Blank walls are a source of frustration for most do-it-yourself home decorators. Blank walls say ‘you are lacking as a decorator,' and haunt us for years. The adventurous home decorators may experiment with texturing stucco, a stucco and sand and paste, grass paper, and stenciling. Most home decorators feel they are limited two alternatives, paint or wallpaper.



New technology is making wallpapers simpler to hang and remove, and easier to paint. Easy-hang wallcoverings, called non-wovens, are created with the do-it-yourself home decorator in mind.

These clever new papers are beginner-proof. If you've ever hung wallpaper you'll realize that no wall is plumb, straight from the top to the bottom, and square. This makes it almost impossible to make patterns line up and look straight.

Installing easy-hang wallpapers is now quicker than painting. The papers are almost a type of vinyl, removing the need for smoothing the wall to a perfectly smooth surface and then applying a base coat and two or more top coats. Painting requires the application time and then waiting hours or days between coats.

New wallpapers stick to walls with magnet-force, but are easy to reposition. The non-woven wallpapers will not twist, expand or contract, eliminating the need to "book" the wallpaper, or fold it for a few minutes to facilitate the expansion or shrinkage.

This also eliminates those horrible seams that separate. In fact, seams disappear.

Made from natural and synthetic fibers found in common household products like gauze, tea bags and coffee filters, non-wovens are tear-resistant during both installation and removal. Whereas paper-backed, pre-pasted wallpaper may require steamers, strippers and countless hours to pry it off sheetrock walls, easy-hang wallpapers come down in entire sheets within minutes with a simple, gratifying tug at a corner, without marring the walls. You can even roll the sheets and take them with you if you move.

Non-woven wallcoverings are also eco-friendly, vinyl free and breathable, so they are ideal choices for kitchens and baths or wherever mold and mildew are a concern.

For do-it-yourself decorators who love the faux finish style, non-woven wallpaper is easier to paint. Manufacturers offer patterns that mimic professional quality faux finishes.

The result is a pleasingly richly textured wall, in only two steps. Hang the wallpaper. Paint the wall.

How to get started with easy-hang wallpaper:

Pick Product: There are many new manufacturers. Take the time to explore what they all have to offer. Often called "non-woven" wallcoverings, vinyl, or

Demand Samples: Do not make a purchase until you experiment with samples. Do not worry, most non-woven papers are easy to remove. All local retailers should be able to request samples from manufacturers. You may also be able to go to a manufacturer website and request samples.

Prepare Wall: non-woven wall coverings do not require a perfectly smooth wall. They can be applied to rough walls, even without priming the wall first. This makes them perfect for older homes.

Do-it-yourself home decorators can now hang their own wallpaper with relative ease. The only word of caution is to make sure that the design does not need to be matched. This can result in an unnecessary and expensive level of waste.