Painting over dollhouse wallpaper is a quick way to refresh a room without having the hassle of repapering. But can it actually be done? And if so, what’s the best way of painting over wallpaper?
You can paint over wallpaper in a dollhouse using most types of household paint, including chalk paint, furniture paint, and emulsion (known as latex paint in the USA). Depending on how brightly coloured the wallpaper is, you may need to use two coats of paint to cover it.
Below I share the tips and tricks I’ve learnt when painting over dollhouse wallpaper.
What kind of paint is best for painting over dollhouse wallpaper?
The best type of paint for painting over dollhouse wallpaper is emulsion paint (emulsion paint is called latex paint in the USA). Emulsion is a versatile household paint used to cover walls and wallpaper in full size houses and this paint works just as well in dollhouses.
Emulsion paint is easy to apply and for most dollhouse rooms you’ll be able to buy a sample pot to cover the area. Many sample pots come with mini rollers or applicators so make it really simple to apply.
Emulsion paint is inexpensive too, with many tester pots costing less than two pounds. You may already have some emulsion paint left over from a household project and you can use this on a dollhouse by applying it to the wallpaper with a small brush.
There are hundreds of different colours of emulsion available with a wide range of finishes from matt to high gloss.
Another great option for paint for covering dollhouse wallpaper is chalk paint. Chalk paint is usually made for covering furniture but there are also types designed specifically for covering walls too. I use chalk furniture paint to cover the wallpaper in one of the rooms in my dollhouse. It covered extremely well and only required one coat.
The downside of chalk paint is that it’s much more expensive than emulsion and is prone to chipping. I chose to use it for my dollhouse as I had some left over from a previous dollhouse decorating project and I didn’t want it to go to waste.
You can find out more about what paints are best for using on a wooden dollhouse by reading my blog post What Paint Is Best For A Wooden Dollhouse?
What happens when you paint dollhouse wallpaper?
The main issue that can happen when painting over dollhouse wallpaper is that the paper will bubble. The bubbling happens because the paint makes the wallpaper wet, which expands the paper. This expansion is worse where the glue is weakest, which means the largest bubbles will form in these areas. In most cases, when the paint dries the wallpaper will shrink again and the bubbles will disappear.
In the image below, you can see the paper starting to bubble towards the bottom of the wall.
Although the wallpaper in this bedroom was embossed, it was only very slightly raised, so it was easy to paint over without having to use lots of paint.
Over time, wallpaper can loose it’s adhesion so if you are renovating a vintage dollhouse and the wallpaper is peeling or frayed at the edges, it’ll probably be better to remove all of the wallpaper, rather than painting over it.
The image below shows the large downstairs room in my current dollhouse renovation project. I decided to remove the wallpaper, rather than painting over it as it was severely stained and flaking off in some area. It also had an embossed pattern which would have made painting over it trickier as I would have had to apply more paint which would have dampened the wallpaper and made it detach from the wall.
After I removed the wallpaper, I washed the wall with a damp cloth to remove any debris, let it dry and then it was ready to paint!
If the wallpaper is torn or damaged then, again, it might be better to remove the wallpaper and paint into the wall underneath.
Before you start painting your dollhouse wallpaper, make sure it’s clean and dry, especially if it’s a vintage dollhouse. I used baby wipes to gently remove dust from the wallpaper in my dollhouse and then dried the walls with a paper towel before starting to paint.
How do you remove dollhouse wallpaper?
Dollhouse wallpaper is easy to remove with warm water with a drop of dish soap in it. The dollhouse I’m currently renovating had lots of wallpaper that needed removing. The best method I’ve found is to apply water with a cloth and gently rub the paper for a few seconds, before removing it with a wallpaper scraper.
I used a regular size wallpaper scraper but you may find (as I did) that these are too big for the smaller spaces above door frames and around windows. Using a set of wallpaper scrapers or putty scrapers with a range of different sized tools will make the job much easier.
For stubborn areas of wallpaper that won’t come off easily, soak them by holding a damp cloth over the wallpaper for a few minutes, before scraping the paper off. I’ve renovated a couple of dollhouses now and have found that in most cases the majority of the paper will come off in one big piece. Dollhouse wallpaper is usually stuck down with craft glue which dissolves easily with water.
Can you Mod Podge over wallpaper?
You can seal dollhouse wallpaper with Mod Podge, the super versatile crafting glue, and this will help protect the wallpaper from scratches and tears. In warmer climates though, Mod Podge can remain tacky to the touch after being applied so can attract dirt and dust.
For the best results, seal the wallpaper with a spay sealant that also has UV protection to help prevent fading. And if children aren’t playing with your dollhouse, you may not want to seal the wallpaper at all. Some people don’t like the sheen effect that sealing wallpaper can cause.
If you’ve used vinyl wallpaper, such as the range from Stick & Go, you shouldn’t have to seal it, even if kids will be playing with the dollhouse as this dollhouse wallpaper is scratch and water resistant.
In summary, you can paint over dollhouse wallpaper, provided the wallpaper isn’t peeling and is securely attached the the wall. If you decide to replace your wallpaper, then ready my guide How To Wallpaper A Dollhouse: Tips For Easy Decorating for helpful tips.