Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Fun Stuff, Crafts & Projects
Love the look of wallpaper but can't take the plunge? Give temporary tape a try.
With all the design choices out there today, sometimes it can be hard to commit to just one look. And if you live in a rented place, you probably don't have the option of committing, even if you wanted to. So how can you spice up your space without doing anything permanent?
Just grab a roll of colored masking tape, a bottle of glue and voila! -- you've added instant character that you can take down whenever you'd like.
Photo: Left, Apartment Therapy; Right, Caitlin Creer Interiors
Case in point: The two projects shown above. Can you believe that the stripes in the dining room on the left were created with wall tape? Featured on Apartment Therapy, the wall was prepared with masking tape to create painted strips. But once the renters discovered that the tape matched their series of prints, they decided to leave the tape up as instant wallpaper.
In designer Caitlin Creer's entryway (above right), she used floral tape to create the cube-like pattern. You can create a similar pattern with solid or patterned ribbon, attaching the material to your wall along the way.
According to Jonathan Fong, author of "Jonathan Fong's Walls That Wow", the best tape to use on walls is called Permacel, a kind of high-strength paper tape that's typically used on film sets to secure camera and light cables to the floor. But you won't find this style of tape at your local home-improvement store. Instead, you'll need to check out a craft or art-supply store. There you'll find that the tape comes in a variety of different colors and widths, allowing you to create whatever type of design you desire. And when you want to change the look, the tape peels right off (without taking your paint with it).
Photo: Pearl Street Interiors
Jenny of Pearl Street Interiors designed her own geometric-inspired wall art in her entryway (above). To pull it off, you'll need to play with the tape on the wall until you find the right proportion for the diamonds, and then start taping. You may want to mark a few spots with a pencil to help guide the placement of the tape. Once you're finished, just use an X-acto knife to clean up the loose ends along your trim and base boards. For more detailed info on the project, see Jenny's post.
For more simple DIY projects, click here.
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