10 Unique Ways to Decorate with Wallpaper

DIY Decorating Ideas
DIY Decorating Ideas

Wallpaper is so much more than a substitute for paint! Update any item in your home (and save some money!) with some scraps of wallpaper. Get creative with these intriguing projects, many of which you can pull off in an afternoon!

Plus: Cheap Decorating Ideas for Every Room in Your House »

1. Arrange like art. Mount wallpaper remnants (especially antique or hand-painted ones) on fiberboard frame, then hang on the wall.

2. Paper the furniture. Cover the surface of a coffee table or bureau; coat with polyurethane or have a piece of glass cut to fit on top.

3. Fake a headboard. Affix a paper rectangle to the wall above the bed; make sure your paper is a few inches wider than the mattress.

4. Light up a faux fireplace. Line the inside with a pretty pattern.

5. Divide and decorate. Cover the panels of an old screen with a variety of cheerful prints and solids. Or make your own screen by joining bifold doors (available at home improvement centers) together with hinges.

Related: Picture Perfect! Learn to Hang Frames Like a Pro! »

6. Add a backdrop. Transform open shelving with alternating prints, adhered to the wall behind.

7. Go upstairs. Effect the look of an elegant, tiled staircase―or simply add a splash of color to a drab space―by covering risers with a graphic print.

8. Design your own mural. Cut flowers, birds and the like from one decorative wallpaper and paste them onto a wall covered in a simple, uniform motif such as a large-stripe pattern or leaf print.

9. Look up. Beautify a plain light fixture with a circular paper ceiling medallion or cut oval or rectangular backing plates to place on the wall behind sconces.

10. Jazz up an oldie. To decorate the front of a chest of drawers, simply unscrew the knobs, and lightly sand the surface. Cut strips to size―slightly smaller than the drawer front to create a framed effect, as shown here, or large enough to completely cover the space―and adhere. Replace knobs.

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