DIY: Board & Batten Wall Tutorial

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure.

Want to learn exactly how to make create your own accent wall with board & batten with wallpaper? Here is a step-by-step of how you can do this yourself in any room in your home!

Our spare bedroom used to be used for our playroom/office but since I was pregnant with our daughter it was time to update it into a nursery! The room was a great size but it had these awful textured walls and it was just a light gray and I really wanted to dress it up and give it a more feminine touch. This post will show you step by step of how to diy board and batten to your walls! If you are new to DIY and looking for more information on tools and what you need to get started download my free DIY Started Guide!

TIP:

Don’t let not having tools stop you! SECRET TIP: you can utilize Home Depot’s saw and assistance! They will most likely help you get your wood cut on their saws. Some stores charge and some do it free so just ask before! Get the measurements of the wall and how far apart you want the boards using this calculator. Once you have the math, head to get your materials!

Since I wanted to cover the textured walls I opted to get thin sheets of plywood (4 by 8 – I used 1 and a half sheets) to cover the wall. That is how I decided how high to bring up the board and batten, I was going for the easiest and cheapest options so I had it go up 4ft so I didn’t have to add any extra plywood panels or get them cut. Then I counted the distance between each square and got the boards cut. I used 1 X 3 X 8 and then had them cut in half to 4ft lengths. Then I had two 1 X 4 X 8ft boards cut to size for the length of the room. I used these two pieces for the top of the panels going across the room. Then I bought some caulk, liquid nails and paint and I was ready to go!

Okay, First Things First:

Tool List

Material List

2 sheets of plywood 2x4x8
4 1x3x8’s (cut in half for a total of 8 boards)
2 1x4x8’s
Liquid nails
Paintable Caulk
Wood Filler
Sanding Block
Paint
2 rolls of the Wallpaper

Okay, Let’s Get Started:

~~I used liquid nails to coat the back of the plywood ( I wouldn’t do this again-it tears your walls up & I don’t think it is really necessary)~~
Mark your studs along the wall ( they are typically every 16 inches a apart) I used this stud finder
Nail (using a nail gun) the sheets to the wall studs at an angle so the nails get a better grip
Use a nail gun to nail the 1×3’s to the wall starting in the corner and measuring how far apart you want them
I used a measuring tape and a level to make sure they were the correct distance and level each time. I like to put my first nail in the middle and that way I can straighten it out as I nail it down.
Then I nailed in the 1×4 across the top of the 1×3’s going across the length of the wall
I then used wood filler to fill in all the nail holes and any seams along the wall from the boards
Use a sanding block to sand down wood filler (once it is completely dry) and to smooth out any rough parts of the wood.
Then I cleaned the area using a vacuum and a duster.
Then I caulked along the edge of every board *I like to have lots of baby wipes by because once it is dry it is impossible to take off and perfect again. * I apply it using a caulk gun, with the tip of the caulk can cut at a small 45 degree angle and then applying it to the edge of the wood, then using a baby wipe and the tip of your finger to run over the line to smooth it out. The dampness helps keep your line smooth. If you have an excess of caulk then use a paper towel to clean up and then start again with a fresh baby wipe. You want to make sure you don’t get ahead of yourself because you don’t want it to dry before you smooth it over.
Once that is dry then you can PAINT! -I did one coat of primer and two coats of paint sanding in between each coat with a 320 grit sandpaper *the higher the grit the smoother it will be)
Then to apply the top wallpaper I used this wallpaper from Target. It is peel and stick so I just lined it up and took off the backing and stuck it up. I used my utility knife to cut along the ceiling and the top of the board and batten.

The only thing I didn’t do to make it perfect was remove our old baseboards and replace it with like a 1×6 to keep everything flush. So ours has a little bit of overhang but I have so much furniture in front of it you can hardly noticed so I didn’t mind! If you don’t want to take off your old baseboards you could also just cut the 1 X 3’s at a bevel cut on the miter saw to create smoother transition.

Check out the pictures below to get a better visual!