How to Make Wall Stickers Sticky Again

Old wall stickers can be rescued and made sticky again!  I wish I had know this before I started throwing mine away as they fell off the wall. The good news is that I can save you, or really your stickers, from the same fate!

What Are Wall Stickers?

Wall stickers are stickers or decals designed to decorate your walls that are removable and repositionable. They are a great way to spruce up the room without the hassle or permanence of paint.  Wall stickers are super fun for kids rooms or holiday decorating, adding that spark of color.  And when the favorite color or topic of the month changes, so can the stickers!  The best part is that they are repositionable, so if you don’t like where they are you can change it or you can even put them away and get them out again later.

RoomMates Wall Stickers

All Stickers Eventually Loose Their Sticky

Unfortunately, even the best stickers loose there sticky eventually. I love the wall stickers from RoomMates! They are a nice thick material and stick really well for years. We have had the most beautiful snowflake wall stickers from RoomMates for almost eights years.  Last year they decided that they weren’t going to stick anymore.  I was determined to see if I could save them and I did!

How to Make Wall Stickers Sticky Again

1. Wash the sticker
2. Add new repositionable adhesive

Wash Those Falling Decals

First off, wash the sticker.  Yep, get the soap and water out and clean all the gunk stuck to the back.  Let them air dry.  This worked for some of my stickers but not all.

Add Repositionable adhesive

If they still won’t stick, don’t worry, the next step is to add the sticky back on.  Krylon makes an amazing product called Easy-Tack.  This is a repositionable adhesive.

DO NOT USE regular spray glue. It is very important that the product you pick is repositionable!

Spray the repositionable adhesive (in a well ventilated area) on the back of your stickers and immediately put them up.  I tried it two ways, applying right away and waiting 15 min after I sprayed.  Both ways worked but I had the best luck with applying right away.  

This method of adding new sticky worked perfect on my walls but may have a different effect on your own so I suggest you test it in a safe location first!  I take no responsibility for any other wall situation than my own.  My walls have satin/semigloss paint with orange peel.  There was no residue, I am able to move them and the stickers have stayed up for a month so far!

Adhesives That Will bring Back the Sticky of Wall Stickers

• Krylon Easy Tack
• Aleene’s Repositionable Tacky Spray
• Scotch Spray Mount Repositionable Adhesive

These all should help to bring the sticky back and be removable but I recommend testing the glue on a test sticker in an inconspicuous area to make sure that it doesn’t damage your walls. I can only vouch for Krylon Easy Tack because it is the only one that I could find in Alaska! There seems to be some shipping issues when it comes to glue up here.

What Not To Do!

One method I do not recommend is heating your stickers with a heat gun or hairdryer!  This melted or warped my stickers and made them even harder to keep on the walls. If you decide to try it anyway, heat it on the wall rather than removing entirely. This will give the warm glue a better chance to stick.

I hope that these tips keep those still beautiful, but no longer sticky wall stickers out of the trash!  You can make an old wall sticker sticky again.

If you found this article helpful please comment and share! I would love to hear how it worked for you! #ideasforreallife @GardenFoodandCraft on Instagram.