Is the thought of making your own butterfly wallpaper border is intimidating? Follow these simple steps and you will have a personalized wallpaper border that you created all by yourself.

1. Measure the area you want the border installed to find out how much wallpaper border you will need to install.

2. Purchase as many rolls of Design-A-Border self-sticking wallpaper as you need. It comes in five-yard lengths. Design-A-Border is white vinyl wallpaper border on which you can create your own design. It has a peel and stick back so you can reposition it, and remove it easily. If you cannot find this item you can paint of strips of canvas that you can install with heavy-duty wallpaper paste. You can paint directly on the wall.

3. Purchase butterfly stamps from the hobby store, or create your own butterfly stamps using potatoes or sponges. Make sure they are different shapes and sizes.

4. Select the colors you want your butterfly wallpaper border to be. Coordinate them to your room or fabric. If you do not have matching fabric, you will want to purchase plain muslin or linen fabric and using these same steps to create your window treatments at the same time.

5. Paint the background of your border the appropriate color. You can match the wall color of the room, or use blue for the sky, or any other color you choose.

6. Carefully apply paint to your stamps using a paintbrush. You can paint the entire stamp a single color, or you can paint the stamp multiple colors, but you must do it quickly before the paint dries on the stamp. I prefer to use a faint color to make the impression. The purpose of this step is to design the pattern of the wallpaper.

7. Make an impression on the wallpapered border with the stamp. Continue making impressions on the wallpaper border in a pattern that is pleasing to you. You can make a standard pattern, or you can make a random pattern. It is up to you.

8. Once you lay out your pattern, it is now time to add details to your butterfly wallpaper border. Using a paintbrush, add colors to your butterflies. Define the wings, body, and legs. You can even decide to give your butterflies’ smiley faces for a child’s room. If this step makes you uncomfortable, consider using wallpaper cutouts or pattern rub-ons so you will not have to paint.

9. After you have given life to your butterflies, add background details. You can add swirls or lines near the butterfly to give the impression that its wings are moving. Making dotted lines that loop about and stop at the butterfly gives the impression that the butterflies are frolicking about.

10. Consider adding words and phrases to your border as well. You can do this with gold or silver paint pens or sharpie markers of any color. Make sure your markers are colorfast so the words or design will not fade. (You will have to use a primer sealer first if you ever decide to paint over the marker.)

11. Allow your wallpaper border to dry, and then seal your pattern with a spray sealer. Do not lay it on too thick so that the border will not crack, and allow ventilation while applying sealer.

12. Scallop, or cut out the wallpaper design using scissors, and cut along one edge of the design or both edges to give the design more interest.

Now your border is complete! Peel off the backing and stick your wallpaper border in place.

Written by ANDREA HERMITT - © 2002 Pagewise