Wallpaper Installation Guide
How to hang your panels
\nOur 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.
\nBefore you start
\nNine out of ten installation problems come from the wall, not the wallpaper. Get these three right first.
\n\nLet fresh paint cure
\nNewly 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.
\nClean the surface
\nThe wall must be smooth, dry and free of dust or debris. Wipe it down, including the skirting boards, and let it dry completely.
\nRemove wall fixtures
\nTake off hooks, tacks, adhesive strips and light switch plates so you have a clear, flat surface to work across.
\nPaint 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.
\nWallpaper orders don't include a test piece — those come with our decal orders. Walls that have been patched, touched up, painted over older coats, or painted without a separate primer can have paint that isn't firmly bonded underneath, and paint in that condition can lift when anything adhesive is repositioned or removed from it. To try before you commit, order a sample swatch, apply it to a hidden spot for 48 hours and remove it slowly with gentle heat. A clean result is reassuring but tests one small area only — paint bond varies across a wall and no sample can certify your paint. The condition of your paintwork remains your responsibility.
\nWhat you'll need
\nEverything on this list is worth having within reach before you peel the first panel.
\n\nMeasuring & marking
\nMeasuring tape, pencil, and a straight edge, ruler or spirit level.
\nCutting
\nA sharp utility knife (plus spare blades) or scissors. A fresh blade is what gives you a clean edge.
\nSmoothing
\nA squeegee or a soft, clean cloth. Plus a step ladder and masking tape for covering outlets.
\nSoft 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.
\nKnow your panels
\nUnderstanding how a panel is built makes the whole job click into place.
\n\nYou 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.
\nStep by step
\nWork through these in order. The adhesive is pressure-activated, so it stays forgiving while you position each panel.
\n\nTurn off the power and prepare the area
\nFor safety, turn off the electricity at the switchboard. Remove outlet covers and light switch plates, then cover the exposed outlets with masking tape.
\nWipe the area around outlets and switches so there's no dust where the wallpaper needs to grip.
\nLay out and check your panels
\nBefore anything goes on the wall, check that what you received is correct — the right design, the right size and the right quantity.
\nLay 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.
\nHang the first panel
\nRoll up panel one and peel back a small section of the backing paper — around 20 cm.
\nPosition 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.
\nUsing a squeegee or soft cloth, press the wallpaper onto the wall working from top to bottom with smooth, even pressure.
\nTip: 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.\nSmooth as you go
\nGradually 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.
\nSmooth out air bubbles while the panel is going on. If the alignment drifts, gently peel the panel back and reposition it before carrying on.
\nOverlap each following panel by 2 cm
\nFollow 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.
\nCheck the panel is straight before smoothing it into place, and again leave about 5 cm of extra material at the top for trimming.
\nTrim the excess
\nOnce every panel is up, use a sharp utility knife against a straight edge to trim the excess from the top, bottom and sides.
\nReplace your blade regularly — a dull blade drags and tears rather than cutting cleanly.
\nDeal with bubbles and wrinkles
\nMost bubbles smooth out by pressing them gently toward the nearest edge. If one won't budge, peel that section back and reapply it.
\nWrinkles are fixed the same way — carefully peel the wallpaper away, let it relax, and smooth it back down.
\nTrimming around power outlets
\nTake it slowly here — this is the detail people notice.
\n\nPower off, tape over
\nTurn the power off at the switchboard and cover the outlet with masking tape before the wallpaper goes over it.
\nCut a small X
\nHang the panel straight over the outlet, then make a small X-shaped incision in the wallpaper over the opening.
\nTrim and refit
\nTrim the flaps back carefully, then screw the cover plate back on for a neat, finished edge.
\nThe short version
\nIf you only remember two lists, make it these.
\n\nDo
\n- \n
- \nWork top to bottom, smoothing outward from the centre as you go. \n
- \nPeel a little at a time — around 20–30 cm of backing paper, not the whole panel. \n
- \nOverlap by 2 cm and match the pattern before pressing down. \n
- \nReposition freely while you're hanging — peel back gently and try again. \n
- \nUse a fresh blade for every trimming session. \n
Don't
\n- \n
- \nDon't hang on fresh paint that's had less than four weeks to cure. \n
- \nDon't use hard tools — plastic scrapers and sharp edges scratch the surface. \n
- \nDon't stretch or pull the panel to make it fit. Smooth it, never tug it. \n
- \nDon't rub the print repeatedly; press firmly and move on. \n
- \nDon't hang on textured, damp or unsealed walls — it needs a smooth, dry interior surface. \n
Moving or removing your wallpaper
\nIf you want to relocate a panel, or take it down again down the track.
\n\nWarm the panel first
\nAlways 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.
\nPeel slowly and low
\nPeel the panel away slowly, keeping your pulling angle low and close to the wall rather than straight out.
\nBack it and store it
\nLine 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.
\nDisclaimer. 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. Removal and repositioning results depend on the condition of your paintwork: paint that is uncured, unprimed, patched or not fully bonded to the wall can lift with any adhesive product — sometimes in one area of a wall and not others — and no sample or test can rule this out across a whole wall. Paint lifting caused by the paint system is not a fault of the product and remains the homeowner's responsibility. 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.
\nStuck on something?
\nSend 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.
\nhello@tinywalls.com.au\n