When we moved into the Black Forest Flat, we felt like we had finally found a habitable space with a gorgeous view that would rent to Americans with children and pets – yay!

This little corner has been the media area with a built in for the TV, but we slid some things around and created “the loft” as we call it. It just needed a pop of pattern to make it feel like a special room of its own. I loved using Spoonflower’s peel and stick wallpaper for the first time on this wall! I learned so many tips for putting up peel and stick wallpaper from going for it. I couldn’t believe the change in just an hour of work!

One of my favorite things to do on Spoonflower is find new designers. The idea that designers can create patterns and art that, through Spoonflower’s sustainable, on-demand digital printing, become fabrics and wallpapers for any project is so thrilling to me. One of my favorite things has been to see women I know or admire through following their work become Spoonflower designers!

The wallpaper I selected for the loft was perfect for me for the most important reasons. The pattern reminds me of gorgeous spring around the corner here, filled with my grandmother’s favorite flower of daisies. I feel a special connection to these butterflies, who remind me of my Mom’s best friend who took such special care of my daughter and told her as she passed away from a rare bone cancer, “Don’t worry! I’ll be back as a butterfly with red wings.”

It’s so special to me to know the designer of this perfect print for us! Christie Adams Designs is based in the Texas Hill Country. Her work reminds me of home and its natural beauty. Christie’s fun loving personality peeks through in all of her designs as well. She was the fun girl when we were in high school together! I love the power of Spoonflower, where Christie’s art practice as a mother in the Hill Country can become peel and stick wallpaper for my little girl’s room in the Black Forest in Germany. It’s magic.

The only other thing I needed to install was a basic peel and stick wallpaper tool kit that I was able to get on German Amazon.

Shop the Post

Can I install peel and stick wallpaper alone?

When I saw that the first instructions from Spoonflower for install were “find a friend,” I thought – Ack! New girl in town feels hit, especially with the fam out of the flat on an outing.

While I do think there were parts, especially on a larger job, where it would be easier and more precise to have extra hands on deck, we have a nice new wall in the flat thanks to just me and my dog assistant. My official input is it is way easier than I expected it to be, and I’m a happy camper.

Tips for Putting Up Peel and Stick Wallpaper

Once I was ready, I just started by following the easy instructions included in the paper! It was great to have some music on to go at a gentle working pace, inching down while I peeled off the backing along the way. Breathing and smoothing, breathing and smoothing.

Peeling the backing off gently and slowly was a big tip for keeping the pace nice and preventing the backing from ripping off haphazardly where it becomes less easy to peel.

I loved the bold pattern of this print as well as the really pretty texture of the wallpaper, as I felt like together they are a great mask for little imperfections. I felt like a wallpaper installer and therefore I was.

Right as I got momentum, I hit an outlet! Ah! These took some practice but I found that it’s so much easier to cut more off as you go. You can’t add more after you’ve cut too much, you know? By the end, I was cutting for the outlet with lots of overage of wallpaper around my target so I could fold it right up to the outlet line and then trim back with the scalpel.

One hour of working alone! I could not believe it! What a treat for a little girl to wake up with red winged butterflies watching over her.

A big thanks to Spoonflower for partnering up on this fun, back-from-Christmas-break project!

Have you tried it yourself? Share your tips for first timers with a comment below!

Shop the Post