How to put wallpaper in your dollhouse

Here is a step by step guide to putting wallpaper in your doll house.  Our dollhouses are straight and easy to put wallpaper in.  If you are making an intricate dollhouse from a kit, it is much easier to do as much painting and wallpapering as possible before assembling it and then touch up afterwards.  


Step 1:  Print or buy your wallpaper!  


Step 2:  Measure the height and width of the wall(s)

Step 3:  Cut the wallpaper to size

Step 4:  Fold down one edge of your wallpaper, insert it in the house with the folded edge in a corner, smooth out and crease opposite corner.  (The reason for this is that your house will look much better if you "wrap" your wallpaper around the corner instead of having the pieces meet in the corner.  When the pieces meet in the corner, it forms a slight "gap" that doesn't look natural.)

Step 5:  Doodle some glue around the wall, paying special attention to corners and openings as these are the most important parts to have securely glued.  I have found with the medium weight paper I use for wallpaper that you do need a thin layer of glue covering the entire wall.  Otherwise bubbles in the paper appear.  Some people prefer cardstock wallpaper and only a little glue on the edges.  It's your choice.  Keep in mind how you will hang pictures... since I usually use Velcro so that the pictures are moveable, the wallpaper needs to be securely fastened to the wall.  This is messy, so don't be afraid to get messy!  Just smear two or three or four fingers around in the glue!  

Step 6:  I like to keep a damp rag nearby to wipe off gluey fingers.  You do NOT want to smooth out your wallpaper with wet or gluey fingers, so make sure they're dry before going on to the next step.

Step 7:  Place wallpaper on the glue... start with one corner and smooth it out towards the other corner.  Press firmly up and down the corners to get a good crease.  Rub gently all over the entire wall to ensure a smooth bond.

Step 8:  If you are decorating a house with holes for lights drilled in the back, poke through them with a dowel or pencil.  Usually there is enough glue around the holes to keep the poked in part glued in place.

Step 9:  To make a space for a door or window, place your measured piece of wallpaper in the house, hold your hand flat on one side (or use a book) and on the other side, trace the outline with a pencil.

Step 10:  Cut out the opening and repeat above steps to glue the dollshouse wallpaper, again paying special attention to the edges... they are what will receive the most wear in a played with doll house.  I usually lay one finger flat and smear the glue towards and slightly over the edge.

 

Repeat as many times as necessary.  That's it!  You're done :) 

I created a separate post for installing partial walls of wallpaper.