Arts and Crafts Projects Using Wallpaper
Interior Decorating Ideas From Home Improvement Stores
Oct 24, 2009
Wallpaper Projects, from Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith, is a book designed to please the arts and crafts lover and home decorator. There are 50 DIY design projects for every room in the home, including accents and artwork.
How to Wallpaper
In chapter one, complete steps are provided for learning how to wallpaper. The instructions will be a useful guide whether papering an entire wall or just a switch plate. There are lists of the crafts supplies necessary, most of which can be found in a home improvement store or already laying around in a desk drawer or garage. Included are guides for:
- Wallpapering & Crafts Supplies
- Different Types of Wallpaper
- Adhesives
- How to Prep the Wall
- How to Hang Wallpaper
- What to Do About Corners
- Removing Wallpaper
Stylish Crafts Using Wallpaper Scraps
Now that the instructions are out of the way, chapter two is loaded with craft ideas for small interior decorating projects. There are 28 different projects described for using wallpaper scraps that will add snazz all around the house. A sampling of these projects include:
- Custom Note Cards and Envelope Liners
- Recipe Box
- Custom Photo Books
- Gift Tags & Luggage Tags
- Napkin Rings
- Place Mats
- Picture Frame Mats
- Wallet and Checkbook Cover
Interior Decorating: Designing With Wallpaper
Chapter three brings larger projects that make a real impact. There are some very clever ideas here that bring a lot of style to a home for very little money. Some examples include:
- Paper the inside shelves of a glass-front medicine cabinet
- Make a pleated blind from wallpaper, a wooden dowel, some yarn and hooks
- Decorate stair risers with wallpaper for a pretty view going up
- Paper switch plate covers to match or accent a home's décor
- Create the illusion of a headboard by shaping a piece of wallpaper above the bed
- Make artwork by framing paper in various sizes and colors
- Cut and paste small designs from wallpaper, and use as decals over a wall papered in a complementary color
Alternatives to Wallpaper
While manufactured wallpaper was designed for exactly these kinds of projects, it can be fun to make creative use of other materials when decorating, and Wallpaper Projects has included a chapter just for that purpose. Try lining the lower half of a wall in large maps, topped with a chair rail. Create wallpaper by using the design on a favorite dress or other piece of fabric. Paint a repeated design on the wall to mimic paper.
Summary
Wallpaper Projects is a fun craft book with plenty of ideas and instructions for papering walls, but the real value of this book is in the variety of clever and creative ideas for decorating everything else. The craft projects will help a homeowner get comfortable working with wallpaper before tackling a wall, while an interior decorator with loads of leftover scraps can finally put them to good use. The back of the book includes project templates and a metric conversion chart. Wallpaper Projects would make a great gift for craft lovers or new homeowners.
Title: Wallpaper Projects
Authors: Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2009, 144 pps., $22.95
ISBN: 978-0-8118-6706-1
More Home Decorating Ideas:
How to Decorate and Arts and Crafts Home
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