There have been people sharing this on the internet for years.  The first time I heard of someone putting contact paper on a countertop, I simultaneously thought it was an awesome and horrible idea.  There seemed to be no way it would last or look decent.  But it was so cheap and crafty it also sounded great.

When we rented the 1920s house a few months ago, it was the PERFECT time to give it a try myself though.  Not only would it just cost a few dollars, but there was no way I could use the countertops in our rental as they were.

Here is half of the kitchen for reference (these are the only countertops in the kitchen):

Why we put contact paper on our countertops

Get ready for some gross:

Now, technically, they were “clean,” I suppose.  They had been scrubbed before we moved in and I sure scrubbed them again after we moved in.  Still, there was absolutely no way I was preparing food on them.

Since this was just a temporary rental and I needed a very quick fix, I didn’t go with the higher quality contact paper that I would if it were my own house or a longer-term rental.  I picked up Con-Tact brand blue granite. (affiliate links)

How to apply it

It was so easy to cover the counters.  As you can see in the pictures, the tiles were REALLY uneven and several of them were broken.

I cut a piece to fit and then notched out around all of the supports.  The paper wasn’t deep enough to go all the way to the back of the counter, but the great part about the granite pattern was that you couldn’t even see the seams when you were looking for them.  So I just cut long strips to cover the back.

Covering tile countertops with contact paper

Then I just peeled a portion of the backing off and started placing it.  I did get the placement slightly off the first time or two, and I was afraid that the paper wouldn’t stick as well if I peeled it back up, but it did great.  It peeled up easily and stayed in place when I re-stuck it in a better position.  This would have gone a little easier with two people (and pictures would have been better too).

Here was the first third covered:

You can see how uneven the tiles are under the contact paper, but I imagine for 90% + of rentals, the countertops aren’t this bad.  🙂

Because the tiles hung over the edge of the countertop by wildly varying amounts, I ended up not wrapping the contact paper around the front.  It just never would have stuck.

Here is the finished product:

Covering the countertops with contact paper took about 30 minutes from start to finish, and only cost $6.  So, SO worth it!

We lived with it for three months and were not gentle with it.  Even with all the bumps and gaps between the tiles, there was no peeling at all.

When we were moving out, it peeled off very easily too and left no residue behind.  It couldn’t have been easier.

YouTube video

So…I highly recommend covering your countertops with contact paper if you need a quick fix.

The higher quality is great for longer-term fixes or a pricier look, but it is more expensive and takes a little more time and care to apply.

The less expensive is really affordable, and perfect if there’s a pattern that matches your kitchen or bathroom. It’s super fast to install and remove.

Or search for your own look here:

Happy countertop fixing!

Update: I ended up doing this 2 more times, once as a more permanent solution with the high-quality DC Fix brand paper, and again in our current home with the cheap stuff. You just can’t go wrong.
If you have any questions, just ask below!

FAQs about contact paper on tile countertops:

Can you put contact paper over tile?

Yes. That’s what you see in this example, of course, it’s a little easier to poke a hole in it than if it was a solid surface, but even with this terribly uneven and popping-up tile, we had no problems with contact paper over tile.

How do you cover tile countertops with contact paper?

In a nutshell, clean your countertop well with a rubbing alcohol. Then layout your contact paper on the counter. If you have a lot of little areas to cut around like we did, you’ll want to cut it to size before applying it. Otherwise, lay it in place, and begin peeling a little bit at the end. Make sure it stays inline all the way down the roll. It may need to be re-adjusted a few times at first, and that’s okay, it will still stick just fine.

Is contact paper waterproof?

Yes, as long as there aren’t any nicks or cuts in it.

Is contact paper permanent?

No, that’s why it works so well on countertops. You can watch the video above to see how easy it is to peel off when you’re finished with it.

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20 Comments

  1. We can say nothing… Thanks for sharing your ideas! I’m really fond of reading this post! Your ideas are inspiring!

    Reply

  2. How wonderful this worked out, I’m been wondering about contact paper on counter tops my self but since we own I was leaning toward a cement finish, it would probably take the same amount of time and energy…happy nesting.

    Reply

  3. OMG I saw your pin pop up on Pinterest and I’m so close to doing the same thing in our rented kitchen! I saw it done a few years ago by a blogger friend in Ireland and thought it was genius. This looks SO much better for the time you lived here! Not to mention actually better for containing spills and keeping the counter clean. All that grout scares me.

    Reply

  4. Hey Christina, I’m in a similar situation, I’m in a rental with old peach colored tiles from the 80s and they are making me so depressed! I’m wondering if the uneven surface between the tiles (like where the grout is) was annoying to you, or did it make it feel too shoddy? It sounds like you were really happy with the result overall, but I’m just wondering about this particular aspect of how it turned out. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jessica! The dips over the grout didn’t bother me. You will be able to see them when the light reflects, but for me it was 100% worth it compared to what we had before. It was still easy to clean too. If you go with a higher quality contact paper, it will be thicker and won’t show as much of the uneven texture underneath, BUT it’s not as easy to work with or as easy to remove when you’re done.

      And I totally feel you on the peach tiles, we had those in our last house and it really did make you sad just walking into the room.

      Reply

  5. I have never worked with contact paper. I too live in a rental. I am wondering about when others in the home do not use a cut board so the cut marks show? And staining?

    Reply

    1. If the paper is cut, there’s a chance it will tear and show, but only if you know it’s there. We have moved again and I did this for the 4th time. I’ve had the cheap paper on my counters for 9 months. I’ve been super rough with it and it has some tears and stains (tomato sauce!), BUT I used the granite look again and you can’t see them at all unless you know they’re there. This is also the blue and white on top of dark red counters, so that’s really saying something. 🙂
      Still 100% worth it! Just go with the cheap stuff and you’ll be happy. If something bad happens, you can always replace it in 30 minutes for another $5.

      Reply

  6. Thank you for this. I have a kitchen table that’s ugly green tile. I can’t afford a new table and was wondering what to do with it. The table doesn’t get much wear as I live alone. I cut things on my counters and usually use a cutting board. Would you recommend putting some light glue on it to last longer? Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Ann! I was going to say it depends on whether you go with the cheaper paper or the more expensive, but I don’t think it’s necessary either way. I’ve never had issues with either one peeling off. But if something were to happen like a tear, you would probably want it to come off easily so you could replace it. (That’s another thing that’s so great, there is usually enough left over to replace it if you need to!)

      Reply

  7. Really tempted to do a white and grey marble look but nervous about the contact paper getting stained. Did you experience any staining and/or ever use a lighter colour like white. I’m clumsy and worry I’ll spill cranberry juice everywhere and stain the contact paper. Thanks in advance!!

    Reply

    1. Yes, I did use white a couple times (with the higher quality DC Fix brand), but sorry, I didn’t spill anything on it that would stain. 😀

      I have spilled tomato sauce on the less expensive paper I have in my kitchen now (blue and white granite look) and it did come out after some rubbing with rubbing alcohol for a few minutes. There was a second sauce spot that I didn’t notice until the next day and it didn’t *totally* come out, but you still can’t see it unless it’s pointed out.

      Even though the DC Fix brand has a lot more white, it also has a glossier surface, so I’d expect it to be harder to stain.

      Reply

    1. I’ve never tried that Christine! A couple things come to mind though, things might settle in between the cracks that could be hard to clean. Are you thinking of peel and stick flooring tiles, or the ones made for backsplashes? That would make a difference in my next thoughts. 🙂

      Reply

  9. Hi there I love your post,My family and I are currently renting and the tile is hideous so I said let me look up how to cover tile with contact paper. Have you had any issues with heat like hot pots which you normally be able to place on the surface? Thanks again for the post.

    Reply

  10. Hi, maybe this is a stupid question but I have seen some people put contact paper on their kitchen walls. Would you recommend this? I thought about doing the same thing but I have some fear about mold growing on the wall under the contact paper because mold grows best in dark and damp places. I want to stick contact paper to the wall on some areas where the wall can get damp more easily (We’re not that good at keeping the kitchen dry..) so I thought that if you would have contact paper there, you could easily wipe any damp away. Any thoughts?? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. That’s interesting, I haven’t thought about that. I really don’t know, but I would say just try it and see! It’s such an affordable option, and it’s so easy to put up and take down that it would be worth a try! Come back and let me know if you do it, I’d love to hear.

      Reply

    1. I suppose you could if you wanted a slightly longer term solution! I don’t think I’d recommend that in a rental, for the sake of your security deposit though.

      Reply