How to Wallpaper an Archway

When wallpapering a room with an interior arched doorway, you can create a dramatic effect by learning how to wallpaper an archway. A wallpapered archway adds a finished touch that will bring the entire room together. In this article we'll provide a supply list and step-by-step instructions that will show you how to wallpaper an archway in a few simple steps.

Materials needed to wallpaper an archway:

- Wallpaper
- Wallpaper paste
- Paste brush
- X-Acto Knife
- Ruler
- Wallpaper smoother (brush, putty knife, etc.)

How to wallpaper an archway:

STEP 1 - Hang the wallpaper for the entire room before working on the wallpapered archway. When you get to the walls above and on both sides of the archway, hang the wallpaper so that it overlaps inside the archway ¼".

STEP 2 - Using an X-Acto knife, make small slits to the area of the wallpaper that was overlapped inside the archway. Cut the slits as close as possible to the edge of the wall and then smooth them flat to the wall with a wallpaper smoother.

STEP 3 - You have two options when selecting the wallpaper for an interior archway. If your wallpaper was offered with a companion wallpaper border, and it is the same width as your archway, you may find it this option to be the easiest. If not, you can cut strips of wallpaper to fit the archway width. (Wallpaper will need to be trimmed to be ¼" narrower than the width of the arch)

STEP 4 - Because you will be applying wallpaper to wallpaper, you will need to apply wallpaper paste to the back of your strip before you can wallpaper an archway. If you skip this step, it is very likely that the wallpaper won't stick permanently and will peel away from the edges.

STEP 5 - One the paste is applied, position the strip to the interior archway. Be sure to position the strips so that they leave touch, or slightly overlap, the wallpaper that was overlapped inside the archway. Smooth the strips down using a wallpaper smoother.

STEP 6 - After you have smoothed out any air bubbles, you can then wipe down your wallpapered archway with a damp sponge. This will remove any trace of wallpaper glue, which can eat away the pattern from your paper if it is not removed.

Once your wallpapered archway is completely finished, step back and look for any signs of the wallpaper lifting. If you see this, apply a dab of wallpaper paste to the backing before it dries completely and press it down firmly. This will resolve any future issues.

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SOURCE:

Personal knowledge and experience

Jennifer Wagner - Yahoo! Contributor Network