How do you apply contact paper to a countertop smoothly?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75wTNDGdY8Q

Katie Counter tops, or inside the cabinets ???

Unless you're not expecting to clean it with nothing more than a wet rag and you don't expect it to last more than two years without showing scratches, I wouldn't spend my time and $ on this countertop "solution". It is paper.

If you really want to do this, then you'll need a drywall ceiling knock-down knife or a soft plastic squeegee and start in the middle with an over-sized piece. I'd get a helper if I'd not done this before. Press the middle down with the knock-down knife and each of you pull taught the ends of the paper and then lower it onto the top.

Work the bubbles out from the middle, outward. Pop the tiny trapped bubbles with a pin.

I agree with Cheryl. The usage of the countertop is vast and this does not create an ideal place for Contact Paper, even High Quality PVC Or Stainless Steel Contact Paper.

They are great for a Backdrop in Photography via Paint by Numbers and Canvassing, or even as a Backsplash but beyond that, you really need for your purposes to look for something more permanent to cut on and use daily.

Mother used contact paper on her kitchen counter when she was renting an old farm house. She knew it would not last a long time, but oh, how much better it looked than the old linoleum counter top. She even used the same contact paper to cover the lids of her canisters and other small items on top of the counter. I used woodlook contact paper on the sides of a medicine cabinet in a small half bath I had in a rental house....looked good. So I would say go ahead and use contact paper if you need to. You can use a cutting board or heat resistant things if you need to keep it looking nice.

We added it to our pantry shelves and out drawers. The application is the same. Here are the tips. https://www.exquisitelyunremarkable.com/2021/01/how-to-apply-contact-paper-perfect-results.html