A wallpapered wall featuring a tan background with white clouds and blue birds. A white table sits in front with two white vases, one containing a dry floral arrangement. Framed around the main image is a white and gold bird and cloud pattern.

How to hang wallpaper

Discover how to hang traditional wallpaper with our helpful 10 step installation guide.

Step 1

Prep the wall

Step 2

Gather your supplies

Step 3

Cut the wallpaper strips

Step 4

Mark your starting point

Step 5

Apply the paste

Step 6

Book the wallpaper

Step 7

Position the first strip

Step 8

Apply and smooth the wallpaper

Step 9

Trim the edges

Step 10

Apply the remaining strips

Hanging traditional wallpaper

Traditional wallpaper requires the use of paste and takes little more than time and the right tools. Good music and a caffeinated beverage are optional, but recommended.

Frequently asked questions

It's important to "book" each strip of wallpaper before applying it to the wall. Booking is simply folding the paper onto itself, pasted side to pasted side, and then gently rolling it like a newspaper, being careful not to crease the folds. Allow the paper to sit like this for 5-7 minutes.

Booking is important because it allows the paper to fully absorb the paste before being applied to the wall. This gives each strip time to relax to its final size so it can be hung properly without shrinkage and visible seams once it dries.

Due to the handmade nature of our products, all of our wallpapers need to be matched at eye level. That way, any slight misalignment in the pattern will be minimized, as they will fall at the top or bottom of the wall. Hand screen printed papers, like ours, can have up to a 1/8" allowance in pattern match at the seams. We do much better, but you must allow for this type of match with a hand screen printed paper.

Check out our resource library to learn the advanced wallpapering techniques of papering around electrical sockets, thermostats, and wallpapering light switch plates.

More resources

Pre-pasted wallpaper

Our pre-pasted wallpapers are digitally printed on PVC-free paper and are Greenguard certified. Paste is not needed to install these papers, which work in nearly any application a traditional wallpaper would.

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Peel and stick wallpaper

Our peel and stick wallpapers are also digitally printed. These papers have an adhesive backing that does not require any kind of paste to install and can be removed and reused as needed. Peel and stick wallpaper is great for kids' spaces, dorms, rentals, or any other temporary installation.

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Fortune in Mist wallpaper

Have a question?

Our wallpaper experts are happy to help.