Wallpaper Installation Guide
How to hang your panels
Our peel & stick fabric wallpaper is made for DIY installation — no paste, no water, no trades. Take your time, work one panel at a time, and you'll get a smooth, seamless finish.
Before you start
Nine out of ten installation problems come from the wall, not the wallpaper. Get these three right first.
Let fresh paint cure
Newly painted walls need at least 4 weeks to fully cure before wallpaper goes on. This is the single most common cause of wallpaper falling down.
Clean the surface
The wall must be smooth, dry and free of dust or debris. Wipe it down, including the skirting boards, and let it dry completely.
Remove wall fixtures
Take off hooks, tacks, adhesive strips and light switch plates so you have a clear, flat surface to work across.
Paint that hasn't cured will not hold wallpaper. If your wall was painted in the last four weeks, wait. It's the difference between wallpaper that stays put and wallpaper that lifts at the edges within days.
What you'll need
Everything on this list is worth having within reach before you peel the first panel.
Measuring & marking
Measuring tape, pencil, and a straight edge, ruler or spirit level.
Cutting
A sharp utility knife (plus spare blades) or scissors. A fresh blade is what gives you a clean edge.
Smoothing
A squeegee or a soft, clean cloth. Plus a step ladder and masking tape for covering outlets.
Soft tools only. Hard or sharp-edged plastic scrapers will scratch the fabric surface. Don't rub the print excessively, and never pull or stretch the material as you work — it should be smoothed into place, not tugged.
Know your panels
Understanding how a panel is built makes the whole job click into place.
You ordered 10 cm more than your wall measures in both width and height — that's roughly 5 cm spare at the top and 5 cm at the bottom, plus extra at the leading edge. Floors settle, ceilings are rarely level, and that spare margin is what lets you trim to a perfect line. It is meant to be there.
Step by step
Work through these in order. The adhesive is pressure-activated, so it stays forgiving while you position each panel.
Turn off the power and prepare the area
For safety, turn off the electricity at the switchboard. Remove outlet covers and light switch plates, then cover the exposed outlets with masking tape.
Wipe the area around outlets and switches so there's no dust where the wallpaper needs to grip.
Lay out and check your panels
Before anything goes on the wall, check that what you received is correct — the right design, the right size and the right quantity.
Lay the panels out on the floor or another clean surface in numbered order, and look at how the pattern meets from one panel to the next. Two minutes here saves a lot of confusion later.
Hang the first panel
Roll up panel one and peel back a small section of the backing paper — around 20 cm.
Position it at the top of the wall, leaving about 5 cm of extra material at the top and at the leading side for trimming later.
Using a squeegee or soft cloth, press the wallpaper onto the wall working from top to bottom with smooth, even pressure.
Tip: Your first panel sets the line for every panel after it. Use a spirit level or a light pencil line to check it's vertical before you smooth it down — walls and corners are rarely perfectly straight.Smooth as you go
Gradually peel back more of the backing paper — about 30 cm at a time — pressing the wallpaper onto the wall with upward and outward motions as you go.
Smooth out air bubbles while the panel is going on. If the alignment drifts, gently peel the panel back and reposition it before carrying on.
Overlap each following panel by 2 cm
Follow the same process for every panel after the first. Lay each new panel so it overlaps the previous one by 2 cm, lining the pattern up across the join before you press it down.
Check the panel is straight before smoothing it into place, and again leave about 5 cm of extra material at the top for trimming.
Trim the excess
Once every panel is up, use a sharp utility knife against a straight edge to trim the excess from the top, bottom and sides.
Replace your blade regularly — a dull blade drags and tears rather than cutting cleanly.
Deal with bubbles and wrinkles
Most bubbles smooth out by pressing them gently toward the nearest edge. If one won't budge, peel that section back and reapply it.
Wrinkles are fixed the same way — carefully peel the wallpaper away, let it relax, and smooth it back down.
Trimming around power outlets
Take it slowly here — this is the detail people notice.
Power off, tape over
Turn the power off at the switchboard and cover the outlet with masking tape before the wallpaper goes over it.
Cut a small X
Hang the panel straight over the outlet, then make a small X-shaped incision in the wallpaper over the opening.
Trim and refit
Trim the flaps back carefully, then screw the cover plate back on for a neat, finished edge.
The short version
If you only remember two lists, make it these.
Do
- Work top to bottom, smoothing outward from the centre as you go.
- Peel a little at a time — around 20–30 cm of backing paper, not the whole panel.
- Overlap by 2 cm and match the pattern before pressing down.
- Reposition freely while you're hanging — peel back gently and try again.
- Use a fresh blade for every trimming session.
Don't
- Don't hang on fresh paint that's had less than four weeks to cure.
- Don't use hard tools — plastic scrapers and sharp edges scratch the surface.
- Don't stretch or pull the panel to make it fit. Smooth it, never tug it.
- Don't rub the print repeatedly; press firmly and move on.
- Don't hang on textured, damp or unsealed walls — it needs a smooth, dry interior surface.
Moving or removing your wallpaper
If you want to relocate a panel, or take it down again down the track.
Warm the panel first
Always heat the wallpaper with a hairdryer or heat gun as you go. Warming loosens the adhesive's grip and reduces the chance of lifting delicate paint with it.
Peel slowly and low
Peel the panel away slowly, keeping your pulling angle low and close to the wall rather than straight out.
Back it and store it
Line the panel back up with its backing paper as you peel, then roll it up with the edges protected so it's ready to rehang.
Disclaimer. These instructions are general guidance for do-it-yourself installation. Tiny Walls cannot guarantee the outcome, as wall preparation, installation skill and environmental conditions are beyond our control. If you're unsure about any part of the process, we recommend consulting a professional installer or an expert in self-adhesive wall coverings — this type of installation differs from traditional pasted wallpaper.
Stuck on something?
Send us a photo of your wall or your panel and we'll talk you through it. We'd much rather hear from you mid-install than after.
hello@tinywalls.com.au