how i hung grasscloth wallpaper

first, let me explain that i am not an expert on hanging wallpaper, and especially not an expert on hanging grasscloth. i have hung wallpaper before, but this is my first attempt with grasscloth. i have to say that i DID watch several you tube videos, and read a lot of tips online before i attempting this project, and i think that my research paid off! i am sure that an expert would have done an amazing job hanging this paper, but i am really happy with the way this project turned out as a DIY job.

here are the supplies that i used:
*paint to match the grasscloth
*paint brush
*wallpaper paste
*old paint brush for wallpaper paste
*x acto knife/utility knife + sharp scissors
*pencil
*push pins

the most important tip that i feel made a HUGE difference in the finished product was purchasing some paint that i had custom matched to the wallpaper. my space is small, and i only used about half of this 8oz sample.

first, i marked on my walls where all of my seams were.
i cut in a strip of the paint along the top and bottom of the wall, in the corners, and also on where all the seams were gong to be.  i read a lot of review from other DIY'ers who said that the seams were much more apparent than they had bargained for. painting the wall where the seams meet makes the seams virtually disappear when the paper is hung!


when i was ready to hang the paper, i put the paper where i wanted it, and held it in place with some push pins. this helped hold it up while i put the paste on the wall. i kept the push pins in place until the entire length of grasscloth was pasted.


i opted to coat the walls with paste, (versus coat the back of the paper), using an old brush. i think this was a very effective and easy way to hang the paper. i just had to make sure that the wall was thoroughly and evenly covered with paste. i worked in about 2 feet sections, starting at the top and working my way to the base molding.


then i smoothed the wallpaper with a smoother tool starting at the top, being sure to push out any air bubbles.

to figure out where the hole for the doorbell chime was, i measured on the wall where it was, and transferred the measurement to the paper before i hung it. i marked the outline of it with pencil.

then, i cut an "x" from corner to corner, and slipped the doorbell chime through it. once the paste dried, i trimmed the opening a bit more, and screwed it back into the wall, and replaced the painted cover.

here you can see how the painted area on the wall helps to camouflage the seams.

to cut holes for the outlets, the switch and the thermostat, i carefully cut an "x" at the location of each item as i moved my way down the paper. once the paper was smoothed out around each one, i used an xacto knife to better trim around them.

i had read that you have to use very sharp scissors in order to cut grasscloth, but after a few clumsy attempts at cutting the paper with scissors, i decided to use a utility knife with a fresh blade, which i found much easier.

i covered the switch plate using a scrap of grasscloth, and some duct tape...i just wrapped it like a present, and used an xacto knife to cut the opening for the switch.

once the outlet cover and switch plate were remounted, i dabbed some matching paint on the screws to help them blend in. 

is this  something that you would attempt at your own home? or would you call in the experts?