Nothing changes a dollhouse room faster than wallpaper and flooring. A bare wooden box suddenly looks like a cozy kitchen, a pretty bedroom or a grand hallway. It's easier than it looks, and you only need a few simple tools.
The whole process in 5 steps:
- Plan your room
- Make a paper template
- Put up the wallpaper
- Lay the floor
- Finish with trim
What You'll Need
- Wallpaper and flooring sheets made for 1:12 dollhouses
- Plain printer paper for making templates
- A pencil, ruler and sharp scissors
- A craft knife for neat trimming. Always have an adult use it, and change to a new blade often.
- Glue: a glue stick or wallpaper paste for paper, and white craft glue for wood flooring and trim. Many flooring sheets also come with a peel-and-stick backing.
- A soft cloth or a ruler wrapped in cloth for smoothing out bubbles
Step 1: Plan Your Room
Decide on the look first. Here are a few easy rules:
- Small patterns work best. Large prints look oversized in a small room.
- Light walls make a room feel bigger. Darker colours feel cozy, but can make a small room look dark.
- Mix with care. A patterned wallpaper usually looks best with a plain floor, and a plain wall pairs well with a patterned tile floor.
Which order? Most people do the walls first, then the floor, then the trim. Trim covers any small gaps where the walls and floor meet, so your work doesn't need to be perfect.
Step 2: Make a Paper Template
Dollhouse walls are rarely perfectly square, so don't just measure and cut. Make a template instead:
- Hold a sheet of plain printer paper against the wall.
- Use a pencil to trace the edges, windows and doors.
- Cut out your template and check that it fits. Trim it until it does.
- Lay the template on the back of your wallpaper, trace around it and cut.
Tip: cut the wallpaper about ⅛ inch bigger than the template. It's easier to trim a little extra than to fix a piece that's too small.
Step 3: Put Up the Wallpaper
- Do a test fit with no glue to make sure the piece fits and the pattern is straight.
- Spread a thin, even layer of glue on the wall, not the paper. Wet glue can soak paper and make it wrinkle.
- Press the paper on from the middle outward. Use a soft cloth to push out any air bubbles toward the edges.
- Trim any extra with a craft knife once the glue has set a little.
Windows and doors: cover the whole wall, let it dry, then cut out the opening from the front with a craft knife.
Corners: let the paper wrap about ⅛ inch around the corner. The next piece will cover that edge so there's no gap.
Want to change it later? Glue your wallpaper to thin card instead of the wall, then slide the card into place. You can swap it out anytime.
Step 4: Lay the Floor
- Make a template of the floor, just like you did for the walls.
- Lay the flooring out dry first so you can see how it fits.
- Put the full, uncut pieces at the front of the room, where they're most visible. Any trimmed pieces go at the back, where furniture will cover them.
- Glue it down, or peel and stick, and press it flat from the middle outward.
- Let it dry under a flat weight, like a heavy book on a sheet of paper, so the floor stays flat.
Tip: wood plank flooring looks most realistic when the planks run from the front of the room to the back.
Step 5: Finish with Trim
Trim is the small strip of wood that runs along the bottom of a wall (baseboard) or the top (crown molding). It hides the joins between the walls, floor and ceiling and makes a room look finished.
- Measure each wall and cut the trim to fit.
- Paint or stain it before gluing, so you don't get paint on your new wallpaper.
- Glue it in place with a thin line of white craft glue.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Too much glue: it causes bubbles and wrinkles. A thin layer is enough.
- Skipping the test fit: always try each piece before gluing.
- Rushing: let each step dry before you start the next one.
Shop Wallpaper, Flooring & Trim
Ready to start? Browse our collections:
Painting your trim or furniture? Read our guide on how to paint and stain unfinished dollhouse furniture. New to 1:12 scale? Start with our beginner's guide to dollhouse scale.
Questions? We're Happy to Help
Not sure which wallpaper or flooring is right for your room? Contact us. We've been helping miniature lovers since 2015, and we'd love to see your finished rooms.