Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Wrapping Paper Wallpaper

I'm trying to decorate my apartment so it feels more cozy. I've been traveling so much and have neglected the interior space of my apartment for some time. It is a comfortable place to live, sleep, and eat, but it doesn't quite feel like my own yet even after living here for two years. The walls are still plain and I could really use a couple more pieces of furniture. Regardless of all that, it is still a really nice place to be. I just want it to feel more like my home. It is tempting to go rush out and buy new things including new furniture, nice kitchen gadgets, tablecloths, curtains, rugs, art pieces, etc. However, I am trying to be creative and decorate with a small budget and some old fashioned creativity. Knowing how to sew would be helpful, so that is definitely in my future plans to learn how to do. Sticking with what I know how to do now is what I decided to do for this project. If you can cut paper and tape it to things, you are set for this task.

Taping wrapping paper and plastering on your wall and calling it wallpaper would sound really silly to some. However, these days if you go to art or paper stores you will notice that they have a collection of unique wrapping paper styles to choose from. Some of them are quite colorful and have vintage designs and patterns. I couldn't help look at them and think of wallpaper. So, I decided to pick out a unique design and tape (with clear packing tape on the back of each piece) the paper to a wall in my kitchen that was otherwise white and boring. You can definitely be the judge, but I think it is fun. I tried really hard to match up the patterns so the seams would not be visible. I think I did a pretty good job! The fun part is, because I rent, this is not a permanent feature. If I change my mind next week, I can always try out a different pattern. My wall only required four sheets of wrapping paper for a total cost of $12. Not bad!

2 comments:

  1. Be careful with wrapping paper in the kitchen, it's very flammable so try not to paper where you could have potential fires near by. Also hope you used a painter's type tape, there is some tape that comes off easily some that will peal paint when it's pulled off.

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  2. Thanks for your comment! Fortunately, this wall in particular is small and is away from my stove, which is important. Not sure about the tape situation and if it will pull off the paint when I take it down. I tried it in a couple spots and it seems OK, especially since the paint is white.

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