$10 Removable Wall Art

With this method you can add any painted design to your wall and remove it if necessary.

This is a great way of decorating an apartment or other space where painting is not allowed. This is also a great way of decorating a baby/kid's bedroom since you can create everything from cartoon characters to pretty landscapes on the wall.

* This project is not for the impatient or the easily annoyed. You will be painting, handling small pieces of sticky paper, and probably dangling on chairs or ladders to apply the design, and it will take a bit of time to get it done.

** Keep in mind that contact paper may peel the wall when removed. Avoid super sticky contact paper for this project. The brand I used for this project didn't affect my wall.

EDIT: I just saw a very similar project here on instructables called DIY Vinyl Wall Art (http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Vinyl-Wall-Art/?ALLSTEPS). I came up with this idea on my own but I think I should mention the other instructable in order to comply with the BY-NC-SA licensing terms since the two projects are so similar.

Remove these ads by Signing Up

Step 1: Supplies:

1. Transparent contact paper that isn't super sticky. I used the Clear Transparent Con-Tact brand ($4 at Walmart). You can also use white contact paper for this project. I use transparent because I feel it looks better since it's thinner than white or pattern paper.

2. Acrylic paints. I don't recommend using watercolors.

3. Pencil, scissors, tape, and paintbrushes.

4. Design idea printed or drawn on a sheet of paper.

sa2ra says: Jun 22, 2011. 12:20 AM

I love this idea, but I'm having a problem with the acrylic paint peeling off the contact paper...?

nywvblue says: Mar 16, 2010. 9:15 PM

Inspiring! Great idea for instant -- and unique -- interior design. Do you have an idea how long the contact paper will stay stay flat and true on the wall?

kalako in reply to nywvblueMar 31, 2011. 4:10 PM

It has been a year since I put my variation of this up and it is still holding strong. I pulled a couple of small pieces off a month ago and the paint held, however there was a trace of adhesive on the wall.

VeggieBex (author) in reply to nywvblueMar 28, 2010. 4:54 PM

No, I don't really know how long it will last but it's been two weeks and the design is intact so far...I chose a type of contact paper that wasn't too sticky.

mooseinakilt says: Oct 23, 2010. 1:07 PM

I'm so happy with this idea I could just hug you! I live in an apartment and can't do anything permanent to the walls. This will help it feel more like a home!

Jesfin82 says: Jun 6, 2010. 1:28 PM

Great job I love your design choice! I have been using this same technique for a few years now. It is great for kids rooms and their ever changing likes and dislikes. It sure beats the $15 and up for sticky wall art that only includes a few designs. When I first started doing this I used white self stick wallpaper scraps I got from my uncles shop, but I found the contact paper is a better choice because it stays put for over a year (I know for sure ) and is easy to remove. The wall paper scraps tend to take the paint with it. One brand of contact paper I got at the dollar store did stick and start to pull off the paint so I just got a hair dryer and eased it off while applying the heat.