How to Paint Around a Wallpaper Border

Toreitec

Editor

posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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What if you have a beautiful wallpaper border that you love but you need to paint the room? How can you keep the wallpaper border from being ruined by paint splashes or overruns? You can paint around a wallpaper border if you protect it. Here is the simple trick to keeping the border intact while painting the wall.

Steps

Examine the wallpaper border carefully. Clean the border with a damp cloth if it’s dirty and let it dry. Look at the edges and seams to make sure they are flat and adhered to the wall. Repair any curling or loose places with a little wallpaper paste and let them dry.

Measure the width and length of the border.

Cut a roll of paper such as brown craft paper, butchers paper, plain gift wrap or unprinted newspaper the same width minus a 1/4” (1/2 cm) as the border and in a piece as long as each wall. Try to make your cut lines as straight as possible. Cut through the paper while it’s on the role if you can to save time. Slide out the cardboard tube most paper is rolled on to make it easier to cut. If you unroll the paper to cut it, you will need to measure and mark the roll as you unwind it so that you get a straight line when you cut.

Beginning at a corner, place the paper you cut over the wallpaper border. Line the bottom edge of the cut paper up to the bottom edge of the wallpaper border so that about 1/8” (1/3 cm) of the border is showing at the bottom.

Using painters tape or masking tape, tape the paper in a few places at the top of the border to hold it up.

Tape along the bottom edge carefully. The tape should cover the tiny edge of border paper left showing but not extend beyond it. Make sure there are no gaps, bubbles or curled areas along the edge of the tape. At the corners overlap the papers slightly.

Tape the top edge of the paper covering the border if you will be painting the ceiling or wall above it, just like above.

Paint a line about 3 to 4” (7-1/2 to 10 cm) wide just below, (or above if painting above it), the paper covering the border. Use a brush or trim size paint roller. Try not to get much paint on the paper covering the border. Large amounts of paint might seep through or under the paper. Make sure the paint line is slightly over the tape. That is so there will be none of the old paint color showing when you lift the tape off.