Install Guides

A step-by-step guide to applying, removing and repositioning our removable fabric wall decals. The whole process takes most people under an hour, needs no tools and leaves no mess - but the wall preparation below is what decides whether a decal holds for years or lifts in a fortnight.

What You Will Need

  • A clean, dry, fully cured painted wall
  • A soft, dry cloth (and isopropyl alcohol if the wall needs cleaning first)
  • A tape measure or a pencil, if you want a level ground line
  • A second pair of hands for large-format pieces - useful, not essential

No paste, no primer, no squeegee, no drying time.

Before You Start: Preparing the Wall

Give fresh paint at least two weeks

This is the single most common reason a wall decal fails. Newly painted walls keep releasing solvents as they cure, and nothing will bond properly to a surface that is still off-gassing. Two weeks is the minimum; in a cold or humid room, give it three.

Clean the surface, gently

Wipe the wall with a soft, dry cloth to lift dust. If it needs more than that, use a little isopropyl alcohol on a cloth rather than a household spray cleaner - most household cleaners leave a fine residue that stops a decal sticking. Let the wall dry completely before you go any further.

Test first if you are unsure

If you have any doubt about your paint or surface, apply one small piece in an out-of-the-way spot, leave it for 24 hours, and remove it. It costs you one element and it tells you everything.

How to Apply Your Wall Decals

  1. Lay the set out on the floor first. Arrange the whole scene the way you want it before anything touches the wall. It is far easier to change your mind here than on the wall.
  2. Start with the largest element. Everything else gets positioned in relation to it, so it goes up first.
  3. Peel one corner only. Do not remove the entire backing at once - hold the decal against the wall by the exposed corner and check the position while the rest is still backed.
  4. Press outward from the centre. Using the flat of your hand, smooth from the middle toward the edges as you peel the remaining backing away. This pushes air out rather than trapping it.
  5. Work outward from your anchor piece. For scenes, keep a shared ground line - roughly 40cm above the skirting board works for most rooms - so animals and vehicles look like they are standing on something.
  6. Step back often. Fabric repositions, so check the spacing from across the room every few pieces.

Repositioning and Removing

Our decals are woven fabric, not vinyl, which is the reason they forgive mistakes. To reposition, lift a corner slowly and peel back at a shallow angle - do not pull straight out from the wall. Reapply and smooth from the centre again.

To remove, start at a top corner and peel slowly and steadily downward. There should be no residue and no lifted paint. If a decal is coming off a wall it has been on for years, warming it slightly with a hairdryer on low makes it easier.

Removed decals can be stored on their original backing sheet, or on a sheet of baking paper, and reused in another room.

Where Wall Decals Will and Will Not Stick

Suitable

  • Cured painted plasterboard and smooth painted walls
  • Lightly textured painted surfaces
  • Painted doors, wardrobes and flat furniture panels
  • Rental walls - this is what fabric decals are made for

Not suitable

  • Freshly painted walls (under two weeks old)
  • Delicate or paper wallpaper
  • Peeling, flaking, deformed or rendered surfaces
  • Heavily textured render, brick or unsealed masonry
  • Antique or fragile finishes

Looking After Them

The matte woven finish is non-reflective and wipe-clean - a barely damp cloth will lift marks. Avoid solvents and abrasive cleaners, and do not soak the fabric. Our decals carry a one-year warranty against adhesive deterioration not caused by incorrect installation, and one year against significant colour loss.

Troubleshooting

An edge keeps lifting

Almost always dust, residue or uncured paint underneath. Peel that element back, wipe the wall with isopropyl alcohol, let it dry fully and reapply.

There is a bubble under a large piece

Lift the nearest edge, peel back past the bubble and re-smooth from the centre outward. Fabric releases and reseals, so there is no need to live with it.

It will not stick at all

Check the paint age first, then the cleaner you used. Silicone-based and "shine" household sprays are the usual culprits.

Hanging Wall Art Prints

Our giclee wall art prints are supplied unframed and ship flat in rigid mailers. Hang the centre of the artwork about 145cm from the floor, leave 5 to 7cm between frames in a group, and use odd numbers - three prints read better than two.

Ready to Start?

Browse the full range of wall decals, or start with nursery wall decals, kids wall decals, girls wall decals or boys wall decals. Still have a question? See our FAQs or get in touch.