How to Mud Over Wallpaper Bits

Stripping away old wallpaper can be a tough job, leaving you with bits of paper stuck to the wall. Fortunately, the solution is as close as your nearest hardware store. Drywall mud is the putty painters use to hide the cracks between sheets of wall board. When covered with a coat of latex primer, the drywall mud blends to the same absorbency as the rest of the wall. The same principle applies when covering old wallpaper bits.

Drywall mud
Medium-width trowel
Fine-grit sandpaper
Latex primer
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Scoop out a generous amount of drywall mud with a trowel.
- 2
  Smooth the mud over the wallpaper bits by holding the trowel at a 45-degree angle. Start by moving the trowel downward, then side to side. Smooth until there are no visible lines in the mud. You will have mud left over on the trowel after you scoop away most of it -- you want only a thin coat.
- 3
  Allow the mud to dry completely, which will take several hours to overnight depending on the climate.
- 4
  Sand the dried mud with a piece of fine-grit sandpaper. Brush away excess powder with a dry paintbrush.
- 5
  Paint the area with latex primer. Allow the primer to dry and paint the wall as desired.

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