Walls can be changed dramatically with some paint. There are beautiful colors out there to brighten up any room. You can always paint just one wall in a deep color for accent. Moldings can be painted in a color other than white for a different effect. What if you do not want paint? You might feel that the wall needs a little more life or some texture. There are a lot more options you can do with your walls other than just paint.
Wall Paper can be beautiful but it might be too costly for you. A nice alternative to expensive wall paper is a paintable wall covering. This is a textured paper with a raised pattern. They come in traditional patterns (such as damasks and a tin ceiling look) and contemporary patterns. These papers hide a lot of problem areas so they are great to cover walls and ceilings that might be cracked or uneven. You can purchase pre pasted rolls at a very reasonable price. After you apply the wall paper to your walls you will be able to paint it in any color of your choice. Semi gloss paint works nicely on these papers. Your walls will have a nice lift to them in a color of your choice without breaking your budget.
Fabric is a great wall covering alternative. You can use sheets in a bedroom to coordinate with your bedding. You can also make window treatments with matching sheets to have a complete designer custom made look. Fabrics can be found at warehouse sales, craft and fabric stores, or Wal-Mart. Fabric is nice to use for your walls if you rent and you are not allowed to paint your walls.
You can hang your fabric onto your walls very simply with Liquid Starch. This makes it easy if you need to remove it when you are ready to move. Cotton or a cotton blend is good to use since it absorbs the liquid starch the best. You should wash your fabric first to remove any sizing and to make sure it is pre-shrunk. This way it won’t shrink once it’s hung and dry. You will have to measure the areas to figure out how much fabric you will need. Fabrics come in different widths usually between 45 and 54 inches wide. So you will need to do a little math.
When you are ready to hang your fabric you will need a bucket or wallpaper trough, a straight edge, a large sponge, a paint roller, a gallon of liquid starch, a roller cutter (for cutting the fabric once it’s hung) and a ladder.
Measure and cut the first strip that you will hang. Make sure that you cut the height of the wall and add a couple of inches to the length to cleanly trim at bottom. If the material has a pattern with a repeat you might need to add additional to the length so that the pattern can be aligned properly when you apply the next strip.
Dip the fabric into the starch. Do not squeeze the liquid out as this will cause the fabric to wrinkle. You can get some of the excess liquid out by having someone hold the top of the cloth while you place your hands together on either side of the fabric and run your hands down the fabric forcing the extra liquid down and off.
Hang the fabric starting at the ceiling. Place the fabric on the wall and smooth it out with a straight edge, like a wide plastic putty knife. Use your sponge and roller to smooth any wrinkles or bubbles out of the cloth. Cut the excess off at the bottom with the roller cutting wheel. After the first piece is hung, repeat the steps to finish you walls. Continue to wipe the bottoms of the pieces every few minutes to keep the liquid from accumulating. Starch does not usually ruin surfaces so you can easily wipe off drips on trim with a wet washcloth.
When you get tired of the look or it is time to move, simply pick at a corner and pull the section off. You can run the fabric through the washer and dryer to clean it. Then use it for another project or to hang up again in another place.
This is an excellent and fun interior decorating method for people who rent, or just like to change their décor’s environment with the season. If you get bored with how your walls look you can change their appearance in a day. It is also a beautiful way to get a designer look on a budget. Buy additional fabric to make window treatments and pillows or chair covers to match your walls.
Now step out into the center of your room, twirl around in delight and never be afraid to dance!
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Love the liquid starch idea for fabric, but does it damage the walls when you remove it?
It is natural so the walls will probably just need to be scrubbed of the excess. That is why it works well for rentals
Cool! Thanks for that 🙂