Wallpapering a dollhouse to your exact design can be really satisfying and with a few simple tips you can be sure you choose the right paper, scale, glue and sealant for your miniature wallpaper project.
Wallpapering a dollhouse is simple with these three steps:
- Choose your dollhouse wallpaper from self-adhesive vinyl wallpaper, specialist paper dollhouse, printable wallpaper, or scrapbook paper.
- Measure the wall and cut the wallpaper to size.
- Apply the wallpaper with pre-mixed wallpaper paste, glue (applied to the wall and not the paper) or double-sided sticky tape.
To get the perfect finish for your project there are a few things to consider such as scale, types of paper and the best glues and sealants.
You can watch the video below where I walk you through the options for dollhouse wallpaper or read on to find out more!
What Scale Dollhouse Wallpaper Do I Need?
The majority of dollhouses are measured at 1:12 scale, also known as the one inch scale. This means that an item that is one foot in real life is shrunk down to one inch in a dollhouse.
Common toys that fit the 1:12 scale include Sylvanian Families, Hape dollhouse figures, and Melissa and Doug dollhouse figures. I’ve written about dollhouse scale before, so if you want to find out more, read the posts What Is The Most Popular Dollhouse Scale and Dollhouse Scale: What It Is And How To Work It Out.
Most dollhouse wallpaper is a 1:12, scale but always check the scale before you buy. Some wallpaper follows the 1:24 scale (half the size of 1:12) which will mean you’ll need to buy more to cover a 1:12 dollhouse and also patterned wallpaper may look too small if it’s not the correct scale.
Using offcuts of real wallpaper can be problematic as it won’t be to scale with your dollhouse, it’s also heavy and thick which makes it difficult to attach to the walls.
If you’re not sure of the scale of your dollhouse then a quick way to find out is to measure the size of the doors. If they’re about 6 inches tall, then your dollhouse will be 1:12 scale as a real door is usually about 6 foot tall.
If the doors in your dollhouse measure 3 inches tall then that’s half the size of a 1:12 dollhouse so you probably have a dollhouse on a 1:24 scale.
What Wallpaper Should I Choose For Papering My Dollhouse?
There are 4 main options for dollhouse wallpaper:
- Vinyl self-adhesive wallpaper
- Paper wallpaper from specialist dollhouse shops
- Downloadable and printable wallpaper
- Scrapbook paper
Self-adhesive Dollhouse Wallpaper
Self-adhesive wallpaper for dollhouses is a few pounds and is non-see-through, making it ideal for recovering existing wallpaper or vinyl walls. It’s scratch and water resistant and isn’t applied with glue, so is a lot more straightforward to attach. It’s ideal for dollhouses which have plastic walls, rather than wooden walls, as it can be tricky to glue wallpaper to plastic.
If you’re working on a dollhouse project with your child, then vinyl wallpaper is the best option as it’s easier for them to apply it and will handle wear and tear better than paper.
Sheet sizes vary but one of the most popular brands, Stick and Go, measures at 318mm x 225mm which is just a bit bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. There are over 70 different designs to choose from, including books to make a library, bricks for outdoor areas and even floor and roof tiles, as well as lots of pretty wallpaper designs.
The surface needs to be smooth and dust free, then simply measure out the area you need to cover, cut the adhesive sheet to size, stick it on and smooth it out.
You can see below how I papered a wall of my miniature library with self-adhesive wallpaper.
Specialist Dollhouse Wallpaper
Specialist dollhouse wallpaper varies in price from about £2 up to £10 per sheet, depending on the size and quality. As the product is paper, it won’t be as robust as vinyl so is marketed more to collectors and miniaturists, rather than for use in children’s dollhouses.
The company Melody Jane is one of the leading brands for paper wallpaper for dollhouses. They sell hundreds of different designs in sheets approximately 450mm wide by 290mm high, which is around the same size as an A5 piece of paper. Sheets cost as little as £1, so you do get more paper for your money when compared to vinyl.
In the image below, the wallpaper on the left is from Melody Jane and the wallpaper on the right is one I downloaded and printed from Jennifer’s Printables (see more about this website below). It’s tricky to see in the image, but there wasn’t a huge difference in quality between the two, although the Melody Jane wallpaper was slightly clearer.
If your dollhouse is going to be in the sunlight, look for paper that is fade resistant. The company My Tiny World produces fade resistant and water resistant paper in lots of lovely patterns so is ideal for dollhouses kept in sunny rooms. Below is a retro wallpaper design from My Tiny World.
TOP TIP: Purpose made dollhouse wallpaper often comes with a white trim on it which usually features the copyright details or company name. Make sure you trim this off before you start measuring – I forgot to do this and wasted a sheet of paper as I had to remeasure it without the trim!
Downloadable and Printable Dollhouse Wallpaper
Another option is to download existing wallpaper designs and print these off at home.
Although this is quick and easy, there are some disadvantages:
- There are lots of variables which can affect how the wallpaper will look once it’s printed, including, the quality of your printer, ink and the paper you print on.
- If you print on paper that’s too thin, it’s more likely to wrinkle and any existing wallpaper you’re papering over may show through.
- If you print on paper that’s too thick, then it maybe tricky to stick it to the walls of your dollhouse.
- The ink could run if you apply too much glue to the paper.
- Downloadable dollhouse wallpaper is similar in price to regular dollhouse wallpaper, so when you factor in the cost of ink when printing intricate designs, it can work out to be the most expensive option.
Despite the above drawbacks, the main advantages of downloadable wallpaper is that it’s super quick to get the design you want and there are hundreds of designs available. You can also make your own designs – I show you exactly how to do this in the video below, or you can download 15 different walllpapers I made here for FREE!
Some websites offer free printable wallpaper for dollhouses and this is a great way to experiment with how well your printer can reproduce the designs and what card or paper to use before buying a download. Try Jennifer’s Printables for free wallpaper designs.
Below are a couple of wallpapers I downloaded and printed from Jennifer’s Printables to give you an idea of how good the print quality is.
There tends to be a wide choice of patterns available with downloadable dollhouse wallpaper so it’s a great option of you’re looking for something unique or creating a specific time period or theme in your dollhouse.
You can also download and print dollhouse murals. These are small sheets of wallpaper designed to cover specific areas of your dollhouse, such as a feature wall. Simply download, print and cut to size, but bear in mind the possible disadvantages listed above will also apply to paper murals.
Scrapbook Paper Dollhouse Wallpaper
Some modellers choose to use scrapbook paper as dollhouse wallpaper. This usually comes in books or multipacks of card or paper with different designs.
As this paper isn’t designed to be used as dollhouse wallpaper, there’s no way of knowing the scale of the designs. However, if you search ‘scrapbook paper 1:12’ on Etsy a few scale designs do come up. The best thing you can do is hold a sheet up to the wall and make an educated guess as to whether it looks suitable or not. If you avoid patterns with large elements in the design, you should be OK.
Below is a cardboard house decorated with butterfly scrapbook paper.
As it’s used for scrapbooking and card making, the scrapbook paper tends to come in small size sheets, of then A4 size, so you might need a lot of pieces to cover the room or area you’re papering. If you’re papering a large room in your dollhouse, this could mean there are multiple seams which could look untidy and ruin the overall look.
Choose good quality scrapbook paper which feels sturdy and has a matt finish. Paper with a glossy finish (which looks a bit like photo printing paper) can be tricky to stick to a wall as the glossy finish doesn’t allow the glue to dry out properly. If you want a shiny finish for your wallpaper, opt for the self adhesive vinyl wallpaper instead.
Wrapping Paper Dollhouse Wallpaper
A further option could be to try wrapping paper as dollhouse wallpaper. Quality and scale can vary greatly but it’s super cheap and you probably already have some, so it’s great for experimenting with colours and patterns. Try experimenting with thicker, higher quality paper to avoid rips and tears when you’re cutting and applying it. Higher quality paper also tends to have a grid on the back, making cutting much easier.
A final tip is to make sure you avoid creases in your design by choosing rolled wrapping paper, rather than folded.
How to Apply Dollhouse Wallpaper
When applying the wallpaper, choose a glue that has a matt finish, rather than the glossy finish of PVA glue, as this can create shiny areas on the paper that can ruin the overall look.
Many specialist dollhouse shops sell ready mixed wallpaper paste or you can use a matt glue such as Mod Podge.
When applying the glue, apply it to the walls, rather than the paper, this will help prevent the paper from sticking to itself (and you!) as you attach it to the wall. Look for a glue that isn’t too quick drying as this will mean you won’t have enough time to adjust the wallpaper into an exact position.
Another option is to use spray mount adhesive. Always apply this outside and spray it over the back of your wallpaper, then attach it to the wall quickly, before it dries out.
If your dollhouse is made from a kit, then it’s likely to be made of untreated MDF. MDF is porous so glue will just soak into it which could cause the wallpaper to become unstuck once it’s dry. To avoid this apply a coat of 50/50 part water and PVA glue to the walls and let this dry to seal the MDF.
TOP TIP: When you’re measuring your dollhouse, make sure you use a ruler where the measurements start at the end of the ruler, rather than having a gap and then the zero. Metal rulers are usually best as they are thinner and sturdier than plastic rulers and most will have measurements that start at the end of the ruler. I use a right angle ruler as it’s really easy to get exact angles with it and avoid sloping lines!
Can I Apply Wallpaper to a Dollhouse Before Building It?
If you plan to wallpaper a dollhouse or mini room your building then always build your structure first and wallpaper it after. There are lots of reasons to do it in this order:
- You can avoid any gaps showing in the wallpaper where walls meet, as you’ll be working with your finished structure.
- The wallpaper might get damaged as you insert joints.
- Adding wallpaper could affect the assembly process as it may make it harder for pieces to slot together due to the glue or thickness of the paper.
- It’ll make it harder to line up wallpaper seams as you won’t know how the walls will line up together until they’re installed.
If you’re planning on painting your dollhouse before assembling, find out the best way to do this with the post Should You Paint A Dollhouse Before Assembling?
How I Wallpapered My Daughter’s Sylvanian Families Dollhouse
My daughter is just getting into Sylvanian Families which is great for me as I loved them when I was growing up! A couple of years ago, she was gifted a second hand Sylvanian Families dollhouse and today, I decided to give the bedroom a makeover.
I printed off some nautical downloadable dollhouse wallpaper and used this to cover the sides of the upstairs room. I wanted to do the whole thing but only printed one sheet of A4 paper so didn’t have enough to cover all of the walls. There was a mark on the back wall where a mirror used to be so I repurposed a photo frame I had left over from my RoLife library project to cover this. I do need to so something about the old My Little Pony sticker on the ceiling though!
Further Questions
How Do You Remove Wallpaper From a Dollhouse?
The same way you would in a real home – with a lot of water and scraping! Use a spray bottle of water to wet the walls and then scrape off with a scraper. A full size scraper might be tricky to use so try something like a small play clay scraper instead.
How Do I Seal Dollhouse Wallpaper?
If you’ve used self-adhesive wallpaper then you won’t need to seal it. The same goes for quality paper wallpaper and scrapbook paper.
You’ll probably need to seal printable wallpaper as there’s a chance the ink will bleed if it gets wet at any point. Use a clear acrylic sealer and apply at least two light coats to seal the design. You could do this before or after applying the wallpaper, but it’s probably easier to do it before.
Many miniaturists recommend Krylon K01303007 Acrylic Spray Paint Crystal Clear to apply a permanent protective gloss coating.
TOP TIP: Apply the spray paint to both sides of the paper to make the paper stronger and easier to handle.
Can You Paint Over Dollhouse Wallpaper?
Yes, just like real wallpaper, there’s no reason why you can’t paint over dollhouse wallpaper. Just make sure the walls are smooth and free from dirt. If you’re painting over a particularly dark wallpaper, you may want to add an undercoat of white paint before painting over with your final colour.
You could invest in a few sample pots of emulsion paint to get an idea of the shade you want for your dollhouse. The best bit is, as dollhouses are so small, a sample pot will probably cover the whole room! Emulsion paint is great for dollhouses as although it’s water-based, most have a added acrylic or vinyl added to make the paint more durable.
You can find out more about painting over dollhouse wallpaper in the post Can You Paint Over Wallpaper In A Dollhouse?
