close-up photos of doll house carpet samples

Here are some close up pictures of fabrics that work well for dollhouse carpet... the upholstrey fabric is easiest to install as it tends to be stiff.  It all works though!

How to make your own grass mat for a doll house...

If you have access to some old window covering books, usually there is one book devoted to "natural" type window blinds.  They contain samples using things like woven grass and bamboo.  Find one that suits the color and style you are after, and put gobs (LOTS) of glue down each of the far ends of the sample.  After about a day when it is dry, cut along the middle of that glue line and, presto, you have a "grass mat", "bamboo rug", or whatever else you want to call them :)  Here's a picture of a "jungle themed" room with a woven grass and bamboo throw carpet.  

Make your own miniature dollhouse fringe rug...

Making a homemade fringe rug for your doll house is quite simple if you have a scrap of the right kind of fabric... it needs to be a fabric that frays really easy.  This velvet material in the picture works really well.  Here are the step by step instructions:  
* Cut out the square or rectangular shape you want
* "Fray" two ends of the rug by pulling out the fabric threads
* When it looks how you want it to, take Fray Check (available in the sewing section of stores) and Fray Check all 4 sides. 
* Let dry... that's it!

How to put carpet in your dollhouse...

Laying carpet in your doll house is probably one of the easiest, quickest parts of decorating... and rewarding, because it changes the look and feel of the house so quickly!  The steps are so simple I'm not even sure they need written down, but here they are, along with one tip for laying carpet in a tiny room where there's not much space for your hands to get in...

Step1:  Select your carpet

Step 2:  Measure your room

Step 3:  Cut your carpet to size (and test for a correct fit)

Step 4:  Smear glue on the floor - especially the edges, paying special attention to the front edge because it will get the most wear.  You don't need much glue in the center of the floor, just a bit here and there.  Make sure all the glue is smeared flat, otherwise with some fabrics the glue will wick clear through and create a clear "wet" looking spot on the top of the carpet.

Step 5:  Lay the carpet and smooth it out!  Hint 1:  Use an old (clean) chopstick to gently push down the corners and edges in the hard to reach back areas.  Hint 2:  If you are laying carpet in a room where both of your hands do not easily fit, roll the carpet up first (see picture), align the front edge of the carpet with the front edge of the room, then use one hand to unroll the carpet back into the rest of the room.  

Dollhouse carpet ideas!

You can buy special dollhouse carpet, and it's very nice... but you can also use fabric scraps to create realistic looking, inexpensive carpeting.  Here are some ideas with pictures to get you thinking!  Keep in mind that dollhouse scale is small, so choose fabrics that have small prints and grains.

Here is a room carpeted with a scrap of upholstery fabric:

Here's a room carpeted with some soft, suede-like material:

Velvet and velvet-like material make a plush carpet:

Here, a girl's bedroom and playroom are carpeted with pink fleece (an old baby blanket!) and felt: