Peel and Stick Wallpaper for an Adventurous Win!

Peel and stick wallpaper got me feelin like....all sorts of crazy!!! Literally it was the easiest and also the most stressful project. Weird right....how can you feel such opposite ways about the same thing...I know its crazy. I knew I wanted to do wallpaper on the little girls room....I mean so cute all the different patterns they have now. And of course when I heard of peel and stick wallpaper....I was like.....SAY WHAT?!?!?!  No brainer.  I wanted cactus wallpaper...because lets be honest...who is NOT obsessed with cactus right now. I found one I loved from Coloray www.coloraydecor.com (they have the BEST patterns)...but once I started the design board....I knew the pattern just wasn't working. That is one reason why I LOVE design boards. SUCH a GREAT way to really see what you have in your mind...and if its really going to work....or just not look right. So when I saw the other print in my board....I knew THIS was the one!!! 

The wallpaper came super fast, and it was just as stunning in person as it looked online. I was covering one wall of the bedroom...and it came in three separate sheets. Each sheet lines up with the other. Make sure to take the time to unroll each sheet and check for errors.  I marked the back of each sheet so that I would remembered the order. I marked the wall where the edge of the sheets would be to create a guideline, using a level. I pressed too hard with my pencil and ended up getting really smudgy during install, so make it a light mark or use tape. I started with the top left corner, taking care to try to line it up to the vertical guidelinel.  It was a bit tricky...and you for sure need two people. But we were able to get it.  We uses a plastic flat tool to work from top to bottom and from center out to the sides to get all the air bubbles out. Be careful to not use too much pressure as you don't want to mark up the wallpaper. I found that if you keep the paper backing on until you are ready to smooth down it makes it way easier...have your partner pull the paper out a bit away from the wall , and then use the tool to smooth on wall it works better then letting it fall closer to the wall...less slack. 

Once the first one was done...I feel like the second piece was super easy! I used a metal straight edge and a snap knife to cut the excess off the bottom. I also recommend after it's installed, going over it with a soft towel to help smooth out any little kinks. Overall, I think that the process was super simple and it was really easy to get it up. It makes a huge statement in the room, and Im thankful that I was able to do it myself (well...and of course my friend)! Sooooo Im super impressed and will for sure be ordering more peel and stick wallpaper!! Check out how cool it turned out!!!

So you might be saying....Melanie....that all sounds amazing...what was so stressful about that?!?! Well I left out just one little mishap....that unfortunately turned into....literally the most stress I have felt on a home project in a loooong while. You know that moment when you see all your visions...all your work...and your time...all your money....just go right down the drain before your very eyes. The stress level was too the max...and it was funny how quickly it went from moving right along....to like a TOTAL and utter DISASTER!!  

It all started to go downhill when I decided I wanted to un-peel and start over (we were about 3/4 of the way done with the last sheet (typical huh....so close to being done). How hard could it be...right....just un-peel what we have...re-align....and put back on?!?!? Easy enough. We got it stuck to the left and the ceiling perfect!!! Then in an instant when we moved positions...it happened....it STUCK TO ITSELF!!!! So as a section of about two inches is stuck together....we think oh shoot...and start adjusting and pulling apart. But it is SUPER sticky and it is actually really hard to un-pull. I think...uh oh...this isn't good...because I feel like if I pull too hard it is going to ruin the paper....but I have to pull hard to even get it un-stuck a little bit. Then It happened....it went downhill fast...every time we move to try to pull it apart, a new section becomes stuck. It happened within like two minutes that it went BAD to WORSE and literally the whole piece was stuck to itself in various areas. The largest one being about 6"....right in the middle. We literally had to just step back and were like......OMG.....how are we ever going to get this unstuck???? I wish I would have taken a picture....because it was SO bad....It literally looked like a crumpled up bubblegum wrapper. It was over in my head....DONE! All the work I had done, and all the progress I had made...in my mind...went right down the drain. My hopes of getting the room done were shattered....I was in a complete and utter panic!!!!!

Im also on the tail end of two weeks with the kiddos alone...while hubby is away on business...so already I'm just DONE ya know! As all this is going down with the wallpaper and we are in frantic trying to get this paper apart...my 3 year old yells "Brooke just went potty on the floor!"  So ya....that was awesome...this was EXACTLY what I wanted to do right now...as my wallpaper sits in a crumpled mess on the floor. I had to stop what I was doing and go clean everything up!!! I then proceeded to persuade the two littles from trying to climb all over the already crumpled mess on the floor, with bribery of fruit snacks and chocolate cookies (YIKES).  Luckily my friend was super positive...and motivated me to at least try to get it undone. When it was all said and done we got all the paper unstuck from itself....which seemed like a small miracle...but it was not pretty...it was a wrinkled mess!! I still thought there was no way it was going to look good on the wall...with all the creases and stretching. But we decided to just try....and you know what....IT WORKED!!!! I could not believe it....IT WENT UP AND LOOKS SO GOOD! 

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Soooooo lesson learned.... PUT the paper on the backing if you if you want to unstick and try again. This was also a HUGE lesson in keeping faith....and NEVER giving up!!!! Im learning so much through all these little projects. It's been such a journey so far. It feels amazing to overcome something you thought was impossible....its hugely satisfying...and always an adventure!!!!

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