Product Review: Peel n’Stick Wallpaper

So…

if you follow us on FaceBook or Instagram, then you probably know that recently we decided take a little time off after publishing the Gemini FlightBag pattern to fixup our guest bathroom which for some unexplicable reason I decided to paint orange a few years ago. I’ve regretted that decision ever since. (Have you ever done this?) And lately I’ve been toying with the idea of trying out that new peel n’stick wallpaper I’ve been hearing so much about!

I did a lot of conventional wallpapering in our old house years ago, but when I had to tear some of that paper down in order to sell that house, I ended up having to spackle and sand those walls over and over and OVER over, so I swore I’d never use wallpaper again.

But the whole point of the peel n’stick paper is how EASY it is to pull it down so…I though I’d give it go in the smallest room in our house.

So how did it go?

Well first of all, my studio assistants were VERY interested in the whole process, volunteering along the way to do anything they could to help….

It struck me as a bit odd that they were showing THIS much interest in the process, especially THIS girl who literally watched every step in the process, but they were so cute that I guess that’s why I let my guard down to my detriment!!!

Because LOOK what one or both of them did while I wasn’t looking!

And believe me, this is actually MUCh worse than it looks, because this segment of the wallpaper was actually rolled up when the offending individual inflicted this damage, so that it turned out that these bite marks sunk down through FOUR layers of paper, rendering at least 3 5 FEET of wallpaper useless!!

I was NOT a happy camper!

Which cat did this? I actually can’t be sure of that, but I do have my suspicions!! And obviously, since a large hunk of wallpaper was now useless, the pressure was on to not make any mistakes myself!!!

Which turned out to be a REALLY close call. I had to piece together the last couple of small sections, but I’m quite sure no one will ever notice!

But what was my verdict on Peel n’Stick Wallpaper?

Yay… or Nay?

So I’ll tell you what I think & then let you decide!

Traditional wallpaper is relatively easy to put up (albeit a bit messy), but can be VERY difficult to pull down, whereas Peel n’Stick wallpaper is easy as pie to pull down but it can be VERY difficult to apply… unless of course you have 4 arms!

The main problem is that it sticks to everything, including itself. You cannot “slide & glide” it into place because the second it touches something it sticks to it & this was SO challenging at the 20.5″ width on a full length wall with 10ft ceilings. PLUS… Try as I may, I never did get the hang of matching the print from piece to piece! It was SO frustrating!

I finally decided to cut the paper in half lengthwise taking advantage of the fact that the cut could be easily concealed within the vertical stems, so it was only 10.25″ wide! At this width it was SO much easier to handle and the the “stem-to-stem” matching was easier too!

But this wasn’t the only problem I encountered!

For some reason, no matter how careful I was to smooth all of the bubble out from under the wallpaper, multitudes of others would mysteriously appear but pretty much only from about eye level to the floor. And even though I tried multiple ways to eliminate these, they stubbornly reappeared. It looked really BAD!

I was SO disgusted this the whole mess that I honestly toyed with the idea of tearing it all down and going with paint but then for some reason I seemed to remember reading somewhere that a hairdryer can sometimes help with air bubble removal so I thought…. WHY NOT?

And guess what? It worked like a charm! I just heated small areas at a time with the dryer while simultaneously smoothing the area with my hand or the smoothing tool!

So… what’s the verdict?

Working with “Peel n’Stick” Wallpaper was not really a pleasant experience. Maybe it would’ve been a little easier to work with If I had had another set of arms to help me? But maybe not. I found the paper unforgiving and quite difficult to work with. I know its a nice alternative for an apartment or dorm dweller since it can be so easily removed, but the thought of using it for an entire bedroom (for example) would be a pure tee nightmare! I have no intention of repeating the experience again!

And now, it’s YOUR turn!

Have YOU any experience with Peel n’Stick Wallpaper? And do you have any suggestions to make working with it a little easier? And remember, we love reading your comments and answering your questions too, so please feel free to leave either or both in the space provided below.

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Kat

10 Comments

  1. Sharon Mckinney on April 12, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    Judging from your experience, I’d be very, very reluctant to try this or any wall paper. My mom was big on wallpaper and my dad cursed a LOT every time she brought home another project. My patience with DIY left a long time ago; maybe it’s some thing you’re game for when you’re younger. So, my vote is a big, NO, not now, not ever.



    • Kat on April 14, 2021 at 5:20 am

      I think for a small focal area, this type of wallpaper is fine I can certainly vouch for the fact that it comes down easy! 😀



  2. Sally on April 12, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    I was just looking into buying some of this for a very small area above a desktop. Maybe I will have a go with it in such a small space. And for $9.00 a roll, that’s not so bad if I don’t like it. Thanks for your input, I’m glad for you that it’s behind you. Now I hope your kitties don’t tear into the wall



    • Kat on April 14, 2021 at 5:22 am

      I think for a small area this is fine. I do recommend a 2nd set of hand to keep the lower end of he paper straight and free from touching (and sticking to things. However, I cant even imagine using it for an entire room!



  3. Megen on April 12, 2021 at 5:20 pm

    I think any wall paper is the work of the devil…dad did it all the time, but me…NOPE. I cant get it off our walls either…its still behind the fridge. Yours looks good !😁



    • Kat on April 14, 2021 at 5:22 am

      its certainly not for eveyone, thats for SURE!



  4. Karol on April 13, 2021 at 8:37 pm

    Been there, done that both times, (first and last), don’t EVER want to do it again!



    • Kat on April 14, 2021 at 5:24 am

      I’m kinda in the boat with you Karol. It definitely was NOT what I’d call a fun project, but for a small focal wall with a couple of extra hands to help, it will work. As for me, I’m glad I did it, but it wont be happening again anytime soon. 😀



  5. Mea on April 15, 2021 at 4:03 am

    I used peel and stick wallpaper in the past. You don’t specify what brand you used, and I can’t tell what type you used by the pictures, but I’ve found it’s easier if you have a thicker, non-stretchy ‘paper’ type of wallpaper as opposed to a thinner, plasticy or metallic type of wallpaper.

    Regardless, you did a wonderful job putting it up!



    • Kat on April 15, 2021 at 5:58 am

      Well that’s interesting Mea! The paper I used WAS quite thin so maybe that was why it was so difficult to use. That’s good information to know so thanks for sharing that tip! 🙂