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How to wallpaper round corners

How to wallpaper around corners

Wallpapering a straight wall is relatively straight-forward. But what about wallpapering around corners? Whether it’s straight edged or curved, wallpapering around a corner can throw a lot of people off, especially if you’re new to wallpapering. With that in mind, here is our comprehensive guide on how to wallpaper around corners.

Tools you’ll need to wallpaper around corners

Before you start hanging your wallpaper, make sure you’ve got all the tools you need to do the job right. They are:

  1. Plumb line
  2. Wallpaper paste
  3. Roller, tray and brush to apply the paste
  4. Smoother
  5. Knife
  6. Clean, damp cloth

How to wallpaper around a corner 

  1. Apply the paste to the wall into the corner and beyond to cover a roll width, then hang your paper from the top, down.
  2. Smooth the paper around the corner and using a smoothing tool, gently push the paper into the corner. There will be some excess paper from the fold in the corner.
  3. With your knife or scissors, cut the excess paper from the side and put it to one side.
  4. Go back to the corner and continue to smooth out the paper with a smoothing tool until you’re happy with the finish and there are no air bubbles.
  5. Now apply some more paste the wall adjacent to the corner wall you have just wallpapered.
  6. Take the side excess wallpaper strip you trimmed off earlier and match the pattern up with the other wall and smooth down.
  7. Wipe off any excess paste with a clean damp cloth.
  8. That’s it. The papers should now meet perfectly and you can continue wallpapering the rest of the wall as normal.

If you’re hanging wallpaper on an external corner, you wrap the paper around the corner so there’s no trimming involved, except for the top and bottom.

Wallpapering around a curved corner

What if the wall you are papering is curved? Well, curved walls can absolutely be wallpapered, that’s not a problem. However, there are a few things you should know first before jumping into the job.

Firstly, when hanging the paper, make sure to smooth using horizontal motions. For example, you’d be moving your smoothing tool side to side rather than up and down, as you may have done previously. This makes sure that the paper is really moulding to the shape of the wall and prevents any slipping or movement of the paper. Unlike flat walls, any shifting of the paper can be detrimental to the finished look.

Secondly, leave a larger than normal amount of excess wallpaper at the bottom and top of your length. Again, this allows for the bending and forming of the paper with the corner. Make relief cuts on the paper to take out some of the tension and allow for a crease-free smoothing along the edges.

Common mistakes to avoid when wallpapering corners 

Nobody is perfect and sometimes we make the odd mistake. Don’t worry, even when wallpapering corners there are ways to fix simple mishaps. Here a couple of the most common corner wallpapering mistakes and how to avoid them.

Thinking that the wall corners are perfectly square

As any experienced wallpaper hanger will tell you, corners in your home are rarely ever perfectly square. They could be a few millimetres, or even centimetres, different from the top to the bottom. You probably wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at it, which is why measuring up before you start wallpapering is so important.

Not smoothing the paper as you work

Smoothing your wallpaper as you work is crucial. If you don’t, you could be left with air bubbles that will never go away. This is especially important for corners.  Every now and then just remember to smooth over your paper to stop this from happening.

 

Have you wallpapered around corners before? Make sure to share your nifty tips and tricks over on our social channels. If not, hopefully, this has given you all the knowledge you need to DIY at home!