Decorate with Temporary Wallpaper
By J. A. Young
Sometimes referred to as removable and peelable wallpaper, temporary wallpaper provides the look of traditional wallpaper without its permanence. Among home improvement tasks, ordinary wallpapering falls rather far down on the list—its installation is a tedious project fraught with a mess of glues and measurements. Temporary wallpaper is applied with water and a sponge. Although careful measurement is important, there is little other difficulty.
Temporary wallpaper is frequently used in children’s rooms where the décor tends to change as a child ages. Seasonal selections are the perfect way to decorate a room with elegance and sophistication. Or, if you like to change the look of any room every couple years, then removable wallpaper is a good choice. |
Temporary wallpaper is typically found in borders and rolls, but accents (like grapevine or sprigs of roses) and even entire murals (picnic or ballroom scenes) are also available. Smooth walls are ideal for this kind of paper, but any flat surface will do—doors, closet shelves, cabinets, dresser panels, lamp shades, tables, etc... The adhesive or paste on the peelable wallpaper is water-soluble. Simply sponge the section of wall and the paper itself with water and then press into place. The wallpaper may be repositioned until it becomes dry; at that point, it is firmly adhered and looks like traditional wallpaper.
If you choose to remove your temporary wallpaper, you will want to use water again—responge the paper and it will peel more easily. The paste can also be easily removed from the wall with water. Of course, once you remove the paper, you can only reapply it by using a traditional wallpaper paste. Then, pick your new selection and begin your next decorating project.
Because installing and removing temporary wallpaper is so easy—the project of an afternoon, it is a great alternative to more permanent methods of decorating. It holds great potential for enthusiastic decorators who wish to make a dramatic room change without all the struggle and frustration of working with traditional wallpaper. |
