Installation | Vinyl Wall Decals

The basics of vinyl wall decal installation are fairly straightforward. Once you do your first one, you will be hooked on this great DIY decorating medium. They are fast, easy, economical, and look stunning when applied to your walls. Here are the basic steps outlined for a successful vinyl wall decal installation.

Step 1

Prepare your surface for installation. This can be anything from a light dusting to a thorough scrubbing depending on the cleanliness of the application site. Basically, you would like it to be clean and dust free to allow for the best adhesion of your vinyl wall quote.

Step 2

Remove the paper backing from your wall decal. Lay the decal tape side down on a flat surface. Start at one corner and slowly peel back the paper backing. Once you get it started, fold the paper down and peel it as flat as possible. This will let it release the vinyl the easiest.

Step 3

Carefully place the decal, tape backing and all, on the wall where you would like it to be. Go slow here as you want to make sure the decal is level and straight and centered if necessary. Depending on the surface, you may only get one chance at this. The decals can stick extremely well to surfaces like mirrors and glass and can usually not be repositioned.

Step 4

Rub the vinyl decal down with firm pressure. The edge of a credit card makes a good tool to accomplish this with. However, if the surface has a lot of texture, a towel with firm pressure often works well. I often press down fine lines with the palm of my hand trying to make sure it works its way into the texture.

Step 5

Slowly remove the tape layer leaving the wall decal on the wall. This is best done by starting at one corner and pulling across the decal diagonally. Watch the decal carefully to make sure it is adhering to the wall. If a portion starts to come up, simply press down the tape again in that spot, rub the vinyl down with firm pressure, and pull slowly again. Slow and steady works best here and the tape should come off fairly easily.

Step 6

Step back, take a nice look at your handiwork, and smile. You just installed a vinyl wall decal and added beauty to your wall. Congratulations. You did great!

For more information…

For more detailed instructions on the installation of vinyl wall decals please click below to see our post on

Installing Decorative Wall Decals ~ The Basics

And for more advanced instructions as well as some creative ideas on using vinyl decals please click below