DIY Home
11 Ways to Use Peel & Stick Wallpaper—Not Just on the Walls
Furniture? Check. Appliances? Check.
Wallpapering nearly broke up my parents’ marriage. Yes, that’s right. Applying wallpaper to their home almost broke up a two-kid, three-home, 20-year marriage, because that’s how miserable a task it is. Peel and stick, though? Much less life or death—or, in this case, marriage-ending... What’s even better? You’re not wedded (pardon the pun) to it—it can be endlessly changed around.
Of course, we’ve all likely seen several rental makeovers put peel & stick wallpaper to good use—bright pops of pattern in small bathrooms, half-papered walls in bedrooms, kitchens rendered totally unrecognizable—but given that peel and stick wallpaper is, in essence, just giant pieces of sticker… there are lots more uses to be found.
Personally, I’ve used it to cover old paint cans to use as storage, wrapped plain shoe boxes to add a little more life to them, and even used it to cover an unsightly hole in my ceiling while I waited for my landlord to come back and patch it. Below, find some of our favorite ideas for making the most of a leftover roll, beyond just the expected accent wall.
Even if your drawers aren’t perfectly organized (because whose drawers really are?), you can cheer it up with a pop of color inside.
I have plenty of art in my home that’s not matted, and it looks just fine, but there’s something about a professional picture mat that just makes it feel… finished. Instead of cobbling together a piece of cut cardstock with a picture taped to the back (or, even worse, going with spendy professional framing), why not use a leftover piece of peel and stick as the mat?
No headboard? Truly, no problem. While this bed is lucky enough to be framed by a recess, a piece of peel & stick behind the bed in the shape of a headboard is the perfect stand-in for the real thing.
Who says wallpaper needs to stop at… the walls? No one, that’s who. Lately I’ve been contemplating painting my living room ceiling, but for small spaces like a bathroom or laundry room, it’s the exact right amount of daring.
My bathroom has particularly heinous yellow and brown tile, which I’ve covered up with many pieces of white contact paper, which, guess what—is basically the same as peel and stick wallpaper. Mine didn’t have a pattern (since I was mostly focused on making things more neutral), but if your bathroom happens to need a lovely little pattern, do it up!
Sure, your books and knickknacks stand out on their own, but wouldn’t they look even more curated with a patterned backdrop? Pick a wallpaper that coordinates with your shelf, and you’re off to the races.
Okay, we don’t all have old pianos lying around, but this is certainly an inventive idea for upgrading an upright. Combined with the crisp white paint and added wood tambour, this peony-printed piano is one stylish instrument.
Recently, my mom sanded down the stairs in my parents’ house (after years of carpeting), and decided that she wanted the risers to have some color, so she added peel and stick paper that looks just like multicolored Italian tile. This works with lightly patterned paper, or bright and bold ones that make climbing the stairs just a little more fun.
If you’re lucky enough to have any kind of arched architecture in your home, play it up with some wallpaper. While this one looks stunning as a backdrop, you can just as easily wallpaper just the edge, emphasizing the arch and limiting the amount of peeling and sticking you have to do.
Instead of a mess of cords, remotes, and board games, your credenza could have a pretty little pattern inside! Okay, maybe in addition to the mess of cords, remotes and board games, but still.
There’s simply no reason to suffer through an unappealing fridge, which can be somewhat unavoidable in a rental. Instead of letting your distaste for it fester, slap a few rolls of paper on there and call it a day.
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