If you’re a renter who isn’t allowed to paint, I’m with you. If you’re too lazy to paint, I’m also with you. It’s hard to make your home feel like “you” when you can’t change your walls, but at least one renter-friendly way to change them is with vinyl decals! You’ve probably seen some versions of them in stores, but you can easily make your own custom wall decals at home with any type of adhesive vinyl without causing damage to your walls. Simply cut out shapes or use stencils or cutting machines to create more complex designs. I was inspired by 1980s Memphis designs to create a small accent wall in my bedroom with custom vinyl decals.
If you haven’t seen the 1980s Memphis designs, it will probably remind you of Saved by the Bell or Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I love the abstract patterns and bright colors, so I used the combination of squiggles, zig zags and triangles as inspiration to create my own little accent wall that’s completely removable!
Materials:
- Sheets of colorful vinyl
- Scissors and/or cutting machine
Note, a cutting machine is recommended for complex designs, but you can also use a stencil and a craft knife to cut out your designs.
Step
Cut large shapes out of the vinyl sheets with scissors, or create the patterns using a cutting machine. For simple shapes like these abstract patterns, you can use either.
Step
Peel away the vinyl from the backing.
Step
Press onto your desired spot on a wall and repeat, spacing out the pieces.
Note, although the vinyl will stick much better to untextured walls, the vinyl is able to stick to my heavily textured walls. However, they may loosen over time.
Add all of your shapes and enjoy your new renter-friendly accent wall with custom vinyl decals!
This is such a cool idea… how easy is it to remove the vinyl?
@Deborah Jenkins It’s really easy! It will depend on the texture of your walls, but because mine are heavily textured, the vinyl peels away easily.