Wallpaper can be really expensive, and a pain in the you-know-what to install. If you want the look of hand-painted wallpaper, without the expense, you can DIY it with paint and a few easy instructions.
These tutorials show you just how simple it is to paint DIY wallpaper! Whether your taste is boho or modern, we have a project for you. So put away that wallpaper paste, and get ready to paint, stencil, and stamp your way to a wallpaper look, without the pain, well… you know. ?
DIY Wallpaper Ideas
DIY hand-painted wallpaper isn’t as complicated as you might think, and it’s a great way of introducing a pop of color into each room. As you’ll see once you start exploring these DIY wallpaper ideas, you’ll need a few tools, including a laser level, and paint brushes of different thicknesses. Each tutorial might have its own tools and equipment – find the project you love and check what’s needed!
Hand Painted Wallpaper Ideas for Beginners
If you’re not particularly artsy and new to painted wallpaper, it might seem daunting to start with something that will be permanently stuck on your walls! It’s ok though – these tutorials are all beginner-friendly and you’ll soon get the hang of it. Plus, you can always cover any mistakes with furniture or artwork!
DIY Painting over Existing Wallpaper
Paint over existing wallpaper that you hate. Virginia at ‘Fynes Designs‘ turned her boring bathroom into a stunning example of what a little hand painting can do! She even has a free printable template so you can do this exact design, yourself! Way easier than removing the wallpaper only to put a whole new kind up again.
Geometric Hand Painted Wallpaper DIY
Check out this DIY wallpaper that was inspired by a ‘$200 a roll’ Serena & Lily paper. ‘Crafted by the Hunts‘ made a hand-painted wallpaper dupe that is both super easy and super inexpensive. The herringbone pattern is modern but boho, all at the same time. Love it!
Easy DIY Painted Wallpaper with Boho vibes
This boho flavored geometric wallpaper was hand painted by ‘A Beautiful Mess‘. It’ stunningly glam, with a fresh feel. Not only do they give you all the step by step instructions, complete with photos, they share their template for the shape as well. So if you are looking for something a little bold to give real character to your room, this is it.
Easy DIY Wallpaper Using Decals
If you don’t want to paint, there are other ways to create a wallpaper look as well. This faux wallpaper DIY is also from “Classy Clutter” using vinyl cutouts to create that wallpaper look. It’s a random design, and the gold added a glam feel. She used a Silhouette machine to custom cut her decals, but you could purchase them too at any large craft store.
Hand-Painted Wallpaper with Stencils
One of the easiest ways to create your own painted wallpaper is with stencils. You can either buy stencils or make your own shapes, depending on the vibe and style you’re going for. Here are some of our favorite stencil designs to paint your own wallpaper with.
DIY Floral Stencil Wallpaper
Diane at ‘In My Own Style‘ created her own faux wallpaper using a stencil. This is a fresh, fun, fabulous design. If you have an angled or awkward wall like her, you might find paint way easier than wallpaper. Even peel and stick wallpaper is tough to cut to a custom shape. Perfect solution! Complete instructions, and she even tells you where to buy this exact stencil.
DIY Painted Wallpaper with Floral Stencil
This is another stencil option that came out beautifully for Thistlewood Farms. You’ll see they painted the stencil with one color first, then went back and handpainted over certain elements to give a really intricate, layered look. It might take a bit longer, but it looks incredible!
DIY Hand-Painted Wallpaper with Chines Flair
Oriental patterns are, in my opinion, perfect for walls. These stunning designs are beautifully intricate, and work best when you have a large stencil and a smaller-sized wall. You can still stencil a large wall, but it will take a lot longer, especially if your stencil is small! This tutorial from “Sweet Sanity” is a great place to start.
“No Talent Required” Pink Floral Wallpaper
Mikayla Creates sketched her own floral pattern, then used a projector as a stencil! So smart! While she refers to this as a “No talent required” project, I think she’s pretty talented based on this gorgeous result! She also has free downloads for this and other wallpaper patterns- check them out!
DIY Painted Wallpaper with Sponges
Did you ever make paintings with sponges at school? I remember using potatoes cut into different shapes and dipping them in paint – so much fun! Ok, so these tutorials don’t involve potatoes, but they do involve sponges. I love using sponges for wallpaper because each mark you make ends up slightly unique, like snowflakes! Here are some of our top DIY hand-painted wallpaper ideas with sponges.
Minimalist Hand-Painted Wallpaper Idea
This hand painted wallpaper DIY was done by ‘Cecelia Moyer‘ and her sister Nina. Paint, a sponge, and some great tips to get it looking this perfect!
Stencil + Sponge Hand Painted Wallpaper DIY Project
Here is a similar geometric wallpaper DIY from ‘Plank and Pillow‘. Their most important tip? The grid, folks. It’s all in the grid. Go check out their tutorial and see how they made this bedroom look super custom, for the price of some paint.
Minimalist DIY Wallpaper with a Sponge
Sometimes, less is more. That’s certainly the case with this subtle sponge wallpaper design. Look how amazing it looks, and all you really need is a sponge and some paint! In my opinion, it’s the imperfections in this one that make it perfect. Check out the details in this tutorial from “Pretty on Fridays!”
Budget Friendly DIY Hand-Painted Wallpaper Ideas
We get it – you don’t always have cash to splash when it comes to updating your wallpaper. While some of the tutorials on this list require a few specialized tools, others couldn’t be more minimalist. Here are some of our favorite low-cost hand-painted wallpaper ideas.
Make Geometric DIY Wallpaper with a Sharpie
A gold sharpie paint pen, ‘Classy Clutter‘s full tutorial and some patience are all you need to recreate this gorgeous faux wallpaper. This is sophisticated and subtle, with just enough eye catching flair to make you swoon.
Faux Wallpaper Using Fabric
Go check out how Mandi at ‘Vintage Revivals‘ created this faux wallpaper look using fabric. This is cool, because it’s put on the wall with a temporary (and all natural) starch, so that you can easily lift and replace if you make a mistake. Plus, it’s great for renters. Be sure to use a fabric that’s bold or graphic to make a good impression. A tiny floral calico is gonna be lost on a large wall.
No-Stencil DIY Painted Wallpaper
Another option is to paint your own wallpaper freeform – no stencil, no sponge, no fabric, and no measuring! In this incredible tutorial from “Pretty on Fridays,” you’ll see how they created this incredible feature wall of hand-painted wallpaper using nothing but paint and a brush! Their tip? Paint multiple flowers before going back to the paint can – you want a variation in textures and paint thickness!
Liven Up Your Walls with DIY Hand-Painted Wallpaper
Learning how to paint your own wallpaper is a fun activity with extremely satisfying results. You can do it on a budget, you can use stencils, or you can go crazy and completely trust your instincts! All you really need is some paint and an idea just begging to be brought to life. Good luck!
You can create your own hand-painted wallpaper DIY, or you can check out our post on DIY Geometric Accent Wall Ideas or How to Install Peel and Stick Wallpaper. We also think you will be interested in our post on DIY Boho Wall Decor & Art Ideas over at TBD.
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