How to make liquid wallpaper for walls with your own hands

A distinctive and adaptable wall décor option, liquid wallpaper has a gentle texture that can change the appearance of any space. It is not rolled like traditional wallpaper; rather, it is a mixture that is applied directly to the wall. This makes it a desirable choice for people who want to infuse their interior spaces with a little creativity.

Customizing the color and texture of your liquid wallpaper can be achieved with ease by following this surprisingly straightforward tutorial. Paper, glue, and other materials are easily combined to create a customized finish that fits your style. It’s also an affordable choice for anyone looking to update their house without going over budget.

You can create any kind of finish you want, from a sleek and minimalist to textured and dynamic, by learning how to create and apply liquid wallpaper. Your walls will possess a new and distinctive artistic appeal that is exclusively yours with a little perseverance and the correct materials.

Advantages of making liquid wallpaper with your own hands

The ability to simply and easily decorate the walls to your taste, even without the expertise of a plasterer, was what made the new finishing "novelty" appealing. Indeed, liquid wallpaper is similar to plaster in a lot of ways. In fact, some types of mixtures contain silk fibers, which is why they were even dubbed silk plaster. Such mixes were initially hard to come by in stores. They are now widely available, but the cost of the new material "bite".

These two factors apparently drove the artisans to look for straightforward, reasonably priced alternatives that would work for everyone.

Therefore, homemade mixtures are superior to store-bought ones in the following positions:

• low cost;
• the possibility of using various materials, especially those that are usually thrown away;
• the excitement of "alchemists" – it is interesting to make and test a new material in different ways;
• low cost price encourages "not to be greedy" and apply a thicker layer, which provides additional insulation of the apartment and increases sound insulation;
• the ability to create a unique composition and make a coating according to the author"s recipe.

Tools and materials

The material and plaster are similar in application technique but not in composition. Thus, you’ll find that the same tools plasterers use are useful. They are extremely rare. Without the use of any tools, the wallpaper mass can be combined and adhered to the wall. You can buy a spatula, trowel, and cheese grater in bulk. Even better, you can use a mixer to grind up the paper.

Furthermore, the following will be useful:

• scissors (to cut cotton wool, tinsel or threads);
• containers for the solution;
• film for wrapping the prepared mixture;
• masking tape to protect adjacent surfaces;
• pencil (for applying a drawing to the wall);
• roller for priming or brush;
• measuring container, scales.

Supplies you might require:

• water;
• PVA glue;
• CMC glue (or other, for example, Bustilat);
• gypsum;
• acrylic putty;
• colorant;
• the main material for obtaining fibrous filler – paper, cotton wool, threads (silk, wool, linen, cotton, synthetics), sawdust, coconut fiber, eco-wool, egg trays;
• bleach;
• primer;
• acrylic varnish.

A simple and imaginative way to add personality to your house is to create your own liquid wallpaper for the walls. This unusual kind of wall covering offers a chic and environmentally responsible substitute for more conventional options by fusing the texture of plaster with the appearance of wallpaper. Simple supplies like paper, glue, and decorative additives can be combined to create a unique finish that gives any space warmth and personality. You can create a visually appealing and functional textured artistic surface on your walls with a few simple steps.

How to make liquid wallpaper

Folk experience has it that even kids can create liquid wallpaper with their hands at home. The hardest part of the process is grinding the filler’s raw material. However, there is a lot that can be done to simplify this task. For instance, you can rip the paper into any size piece without needing to cut it with scissors because, once soaked, the fibers will readily separate in a mixer.

Additionally, cutting the tinsel is not required. The wire rod can be easily removed, and the tinsel peels off the edge in separate strips with ease. Knitted threads are simply cut into pieces of varying lengths; they do not always need to be divided lengthwise. You can use eco-wool, which doesn’t need to be cut, in place of cotton wool. The mass cannot be combined with a mixer once these ingredients have been added; otherwise, lumps that are unbreakable will result.

As an adhesive binder, PVA, CMC, or other wallpaper glue are typically utilized. To create a coating that is resistant to abrasion, add acrylic putty. Impact resistance is also increased by this.

Preparing the ingredients according to the recommended dosage is not enough to create liquid wallpaper by hand. It’s also important to follow the steps and requirements when combining the dough.

Manufacturing from paper

Paper waste is a common source of cellulose. Newspapers and other waste paper can be used to clean office paper, among other types of paper. Toilet paper is not advised by those who have already tried the compositions.

The wallpaper material will be lighter the lighter (cleaner) the paper you take.

For the most basic arrangement, consider:

• paper – 1 kg;
• glue (wallpaper or PVA) – 0.5 kg;
• water – 5-6 l;
• alabaster (keep in mind that it hardens faster than gypsum) or gypsum – 0.5 kg (the amount is approximate, it is better to select the exact dose empirically separately);
• additional fiber (for example, threads, cotton wool) – 15 g / m2;
• antiseptic additives (according to their instructions);
• dye (water-based);
• glitter and other decorative additives.

Gypsum does not have to be used in the composition. The completed mass can be hermetically sealed and kept for two days if you choose not to use it.

We execute the step-by-step sequential preparation as follows:

1. First of all, we grind the component materials: tear paper, cut tinsel, cotton wool, threads. For now, we put the components separately.
2. Pour water into a container with shredded paper, mix it with your hands and leave it for a day waiting for the glue that connects the cellulose fibers to soak. If we need to make the raw material lighter, we change the water a couple of times. Then some of the dirt and dyes will be removed. Sometimes we add a little soap to the water so that the paper is washed better.
3. After wetting, we break the paper raw material into fibers using a mixer. We get a mass of uniform consistency.
4. Add glue and distribute it by mixing throughout the entire volume.
5. Put the dough on the film and flatten it a little into a flat cake. This way we get a fairly large area over which we will scatter additional fibrous materials. As a result, it will be easier to achieve an even distribution of fibers in the dough.
6. Pour cotton wool fibers, threads, tinsel onto the dough, then mix the mixture with your hands.
7. Add glitter, mother-of-pearl and mix the dough with them.
8. Add gypsum powder, mix.
9. Once again, having formed a flat cake, “water” it with dye in separate places a little at a time. If we need colored streaks, then do not stir the mass much after this. If we need uniform coloring, then add the color before adding the fibers (before point 5) and mix with a mixer.
10. Glue the finished mass to the wall.

Note that gypsum is added right away before wall application. Use only glue to complete the composition; gypsum cannot be added. The composition will solidify more slowly in this scenario.

Another recipe that provides wallpaper mass in the same order is as follows:

• paper – 1 kg;
• cotton wool – 250 g.;
• wool sock (or yarn of approximately the same weight) – 1 kg;
• tinsel – 100 g.;
• water – 6 l.;
• PVA glue – 0.4 kg (you can replace 200 g. dry CMC);
• A little antiseptic;
• 2 or more cap.

Sometimes soaked paper is bleached (20 milliliters of chlorine bleach per kilogram of paper) to produce a white dough. It then needs to be cleaned.

From egg trays

Everyone is familiar with Tara—an egg tray. This stuff is eagerly used in papier-mâché crafts. The trays are constructed using the paper method, which allows the waste paper to flow out. Any temperature of water will work well for them to soak in, though it will be simpler in the heat. This raw material’s stiff edges, which hold their density even after a long soak, are one of its characteristics. It is therefore advised that they be torn off right away.

We get ready the parts listed below:

• Egg trays – 15 pcs;
• wallpaper glue (cheaper than others – CMC) – 45 g.;
• hot water;
• PVA glue (the thicker one is carpentry or furniture) – 5-6 table. spoon;
• liquid glass (also glue, only silicate) – 4-5 tbsp.l.;
• cement (450-600 ml.);
• fibers and decorative elements.

The order in which the composition is prepared:

1. Tear off the edges, tear the trays into 6-8 pieces.
2. The paper of the trays has absorbed a lot of dirt during use, which needs to be washed off. Therefore, we put the crushed trays in a bucket with poured water (~8 l. water), gradually slightly (not strongly) press the pieces, freeing up space for the next ones. Since we need to get a lush plastic mass without lumps, we do not initially press the raw materials. Our task at this stage is to bathe the material. Let the trays stand in water for half an hour.
3. Stir and replace the water with very hot water. Insist 0.5-1 hour.
4. Tamp the soaked trays with a rolling pin. Drain the water from the surface, leaving a small layer that barely covers the mass. Cover the container with a lid.
5. Stand for 2-3 hours.
6. Lay gauze on the bottom of the bathtub, put our semi-finished product from a bucket on top. Excess water will drain from it.
7. We put the mass in a bucket in layers without squeezing, sprinkling CMC, getting a paper-glue layered pie.
8. We give time (15-20 minutes) for the glue to swell. We begin to “pound” the mixture with a rolling pin. When the rolling pin is already freely immersed in the mass, we proceed to manual kneading.
9. The paper with glue, mixed by hand, “melts”, degenerating into a soft, homogeneous mass. This is CMC dissolving it. As a result, we get a base (base) for liquid wallpaper weighing about 16 kg.
10. Add PVA, mix.
11. Then add silicate glue, mix.
12. Add colorant and introduce cement, mix.

Don’t add dye when mixing if we intend to paint the finish. The dried finish will be several tones lighter if we add it during mixing. You can add decorative elements after cement.

Cement makes the dough stick together better. Cement, on the other hand, prevents the hardened removed mass from being used again for local repairs.

The material works well for creating stucco and simulating shattered stone. The wall receives an application of up to 1 cm; the surface is easily formed. After using a brush or float to trim the layer, it can be gently smoothed again.

Three trays are required for every square meter in order to create a perfectly flat wall, so our mass preparation should cover five squares. However, in actuality, the consumption is contingent upon the layer thickness that is applied.

From fibrous materials

Liquid wallpaper is primarily composed of synthetic materials, cotton fibers, and cellulose. The unprocessed materials will be used for:

• old cotton blankets;
• ecowool (wood cellulose);
• wool cut into pieces;
• threads of different origins – flax, silk, synthetic strands;
• synthetic padding.

Pre-crushed raw materials are used. The smaller the fibers in the composition, the more uniform the wallpaper’s mass will be.

1. Cooked fibers are placed in the container, glue is added (casein glue is more suitable for a fiber filler) in equal proportions. Mix.
2. Add prepared decorative elements. Stir.
3. Adjust the thickness of the mixture (if too viscous, add water, if too liquid, add fibers). Stir.
4. Make a test, applying the mass to a small area. If the result is satisfactory, put the mixture into work.

How to make sawdust wallpaper

You can make your own liquid wallpaper with sawdust and your hands. Sawdust-based compositions are excellent for finishing domestic spaces.

The principal arrangement consists of:

• sawdust – 1 kg;
• PVA glue – 200 g (if the material does not contain gypsum), 0.4-0.5 kg (if gypsum is among the components);
• water – 5 l;
• gypsum – 0.3-0.4 kg (added if you need quick drying of the wallpaper, but you can not include gypsum);
• glitter and other. decorative elements (optional);
• water-based dye.

1. If you mix sawdust with glue without pre-treatment, the coating will turn out hard, with sharp protrusions, which will give a negative effect. Sawdust can be pre-boiled in water or soaked for 10 hours. Boil with addition 1 hour.l. soda per 1-3 liters of water during the day will eliminate the "prickliness". In all cases, the coating structure will be similar. The structure is more delicate after vigorous mixing with a mixer. Here it is up to you to choose.
2. After cooking or soaking, cool the mass, filter and mix with glue. The dose of glue can be slightly increased. If the wood waste was soaked, the dose of glue and gypsum is increased by 1.5-2 times.
3. Dye, gypsum and decorative elements are added to the base dough.

It is possible to change the component’s dosage and material. For instance, the adhesive may be PVA, water-based acrylic glue, or bustilate. Gypsum can be used to "reinforce" them. Next, the sawdust to glue ratio is measured within the range of 3:4 to 4:5. The composition already contains diluted CMC glue.

Gypsum content in relation to sawdust can reach forty percent. The sawdust to glue ratio in these solutions is 2:1. The composition containing gypsum has a shelf life of 1-2 hours, and the layer will solidify in 10-15 hours.

Painting the mixture after application is preferable. However, you can add color to the mass during preparation if you can "dress" the entire wall with liquid wallpaper at once. Obtaining the same color shade solution twice will not be feasible. Painters use acrylic water-soluble paints.

Price of ready-made mixtures

The manufacturer and composition have an impact on the price of "branded" mixtures. A kilogram package costs, at the very least, 500 rubles. You will need small amounts of the components that you cannot make yourself in addition to the free materials that make up the majority of the mass in order to prepare liquid wallpaper by hand. For instance, gypsum, adhesives, and ornamental components. The family’s budget won’t be negatively impacted by their purchase.

Frequently encountered errors

The technique for applying silk plaster to walls is so straightforward that producing a "liquid garment" seldom presents any difficulties.

These kinds of technology violations lead to the following main mistakes:

1. An insufficient amount of liquid wallpaper is bought, as a result it is required to take a break in work, it is difficult to choose new wallpapers in tone to the applied.
2. The use of color primer instead of white (this can lead to a “translucent” of the color of the substrate, and in the form of spots), the color of the primer should be white or similar to the color of the wallpaper.
3. We missed a primer, as a result, the mass is poorly laid or fall off.
4. When preparing the wall, they make it too smooth, which reduces the clutch of the finishing layer with the base.
5. Apply too thin a layer of solution (when the wallpaper dries, they are sophisticated and gaps appear).

Step	Description
1. Gather materials	Collect paper, glue, water, paint, and any decorative additives like mica or sparkles.
2. Prepare the paper	Shred the paper into small pieces and soak it in water until it softens.
3. Mix the paste	Combine the softened paper with glue and mix well to create a smooth paste.
4. Add color and additives	Mix paint and decorative additives into the paste for color and texture.
5. Apply the mixture	Use a trowel to spread the mixture evenly onto the wall in thin layers.
6. Let it dry	Allow the liquid wallpaper to dry completely before adding any additional coats or finishes.

Making your own liquid wallpaper is a fun and affordable way to add personality to your home. Although the process might take some time and patience, the outcome is a texture that is unlike anything that can be achieved with conventional paint or wallpaper.

You have total control over the color and design by using basic supplies like paper, glue, and pigments. This gives you the freedom to experiment and customize to your own preferences. For many homeowners, it is a flexible option because of the added benefit of being able to correct errors or refresh sections at a later time.

Liquid wallpaper can turn your walls into a work of art with a little imagination and work, giving your house a modern, unique feel. There are countless design options available with this do-it-yourself method, regardless of how dramatic or subtle you want to go.

Video on the topic

How to make liquid wallpaper with your own hands | Channel Domd.

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