Here’s what you will need:
- -Fabric (roughly the weight of upholstery fabric is easiest. Regular cotton could bubble easier)
- -Liquid Starch (like Fabulon or mix together 2 ½ cups of tap water and 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch in a saucepan (make sure there are no lumps) then bring to a boil for 1 minute, then cool before use.)
- -Paint Roller(s)
- -Paint Brush
- -Paint Tray
- -Thumbtacks/pins (to anchor fabric in place before you starch it. Pins are OK to use if you are the landlord, and many white walls will only require toothpaste to fill the holes later if required. Tenants are taking a small risk using this method as they could be caught out so maybe a couple of ladders will suffice for a short while.)
- –X-Acto or Utility knife (to trim edges after fabric is dry)
Step 1: Pin the fabric to the wall with thumbtacks, or lean a ladder or similar to the wall to hold the material in place before it gets wet. Pin the fabric exactly where you want it, and line it up if there is a pattern. Some shrinkage will occur so beware.
Step 2: With fabric in place, pour the starch into your paint tray and start painting it onto your fabric with the paint roller. The starch will soak through the saturated fabric and glue it to the wall. Use the paintbrush to get the starch into the edges.
Step 3: When dry, remove the thumbtacks/pins/ladders and paint starch on the areas you missed and re-starch any areas that may need an extra stick.
Step 4: When the 2nd coat is dry, trim the edges.
Step 5: Apply a final starch coat to the edges. Then when it’s dry, enjoy!
To REMOVE the fabric at any time, just grab a corner and peel it off. Too easy. Then wash the wall with warm water to remove any starch residue.
NOTE: If your wall paint is already flaky or really poor quality, even non-permanent sticky stuff can remove some paint. Some landlords/agents may not approve regardless.
