How to Easily Install a Wall Mural with Paste

How to easily hang a wall mural on your wall | Building Bluebird
#rebelwalls #tutorial #wallpaper #beginnerdiy #mountainmural

Welcome to week 3 of the Better Homes & Gardens One Room Challenge! This week, I added some personality into my boys’ bedroom by installing a wall mural on one wall, and LOVE how it turned out! If you are wondering if I was one of those super-smart participants that got a head start on renovating my space – I AM NOT! These weeks keep flying by and I am doing my best to keep up.

Choosing the Wall Mural Design
How to Install a Wall Mural
Step 1 | Prep the Area
Step 2 | Cut Wall Mural Rolls
Step 3 | Make the Wallpaper Paste
Step 4 | Mark a Line on the Wall for the First Strip
Step 5 | Apply Wall Mural Paste
Step 6 | Hang the First Strip
Step 7 | Cut Excess Wallpaper
Step 8 | Hang the Next Wallpaper Strip
Mountain Wall Mural After Installation
Materials Used to Hang Wall Mural
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Here is a reminder of what this corner of my son’s bedroom looked like before this makeover began:

How to easily install a wall mural on your wall | Building Bluebird

And here is the reveal after the 8 weeks of the One Room Challenge!

Choosing the Wall Mural Design

My son spent the first 5 years of his life in Denver, CO and he has a special place in his heart for the mountains. I knew that I wanted to mountains into the room design somewhere and a wall mural was the perfect opportunity. When I checked out Rebel Walls, they had so many fantastic options!

I loved the look of the foggy fir trees, the winter mountains, and even the more whimsical mountain mural, but, in the end, I decided on the gradient mountain mural. The color scheme was perfect with the blues on top and it was mature enough for him to grow up with.

Today I am going to take you through this super easy wall mural installation! Scroll to the bottom of the post for the source list of all of the items I used.

How to Install a Wall Mural

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Step 1 | Prep the Area

Before you begin, you want the wall to be clean and smooth, with no flaking paint. Lay down a drop cloth to prevent the glue from falling and sticking to the floor.

Step 2 | Cut Wall Mural Rolls

The mural arrives in a single tube that provides instructions for where to cut to create each strip for the wall. Each strip is numbered so you can easily determine which one goes up to create the mural image. Once the mural is cut, lay it out to confirm it is the correct size and there are no defects.

Step 3 | Make the Wallpaper Paste

The wall mural purchase includes a powder to make the wallpaper paste. Following the instructions on the box, I mixed the powder with a gallon of water in a bucket.

Fill another bucket with water and a sponge to wipe away any excess glue that may get on the front of the wallpaper.

Step 4 | Mark a Line on the Wall for the First Strip

Hanging the first piece of your wall mural (or wallpaper) is always the most important one. You want to get the edge of the wallpaper strip perfectly straight because the remaining wall mural strips will align with this edge.

Using measuring tape, measure the width of the wall mural strip marked with number 1. Take that width measurement and mark that same distance from the corner of the room, or wherever the wall mural will begin.

Put the long level (48 inches) in the corner of your wall to see if it is perfectly straight. If it is not perfectly plumb (which is usually the case), mark that same wallpaper strip width at the top, middle, and bottom of the wall.

Next, line up the level next to the bottom and middle marks. If the top of the level needs to lean towards the corner of the wall to be perfectly level, you want to use the bottom mark to create your straight line. It is better to be able to take off the excess wallpaper in the corner than to have one part of the wall perfectly aligned and then a sliver of the wall is not covered by the wallpaper.

I hope this explanation makes sense! Once you determine the location closest to the corner, use the level to create a full, straight line with a pencil from the ceiling to the baseboard.

Step 5 | Apply Wall Mural Paste

Apply the wallpaper paste directly to the wall where the first wallpaper strip will hang and make sure every part of the wall is covered. You can use a roller to apply the wallpaper paste, but I ended up just using a paintbrush.

I applied the paste a little bit past the pencil line where the first strip would be placed. This wallpaper paste is only meant for the back of the mural, if you get any on the front, use the damp sponge to wipe it away as soon as you can.

Step 6 | Hang the First Strip

As I mentioned earlier, hanging this first strip of wallpaper is the most critical. If this strip is not straight the rest of the mural will be crooked. Start at the top and align the wallpaper edge right on the pencil line. Move your way down the wall lining up the edge of the wallpaper directly to the pencil line.

Next, use your hand to smooth and press the wallpaper to the wall and remove any air bubbles. Use the wet sponge to wipe away any glue that may get on the front of the mural.

Step 7 | Cut Excess Wallpaper

Use your knife to remove the wallpaper at the top and bottom of the strip. This is when you will remove any extra wallpaper in the corner as well for that first strip. I began with the top of the wall mural. I pressed the wallpaper into the ceiling crease and used the knife to cut as straight a line as I could.

Rebel Walls wall mural step by step installation process | Easy DIY

Next, I used the wet sponge to press the wallpaper firmly where the walls meet the ceiling. I repeated this process at the baseboard and in the corner.

Step 8 | Hang the Next Wallpaper Strip

Apply the wallpaper paste so that it extends a little bit past the width of the next wallpaper strip. Take the wallpaper that is marked with the next number in the order and align the mural on the wall.

You want the wallpaper strips to be installed directly on the seams without overlapping. Work your way down the mural strip to make sure the image matches and the seams are as tight as possible. Once the edge is down, use your hand to smooth down the rest of the wallpaper. I like to start in the middle of the wall and fan my hands out diagonally to push any air bubbles out to the side, top, or bottom of the mural.