Picture this: You've found some gorgeous wallpaper for your living space, but once you've applied it to the wall you find yourself with leftovers.

Fear not – you don't need to use the excess wallpaper for wrapping three seasons of Christmas presents (though there's certainly nothing stopping you from doing so!). We've got a raft of ideas ready to sail into your home.

If you've got some spare time during the weekends or need some crafty school holiday activities to complete with the kids, these ideas are for you. You might get so inspired by these decorating ideas that you decide to invest in some more wallpaper!

Line drawers

Whether you've found a gorgeous floral wallpaper like Resene Brocante II or a vibrant, patterned variety such as Resene Frequency, there are plenty of prints that look beautiful when lining drawers.

Whether you've got a freestanding amoire in the master bedroom with drawers at the bottom or a chest of drawers elsewhere in your home, considering lining them with leftover wallpaper for a bright pop of colour.

The punchy, burnt terracotta wallpaper that is Resene Elements will add a welcome drop of colour to kitchen drawers, too.

Get arty

You don't need to be the next Matisse or have the creative flair of Jackson Pollock to embrace self-created art in the home.

However, if painting or drawing isn't a strong point, it might be best to leave the stick-figure renditions to the kids.

That said, you can still bring a touch of creativity to your living space or bedroom with some leftover wallpaper and a trip to your local discount store.

Pick up an 8 x 10 or 11 x 14 inch photo frame that has a thick, white border and a cardboard insert. Alternatively, you can buy a photo frame with multiple spots for those favourite memories.

However, instead of adding photos, you can add a beautiful touch by using leftover wallpaper. Opt for antique floral prints, especially those with flecks of gold, silver, cream or duck-egg blue.

Simply cut the wallpaper to size and slot into the photo frame for a piece of instant art that looks great in various areas of the home.

Bright toilet

While neutral hues or block colours are recommended for living areas and the kitchen, why not have fun with your toilet and create a unique space?

This approach works if you've got multiple wallpaper scraps, as you'll achieve maximum impact with a broad array of different patterns and colours.

Take a haphazard approach and apply overlapping portions of wallpaper in strips and squares to create a wild toilet design. You'll achieve a wacky effect in a small space, but avoid taking this approach in larger areas.

It's best to stick with a specific collection of colours, such as red, orange and black or blue, green and cream. Finally, measure what wallpaper you do have, so you know you can cover the whole space! Alternatively, you might adopt this approach on a single wall, and pick your favourite Resene paint for the other walls.

Bold stairs

If you're the owner of a double storey property, you might be thinking about ways to brighten up your staircase.

Whether you've got scraps of wallpaper that embraces bright or pastel tones – or both – you're in a perfect position to add a bit of personality to your home in a simple way.

Clean the riser of each step before applying wallpaper as you normally would, before allowing it to dry. You can use the same print all the way up the stairs or mix and match prints for a truly vibrant effect.

June 17, 2014

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