I don’t think I’ve ever received so many requests for a DIY before!! I’m so glad. I had so much fun working on this project and am so excited to share it with you today!
As you know I am VERY passionate about wallpaper. But wallpaper is a big commitment. Something you aren’t ready for such a commitment and that’s when something inexpensive and easy to execute like this comes in. Albeit this a little time consuming, so you want to make sure you really want it!
Here’s how I did a WHOLE room of gold foil cactus “wallpaper” in just one week!
First, you’ll need a Krylon Gold Leafing Pen. They produce a beautiful gold foiled finish!
Next you’ll beed to make stencils of a very simple, abstract design. Don’t choose any shape with any more detail than this cactus. I used craft foam and cardstock to make my stencils. I loved both, but the foam was maybe a little bit better. It’s good to have a lot of extra stencils because if they get any excess paint on them they have to be set aside to dry or they can make your wall messy! I was swapping back and forth the entire time.
One of the most time consuming parts of this project was actually choosing the design for me. I spent about a week deliberating before I committed to the cactus design.
Next, start at either the bottom or the top (haha! I learned this the hard way) of the room and work your way around, fill a row spacing the design in a staggered pattern, like polka dots.
If you frequently step back to look at the design from far away you can make sure your spacing is consistent. I chose to just “eyeball” my design. It’s not perfectly spaced and I honestly don’t care. If you want it to be absolutely perfect I would go through each wall and mark each spot with a small piece of blue painters tape so you can have a guide. You can even measure if you want to, but I didn’t do that.
Once you start I recommend working for 1-2 hours per day, or taking breaks each 1-2 hours. Depending on how much space you are covering it can be a very time consuming project. My four walls took about ten hours split between myself and two other people helping me.
You’ll also want to have the best ventilation you can. If you can open a window or at least get a fan going, do it. These pens are fumey.
Most wallpapered rooms cost around two to three thousand dollars when you include the installation. This DIY cost under twenty dollars! I used three pens to complete our four walls.
Let me know if you have any questions!! This project ties with my fiber art for most time consuming, but also my absolute favorite projects I’ve made in my home so far. xx- Elsie
Credits// Author and Photography: Elsie Larson. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
I’m going to do this on two walls of my brow studio. I think I’ll paint 2 accent walls a grey and use a copper pen for my stencil! I love this idea and it will perfectly fit the aesthetic of my little studio, so excited! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Elsie,
Really ineradicable! I like this innovative look.
Thanks for sharing such beautiful creative ideas here
Please share the stuffed Cacti DIY soon! I have been looking everywhere for one for our baby girls nursery!
9 feet tall.
xx- Elsie
Urban Outfitters.
xx- Elsie
Of course!! Just follow the advice I give here and make it your own. You can TOTALLY do it!
xx- Elsie
I didn’t measure them (and they aren’t perfect) but I tried to keep them fairly consistent.
xx- Elsie
Coming soon!! :)))
xx- Elsie
I used scissors but you could also use an exacto!
xx- Elsie
They’re DIY. We’ll be sharing the project here soon! 🙂
xx- Elsie
Beautiful! I want to know as well where did you buy the cactus? The “plant cactus”?
Ok how cool is that wall??!! And the best part of it is that you did it all by yourself and even better, it`s“so easy that I could do the same 😀
Thank you soooo much for sharing!!
xx Caroline
https://carolinespassion.wordpress.com
Hi Elsie! What did you used to cut out the stencil? xacto knife?
Love this room… Can we talk about the fabric potted cactus for a minute? DIY please!
so beautiful! how do you make them so regular? how did you measure the distance between every cactus?
amazing job! 🙂
I can’t believe you eyeballed this, because it looks so perfect!! So good!
Simple yet so lovely! Cactus and pineapple patterns seem to be in the spotlight right now and I’m loving it!
LOVE this! I scrolled through and didn’t see (forgive me if you already mentioned) – where did you get that amazing eye mirror? So freaking cool, I have the perfect spot for it, fearing it might be vintage! – Christina
Wow! This looks great. Having lived with yucky old wallpaper removal and its attendant work and mess, I just can’t commit to real wallpaper ever, even if I love the look. This is a PERFECT project for the wallpaper wary! Great post!
You have really inspired me! I love this wallpaper (link below) but not willing to part with $100s-$1000s!! Do you think I could achieve a similar result with the gold leaf pen you used, and a ruler? Any advice would be so appreciated, I’m only just getting into DIY!!
http://www.monumentinteriors.com/product/wallpaper/angles-cream-gold-2/.