How to hang wallpaper around inside and outside corners: stress-free instructions

The thought of redoing your walls yourself can give you goosebumps, especially when you get to tricky corners and bends. Many people worry that a lack of experience will lead to wrinkled material and unsightly gaps. Fortunately, the right approach and a few proven tricks will help you avoid frustration along the way. I've put together a detailed guide that will walk you through the whole process and prove that this job is well within your reach.

Key facts about wallpapering corners

• For inside corners, it's best to split the strip into two parts and overlap them by a few centimeters (about an inch). This prevents bubbles and unsightly creases on uneven walls.
• The double-cut method means cutting through two overlapping layers at once with a firm stroke along a putty knife. This makes the seam in the corner perfectly smooth and practically invisible.
• On outside corners, wrap the strip around the edge, then press it down firmly with a hard seam roller. This makes these most exposed spots more resistant to damage.
• With non-woven wallpapers, thick paste goes directly on the wall, so you can easily maneuver the dry strip in the corner. This makes precise fitting easier without the risk of accidentally tearing the material.

Wallpapering corners – why is it the hardest part of the job?

Wallpapering these areas is a big challenge, because walls in most homes are rarely perfectly plumb, which means constantly adjusting the strips. When you're figuring out how to wallpaper corners, you need to consider the physical properties of the material itself, which can move slightly once it comes into contact with paste. Inexperienced DIYers often try to press the whole strip deep into the corner, which quickly results in air bubbles and ugly creases. Understanding that each surface needs its own approach and the right cut will save you from ruining expensive rolls. Your goal is to visually disguise any unevenness in the wall – and for that, you mainly need sharp tools, patience, and good lighting.

How do you hang wallpaper in inside corners?

To wallpaper an inside corner without trouble, split the strip into two parts and overlap them with the right allowance instead of bending one wide strip into the corner. This approach makes wallpapering inside corners a process that gives you full control over the final look of the wall. Before you start, make sure you have a metal putty knife for pressing and a very sharp snap-off utility knife, breaking off dull blades as you go. Even the most beautiful hand-painted home wallpapers will lose their charm if visible gaps or unsightly folds appear where the walls meet. Professional wallpapering of inside corners is based on a simple principle: the strip should wrap onto the adjacent wall by only a few centimeters (about an inch) – more on that in a moment.

Step 1 – measuring and cutting strips with an allowance

Your first task is to measure the distance from the edge of the last strip you hung to the corner itself, at three different heights. Always add two to three centimeters (about an inch) of allowance to the largest measurement – this will wrap smoothly onto the perpendicular wall in a moment. Precise wallpapering with an allowance in corners compensates for any unevenness in the building that could expose bare plaster. Once you've measured the right width, cut the strip along its full length with a sharp cutting tool, guiding it along a metal straightedge or long level. Keep the second, cut-off part of the strip in a safe place, since you'll use it to continue the pattern on the new wall.

Step 2 – applying paste and fitting precisely in the corner

Once your strip is ready, spread paste evenly on the wall, making sure to fully cover the corner and the area for the allowance. Place the cut strip on the wall and smooth it carefully from the center out to the edges with a soft roller or smoothing brush. Gently press the leftover allowance into the corner and wrap it onto the adjacent perpendicular surface, watching out for trapped air bubbles. Where the material clearly resists and starts to wrinkle, make very small horizontal snips with scissors at the very top and bottom of the allowance.

Step 3 – trimming the excess

Once the first piece is firmly in place, take the second part of the strip and mark a perfect plumb line on the new wall with a level so the pattern doesn't start drifting downward. Hang this new strip so it overlaps the allowance only slightly, creating a kind of double layer of wallpaper right in the corner. Now cut through both layers at once in a firm, smooth stroke, guiding the knife along a long painter's putty knife. When you carefully remove the cut-off scraps from between the strips, you'll get flawless, smooth seams without the slightest ridge – just like the pros. If you often wonder how to hide wallpaper seams, it's the popular double-cut method that ensures the seam is practically invisible to the naked eye.

How do you hang wallpaper on outside corners?

On outside edges, wrap the strip around the corner with a small overlap, then cut the next strip precisely so the material doesn't crack at the fold. Proper wallpapering of outside corners requires great care, because these highly exposed spots are the most vulnerable to damage and accidental scuffs. If you're looking for reliable, comprehensive basics on the whole process, our complete guide to step-by-step wallpapering will round out your knowledge before you move on to trickier details. Always remember that a stiff, dry strip doesn't like being bent at a sharp angle, so properly leveling the wall and thoroughly priming the edges are absolutely essential. Using dedicated tools, such as a hard seam roller, lets you firmly and securely bond the flexible material to the outside edge.

The overlap technique – a guarantee of durability

To neatly protect a protruding wall edge, I've put together a proven process that effectively prevents the material from lifting once the paste dries. It doesn't require any specialist knowledge, but you do need to follow the steps in order to get a fully satisfying result. Carefully pressing down all the overlapping layers is the pros' biggest secret – they simply can't afford costly fixes. Always-sharp tools and good daylight will help you keep the cut running straight along the hard plaster.

How do you match the pattern on an outside corner?

Matching intricate ornaments across a fold can be especially tricky, but simply calculating the pattern repeat offset correctly will make the motif look visually cohesive. Before you cut the next matching strip, hold it against the wall completely dry and check exactly where the design lines up perfectly with the piece already hung. If you study carefully enough how to hang wallpaper in corners, you'll quickly notice that small imperfections on an outside edge are usually barely visible, as long as the main motif stays continuous.

Room geometry vs. your patience – how do you hang wallpaper in corners with unusual angles?

With unusual, crooked corners, always use a reliable level to mark a new plumb line, and give up on trying to hang huge strips in one big piece. Older homes with attic rooms very often have complicated layouts where crooked walls meet at the strangest, completely unpredictable angles. If you still don't know how to hang wallpaper on corners, including very wide or dangerously sharp ones, trust the method of dividing strips into smaller, much more manageable pieces. A fascinating design challenge in places like this is wallpaper on sloped ceilings, which, when hung properly and neatly, can completely transform the awkward proportions of a challenging room.

How do you hang non-woven wallpaper in corners?

In corners, material on a modern non-woven backing calls for thick paste applied only directly to the wall, which lets you easily maneuver the dry strip and slide it without any risk of tearing. It's an extremely convenient, clean solution that eliminates soaking the strips beforehand and lets you pause the job at any time. When you choose today's trendy, beautiful custom-size wallpapers online, you'll usually get exactly this kind of backing from the manufacturer – much loved by beginner DIYers. When working carefully in tight corners, just apply a generous, thicker layer of paste with a brush right in the bend, then press the non-woven material down smoothly with a flexible putty knife.

FAQ – Frequently asked questions about wallpapering corners