If you have never put up a wall mural before, this information is for you. If you have put up a wall mural before but had a rough time of it, well, this information is also for you. If you follow my steps closely you will find that this project can be easily accomplished without any unnecessary setbacks.

First let me start out by giving you a list of helpful items you will need to make this wall mural installation almost effortless. You will need a ladder (to get to the top of the wall), a pencil, a ruler (25 foot retractable will do), a razor knife (to cut the paper where needed), wallpaper paste (comes in powder to be mixed with water), a container (to mix the wallpaper paste with water), a yard measuring stick, a plumb line (is the chalk coated string to produce a level line), a brush (4 to 6 inches wide) to apply the wallpaper paste to the wallpaper and a cloth (a soft cloth such as a terrycloth towel) to brush the paper flat and remove air bubbles once each panel of the wall mural is applied to the wall. Now that you have your list of helpful items we will continue on to the next step.

Before you ever think about applying the mural to the wall, you have to make sure that the surface of the wall is prepared properly. Now is the time to go over to the wall you will be applying the mural to and make sure to remove any old wallpaper that may be on the wall. It will also be necessary to clean any dust that may be on the wall. If there happens to be any holes or cracks in the wall, patch these holes and cracks with wall spackling or wall plaster. If you are good at spackling, there is no need to sandpaper the surface of the wall to make a flat surface. With using plaster to patch your wall cracks and holes, most of the time you will need to sandpaper your patch in order to produce a flat surface on the wall. It is a good idea to make sure the wall has 2 good coats of latex paint in order to have the proper adhesive properties for the wallpaper paste.   

Now you can prepare the mural by laying out the panels in the correct order on a floor near by. By matching the correct colors and patterns on the floor you save time and eliminate any frustration of not being able to find the correct piece when applying the wallpaper mural to the wall. This make for a much easier wall application.

So far you have your tools and your wall is patched, painted and ready for your mural. Now it is time to prepare the wallpaper paste. Most of the time your mural will come with the powder to make the paste. Make sure you do exactly as the directions suggest, so the texture of the paste is at the correct consistency to brush onto the mural panels and the wallpaper mural will adhere to the wall properly. So far so good!

Now it is time to place the first panel on the wall. It is always a good technique to start off with the top left panel. In order to place the first panel in the correct position, measure the length and width of the panel. Mark the panel dimensions on the top left section of the wall where the first panel will be.

Next, using the plumb-line make a line on the wall where the right side length of the panel will be once the panel is applied to the wall. Using a ladder, go to where the ceiling and wall meet. Align the string of the plumb-line to where the right side length will be once the first panel is in place. Have someone hold the other end of the plumb-line tightly where the wall meets the floor.

Make sure the plumb-line is in the correct position from the ceiling to the floor. With your free hand, pull the plumb-line straight back from the wall like a bow and let the plumb-line snap back to the wall. This will cause the colored chalk in the string to make a straight line down the wall. Now you have a straight line to work with for your first row of mural panels going down to the floor. Do this same procedure with each new top panel.

When applying the paste, first apply a thin coat of paste to the section of wall you are about to place the panel. Next apply a thin coat of paste to the panel you are about to put up always brushing from the center out to the edges of the panel. Do NOT apply a thick heavy coat of paste to your wallpaper mural panel. This will only cause the paper to become too soaked and could cause a tear in the wallpaper.  

After applying each panel, take a gentle, soft, dry cloth and brush the panel from the center out to the edges in order to remove any air bubbles that may have collected under the panel. Overlap each panel ¼ inch in order to adjust for shrinkage that will occur after each panel dries.  

Always be prepared to finish this project in one session. For the best conditions to put up any wallpaper mural, the ideal room temperature will be between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The room conditions should be without any air drafts. Only after the mural is completely up on the wall and dry, should you go ahead and do all the necessary trimming of the edges with your razor knife. If you find any excess paste on the front of the mural, remove by wiping off with a damp soft cloth.

The only thing left to do now is sit back, relax and enjoy your finished project. Oh yeah, you can also call some friends over to admire your work…