How to paper a ceiling

A good way of covering hairline ceiling cracks and a great way of giving continuity to a room's theme, here's how you wallpaper a ceiling yourself.

Level of difficulty

Level 3: Advanced

What you need

  • Ladder
  • Tape measure
  • Wallpaper
  • Wallpaper hanging scissors
  • Wallpaper hanging brush
  • Paste
  • Screwdriver
  • Screws

The steps to follow

1. Turn the mains power off.
2. Remove any furniture from the room and cover your work area with dust sheets.
3. Take down all light fixtures and fittings. 
4. Unscrew the cover of the ceiling rose and disconnect the ceiling light from its terminals.
5. Remove all fixing screws and disconnect the circuit cables so you can remove the fittings.
6. Wash the ceiling surface with a mild detergent to remove any dirt.
7. If the ceiling is already covered with wallpaper, you'll need to strip the existing wallpaper and wash the surface with a mild detergent.
8. You can hire a pair of trestles or scaffold boards to help you complete this stage.
9. Mark a straight line on the wall. This will act as a visual guide for you to hang your first length of wallpaper.
10. Position one end of the length on the ceiling with its edge aligned to the marked line.
11. Paste the first length.

Note:
You might want to ask for help when positioning the wallpaper on the ceiling as your helper can help support the wallpaper as you work along the ceiling.

12. Brush wallpaper sealant onto the paper.
13. Trim the ends of the wall-ceiling angle.
14. Hang the next length of wallpaper, parallel to the first length.
15. When you’re finished papering the ceiling, pierce the paper over the centre of the ceiling rose. Trim the wallpaper so that the paper tongues fits around the base of the rose.
16. Replace the ceiling light fixture and turn on the mains power.
17. For patterned wallpaper, try to match the pattern of the next length to the wallpaper you've just pasted. You can draw the length of wallpaper up to see how the pattern will match. Once the patterns are matched, cut the length of wallpaper.

Please note that all our DIY guides and 'Expert answers' advice have been written strictly for reference only. Rated People do not accept any liability for any damage caused to an individual, property or anything else as a result of following our DIY guides and using our 'Expert answers' advice.