Wallpaper around a window

Learn how to wallpaper neatly around a window, matching the pattern and cutting clean lines at the frame and reveal.

WP-01Clear and protect the roomMove furniture away from the window wall and lay dust sheets on the floor and windowsill. Turn off any wall lights or switches on that wall at the consumer unit if you'll be working close to them with a wet sponge, and remove curtain poles, brackets and window vents so you have a clear run to the frame.

2 each · Dust sheets

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WP-02Strip old paper and check the wall behindScore old paper with a scoring tool then soak with warm water and stripping solution, leaving it 10-15 minutes before scraping off with a broad filling knife. Check what's underneath: solid plaster on brick or block feels hard and cold, plasterboard sounds hollow when tapped, and lath and plaster (common in pre-1930s houses) has a slightly springy feel and thin timber lath lines under old paper. This affects how much filler and sizing you'll need, not the fixing method.

1 bottle · Wallpaper stripping solution

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1 each · Broad filling knife

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WP-03Fill, sand and size the wallFill any cracks or holes with a ready-mixed filler, let it dry, then sand smooth with 120-grit sandpaper. Wipe down with a damp cloth to remove dust. Apply a coat of wallpaper size (or diluted paste) to the whole wall and let it dry fully before you start hanging — this stops the new paper drying out too fast and lifting at the edges near the window.

1 tub · Ready-mixed filler

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1 pack · Sandpaper 120 grit

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1 bottle · Wallpaper size

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WP-04Mark a plumb line and plan the runMeasure out from a corner or fixed point using a spirit level or plumb bob and draw a vertical pencil line the full height of the wall. Plan so a full width of paper lands just before the window, rather than a narrow strip — narrow strips either side of a window are hard to keep straight and show pattern mismatches. Dry-lay the roll against the wall to check the pattern repeat lines up with the window position.

1 each · Spirit level

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1 each · Pencil

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WP-05Measure, cut and paste the first dropMeasure the wall height and add 100mm extra top and bottom for trimming. Cut the drop, then paste it evenly (or soak it if it's pre-pasted paper) and fold it loosely, paste side in, for the time stated on the label — usually 2-5 minutes for standard paper. Carry it folded to the wall to avoid tearing.

1 roll · Wallpaper roll

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1 packet · Wallpaper paste

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1 each · Pasting brush

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WP-06Hang up to the window and make relief cutsHang the drop against your plumb line, smoothing out from the centre with a smoothing brush. When you reach the window, let the paper overlap the frame, then cut a horizontal line into the paper level with the top of the window opening, and another level with the bottom of the sill, stopping exactly at the frame edge — these relief cuts let the paper fold around the corner without tearing.

1 each · Smoothing brush

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WP-07Trim and fold the paper around the revealFold the flap of paper around the corner onto the window reveal (the short return wall inside the window opening). Smooth it down, then trim any excess at the inner edge of the reveal with a sharp blade against a straight edge. On dot-and-dab walls the reveal may be lined with a plastic or timber trim rather than plaster — cut neatly up to this trim rather than trying to wrap paper around it.

1 each · Snapping-blade knife

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1 each · Metal straight edge

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WP-08Paper the reveal top and sides as separate piecesCut small separate pieces of paper to fit the top and two sides of the window reveal, matching the pattern as closely as you can — perfect matches are rare here and not expected. Paste and hang each piece, smoothing out any air bubbles, then trim flush with a sharp blade where the reveal meets the frame and the outer wall.

1 packet · Wallpaper paste

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WP-09Finish the drop above and below the windowContinue smoothing the main drop down onto the skirting below the window and up to the ceiling above. Trim excess at the skirting and ceiling line using a straight edge and a fresh blade, snapping off the used section as you go so you're always cutting with a sharp edge. Wipe any paste off the window frame and glass straightaway with a clean, damp sponge before it dries.

1 each · Sponge

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WP-10Check joins, then tidy upOnce the wall is dry, run your hand over the seams around the window to check nothing has lifted, and press down any loose edges with a seam roller. Fold up dust sheets, dispose of paper offcuts, and wash pasting tools and brushes in warm water. Leave the room to dry fully, and avoid draughts or direct heat on the new paper for 24 hours.

1 each · Seam roller

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