What to Do With Leftover Wallpaper
Keep one piece back for repairs, then line drawers, face stair risers, back a bookcase or frame a single repeat, what works, what does not, and how to do each one properly
Keep one good offcut aside for repairs first. A piece the size of a sheet of A4 is enough to patch a scuff or a tear invisibly in five years' time. Everything after that can go on drawer interiors, stair risers, cupboard doors, the back of a bookcase or into a frame.
Our removable paper is the easiest to use for these projects, because it needs no paste and cuts cleanly. Offcuts of the pasted papers work too, with a wallpaper adhesive.
Before anything else: keep a repair piece
The single most useful thing to do with leftover paper is put some of it in a cupboard. A patch cut from the same print run matches perfectly; one ordered three years later may not, and one improvised from something else certainly will not. The repair itself takes about twenty minutes.
Drawer interiors
The classic use, and the one that gives most pleasure for the least work.
- Empty the drawer and take it out.
- Measure the base, and the sides if you are lining those too.
- Cut the paper about 2mm under size on each edge so it drops in without buckling.
- For removable paper, peel and press from one end, smoothing as you go. For pasted paper, apply adhesive to the drawer base and lay the paper in.
- Work air out to the edges with a smoother.
Stair risers
The vertical face of each step. Striking on a painted staircase, and a genuine use for narrow offcuts.
- Measure every riser separately. On an older staircase no two are the same, sometimes by a centimetre.
- Clean each riser thoroughly and let it dry, because stair risers collect more than you would think.
- Cut each piece about 2mm under the height so it does not catch on the tread nosing.
- Apply from the top of the riser downwards, smoothing as you go.
- Trim the edges with a fresh blade against a straight edge.
Risers get kicked. Accept that these will want redoing sooner than a wall, and keep enough paper to redo them.
The back of a bookcase or an alcove shelf
One of the best uses for a metre or two of paper. The design shows in glimpses between books and objects, which suits a large-scale pattern far better than a small wall does.
Take the shelves out if you can, paper the back panel as you would a small wall, and refit. If the shelves are fixed, cut a piece for each bay and butt them at the shelf lines.
Cupboard and wardrobe doors
Flat doors only. A panelled door needs each panel cut and trimmed separately, which is a longer job than it looks.
- Clean the door and let it dry. Sand any sheen lightly.
- Take the handles off.
- Cut the paper about 1cm oversize all round.
- Apply from the top down, smoothing outwards.
- Trim flush to the edges with a sharp blade and refit the handles.
Framed as art
A single repeat of a design, cut square and framed, is a straightforward way to carry a paper into an adjoining room without papering it. Cut to the frame's aperture plus a centimetre, mount it on backing board, and cut so the motif is centred rather than the paper.
Other things that work
- The inside of a wardrobe or airing cupboard door
- The back panel of a glazed dresser
- A headboard panel, cut to size and fixed to board
- Lining a box, a tray or the inside of a lid
- Covering books or files for a shelf
What not to do with offcuts
- Anything near a heat source. Not around a hob, a stove or a light fitting.
- Worktops and surfaces that get wet. Paper is not a laminate.
- Furniture that gets heavy daily wear, unless you are content to redo it.
- Using your entire spare roll. Repairs first.
What can I do with leftover wallpaper?
Line drawers, cover stair risers, back a bookcase, face a flat cupboard door, or frame a single repeat as art, after keeping a piece aside for repairs.
Which paper is best for these projects?
The removable peel and stick paper. No paste, clean cuts, and it lifts off furniture more easily than a pasted paper. The technique is the same in miniature.
Can I use pasted paper offcuts on furniture?
Yes, with a wallpaper adhesive applied to the surface, on a clean and lightly keyed finish.
How much should I keep back for repairs?
At least a full pattern repeat, and ideally a metre. Store it rolled, not folded, somewhere dry.
Will wallpaper survive on stair risers?
For a good while, but risers are kicked daily. Treat it as something you will refresh.
Can I order extra just for a project?
Yes, and order it with the main job if you can, since a whole order is printed in one run and the colour will be consistent across every roll.
