aligning with the marked plumb line. The top edge will extend onto the ceiling a few inches. Smooth the edges of the paper with a moist sponge. Use a wallpaper brush to smooth the paper on the wall beginning at the center and working outward toward the edges. Use a smoothing tool to attach the wallpaper to the wall. Pull the smoothing tool, do not push--this action will remove any air bubbles. Unfold the bottom third of the wallpaper and repeat the procedure.
Trim the excess paper at the ceiling using a utility knife. Hold the paper against the ceiling or trim with a wide putty knife and cut along its edge. Use the same procedure to trim the bottom of the paper. Wipe the paper, ceiling and baseboard to remove all traces of leftover paste.
Inside corners are the only place where sheets of wallpaper overlap. From the edge of the last sheet hung, measure to the corner. Measure at the top, middle and bottom. Add 1/8 inch to the largest measurement. Trim an unpasted sheet to this measurement. Prepare the paper by pasting or immersing. Hang the sheet of wallpaper with the trimmed edge overlapping around the corner onto the next wall. Position an unpasted sheet of wallpaper into the corner overlapping the previous sheet. Mark a line at the outside edge of the sheet and draw a plumb line. This allows an adjustment for walls that are slightly out of plumb.
For outside corners, trim the wallpaper to wrap around the corner by ¼ inch. Hang the next sheet overlapping the previous sheet, but slightly short of the corner. The paper will not peel if someone brushes against the corner.
Retain any leftover wallpaper in the event a section needs replacing.
