Instant Drama

Try a modern take on a traditional pattern with an oversize grid of framed pieces.

Shown: Laura Ashley Home House Party Toile wallpaper in Lime by York Wallcoverings, $68 for 11-yard roll, yorkwall.com. 11x14-inch box frames, $6 each, aifriedman.com. Bradshaw 45-inch round table in Walnut, $1,199, roomandboard.com. Marmoleum by Forbo Flooring Systems floor tiles in Cool Green, Evergreen, and Rust, $6.50 to $9.50 per square foot installed, themarmoleumstore.com.

A tall papered panel (it's just plain old plywood!) makes for a movable style statement. Prop it against a living room wall, then take it to the bedroom — or repaper it — when you get bored. Keep-it-simple secret: We papered only the front and sides of the board — the back is bare wood!

Shown: Tree Silhouette wallpaper in Black and White by Ashford House, $82 for 9-yard roll, yorkwall.com.

Framing paper in decorative molding adds a luxe look to a large wall or hallway. Choose a graphic pattern in neutral tones for a look that impresses but doesn't overwhelm.

Shown: Grand Jubilee wallpaper in Cream, $90 for 5-yard roll, modgreenpod.com. Classic I panel molding, $20 for 8-foot length, and Classic Molding Corner II corner pieces, $9 each, invitinghome.com. Natural Floors Handscraped Old Oak flooring, $6.90 per square foot, lowes.com for stores.

Create a cozy corner with an eye-catching folding screen. This custom project looks complicated, but all it takes is a roll of wallpaper and a few hardware-store supplies.

Shown: Pavilion Birds in Blue, $164 for 11-yard roll, walnut walnutwallpaper.com.

Customize a home office with a mix of patterns and colors that reflect your personality. Wallpaper magnetic boards, magazine files, shoe boxes, pencil cups, binders — even the wastebasket! We also covered the desktop, then topped it with a piece of glass. Tip: Keep leftover wallpaper on hand for when your storage needs grow.

Shown: Mysterious wallpaper, $75 per 11-yard roll, grahamandbrown.com. Stripe wallpaper 1964-3, $110 per 11-yard roll, walnutwallpaper.com. Bulletin and magnetic-square steel boards, $20 each, containerstore.com. Flyt magazine files, $3 for 5-pack, ikea.com for stores. Writing desk in Antique White, $303, sauder.com. Natural Floors Whitewash Oak flooring, $6.90 per square foot, lowes.com for stores.

A funky wall covering does double duty in a glass-paneled cabinet, adding color and pattern while also hiding whatever's inside. This bold paper is vinyl, so it can withstand the onslaught of steam in the bathroom. Keep-it-simple secret: Affix the paper to the inner door frame with white Fun-Tak or thumbtacks.

Shown: Clouds Lattice Blue wallpaper, $6.50 per square foot, designyourwall.com. Oxford White 36-inch-wide 5-shelf bookcase, $259, homedecorators.com.

Supplies: tape measure, wallpaper, decorative molding and corners (Inviting Home's molding and corners come primed with their own adhesive), wallpaper brush, wallpaper paste, miter saw, putty knife, spackling paste, sandpaper, small angled paintbrush, semigloss-finish paint.

1. Determine the placement of the panels on your wall. We centered our panels 6 inches above the baseboard, 6 inches below the crown molding, 6 inches in from the door frame, and 6 inches from each other. Measure paper to fit; use a molding corner to trace the round arch for each panel corner. Cut along traced lines. Paste wallpaper onto wall.

2. Glue molding corners onto each arch.

3. Using miter saw, cut molding pieces to create a seam with molding corners. Glue 4 molding strips onto wall. Repeat process for each panel.

4. Using putty knife, patch seams with spackling paste. Sand seams to smooth down.

5. Paint each molding frame carefully -- hold scrap paper up to the wallpaper side of the molding as you paint to protect wallpaper (painter's tape can damage wallpaper). Use a moist, clean cloth for drips.

Supplies: metal ruler, shoe boxes, wallpaper, paintbrush, scrapbooking paste, craft knife.

1. Measure bottom and sides of box, then add an inch to all sides; cut a piece of wallpaper to this size.

2. Apply scrapbooking paste to the base of the box and center it on wallpaper piece.

3. Line ruler along side of box so it extends beyond the edge. Cut straight along the inside edges of your ruler to make a flap that's the exact width of the box plus 1 inch longer.

4. Apply paste to the long flaps of wallpaper. Pull one long flap up and around short end of the box. Tuck and adhere extra paper inside box. Repeat on opposite side.

5. Apply paste to short flaps. Pull short flaps up and over box edge to adhere.

6. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 for box lid.

Tips for other office projects: Cover just the fronts of magazine files. Measure file, then add an inch on top and bottom to fold over for a smooth edge. Adhere paper to file with scrapbooking paste. For pencil cups and wastebaskets, simply add 2 inches to the measured circumference and cut wallpaper to that size. For magnetic boards, add an extra 2 inches on all sides, pull paper taut around the back side, and tape.

Supplies: sanding sponge, 5 (12x72-inch) paint-grade wood planks, wall-covering primer, craft knife, 1 roll of wallpaper, a trowel or 4-inch-wide flat-edge scraper, scrapbooking paste (we like Yes paste), wallpaper brush, small paintbrush, metal ruler, 30 (12x12-inch) sheets of scrapbooking card-stock paper, double-acting folding-screen hinges, furniture glides.

1. Lightly sand planks and coat with wall-covering primer. Let dry. Cut 5 pieces of wallpaper to plank length plus 3 inches extra on top and bottom (use the full width of the roll).

2. Use trowel to spread a thin layer of scrapbooking paste onto one side of a wood panel. Center wallpaper piece and adhere to the pasted panel. Smooth any bubbles with wallpaper brush, working from the center out to the edges. Let dry. Repeat with other 4 panels. (Tip: Eye your wallpaper's pattern, shifting pieces slightly to the left or right so that each panel is not identical in pattern.)

3. Flip over first panel. Trim off a square from each corner of the wallpaper overhang. Starting at the top of the panel, fold the excess paper over the panel's edge, creasing the paper. With a moistened brush and scrapbooking paste, cover the back of the wallpaper that's about 1/2 inch beyond your crease line with glue. Pull wallpaper flap taut around the top of the panel. Line up a ruler with the panel's edge and trim the unglued piece of the wallpaper flap to create a clean 1-inch border along the back side. Trim the wallpaper overhang flush with the bottom of the panel.

4. Cut 1/4 inch off one side of each sheet of the card-stock paper. Apply scrapbooking paste to each sheet. Center each sheet so there's a 1/8-inch border on both sides, and adhere sheet to the back of panel. Smooth paper with a wallpaper brush as you move down. You'll need 6 sheets of paper per panel. Trim any overhang at the bottom of the panel. Repeat process on other 4 panels.

5. Pre-drill holes for hinges: Place one hinge 6 inches from top, another 6 inches from bottom, and one hinge centered between them. Screw in hinges.

6. Add two furniture glides to bottom of each panel.