How to Wallpaper Your Dolls' House
by The Dolls House Emporium in Living > Toys & Games
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How to Wallpaper Your Dolls' House
Starting with a bare dolls' house kit or QuickStyle dolls' house, first take your house out of the packaging and make sure you have all the pieces as shown in the building instructions.
We recommend 'dry-building' the dolls' house to ensure you are happy with the construction and all the parts fit perfectly before reassembling and gluing/screwing it together as shown in the instructions.
If you have a QuickStyle dolls' house the front edges and ceilings will be painted white for you. If you have a dolls' house kit we recommend completing the painting before starting the wallpapering to get the best finish.
We recommend 'dry-building' the dolls' house to ensure you are happy with the construction and all the parts fit perfectly before reassembling and gluing/screwing it together as shown in the instructions.
If you have a QuickStyle dolls' house the front edges and ceilings will be painted white for you. If you have a dolls' house kit we recommend completing the painting before starting the wallpapering to get the best finish.
When ordering your wallpaper sheets make sure you have measured the room correctly and allow extra for cuts and repeats of patterns. We recommend a sheet of paper per wall but you might get away with two sheets of paper for a whole room if it's a smaller room without a pattern. Just like when buying life size wallpaper for your home, we recommend over-ordering to avoid having to reorder and possibly getting the extra sheets from a different batch which may differ slightly.
Once your dolls' house is assembled and glued/screwed you are ready to start preparing the walls for wallpapering.
Once your dolls' house is assembled and glued/screwed you are ready to start preparing the walls for wallpapering.
Next, size the walls; mix PVA glue with water and paint this on your walls using a paint brush. This gives the wallpaper a key to adhere to. Make sure you leave adequate time for this to dry before starting to apply the wallpaper.
Looking at the room as three walls we would recommend starting on the middle, back wall. When cutting your wallpaper for the back wall we recommend adding 10mm so that there can be a 5mm overlap at each corner for a neat finish, when you apply the side wallpapers on top. (You may also want to add an extra 5mm to the bottom edge if you aren't going to use skirting board, so that the carpet and wallpaper meet perfectly.)
We recommend using a guillotine or setsquare and cutting mat when cutting your wallpaper to ensure it is straight and the edges run level to the room.
Once you have checked your paper fits, paste the paper or wall using wallpaper paste or border adhesive. Apply the wallpaper to the wall and slide into position, using a clean, dry sponge or a spatula/credit card with rounded edges to smooth the paper from the centre out. Make sure you get right into the corners, removing any air bubbles or creases. Always do this gently; when the paper is wet it needs to be handled carefully to avoid tearing.
When papering the side walls, try to accurately measure the length of the wall so you get a neat edge at the front/opening of the room. Also don't forget about adding a 5mm overlap on the floor for a neat finish without a skirting board.
Apply the same principles as above when smoothing out the paper and removing any creases or bubbles.
If you do end up with wallpaper protruding past the front edge of the house, always wait for it to dry before cutting it off with a sharp knife (if it's wet when you cut it, it will be more likely to rip). Always use a sharp scalpel blade & watch you don't cut your fingers.
You can help the wallpaper to dry more quickly by using a hairdryer on a low heat setting, continuously moving it around. (Don't leave it on one spot or it may cause the paper to peel and crack if dried too quickly.)
Looking at the room as three walls we would recommend starting on the middle, back wall. When cutting your wallpaper for the back wall we recommend adding 10mm so that there can be a 5mm overlap at each corner for a neat finish, when you apply the side wallpapers on top. (You may also want to add an extra 5mm to the bottom edge if you aren't going to use skirting board, so that the carpet and wallpaper meet perfectly.)
We recommend using a guillotine or setsquare and cutting mat when cutting your wallpaper to ensure it is straight and the edges run level to the room.
Once you have checked your paper fits, paste the paper or wall using wallpaper paste or border adhesive. Apply the wallpaper to the wall and slide into position, using a clean, dry sponge or a spatula/credit card with rounded edges to smooth the paper from the centre out. Make sure you get right into the corners, removing any air bubbles or creases. Always do this gently; when the paper is wet it needs to be handled carefully to avoid tearing.
When papering the side walls, try to accurately measure the length of the wall so you get a neat edge at the front/opening of the room. Also don't forget about adding a 5mm overlap on the floor for a neat finish without a skirting board.
Apply the same principles as above when smoothing out the paper and removing any creases or bubbles.
If you do end up with wallpaper protruding past the front edge of the house, always wait for it to dry before cutting it off with a sharp knife (if it's wet when you cut it, it will be more likely to rip). Always use a sharp scalpel blade & watch you don't cut your fingers.
You can help the wallpaper to dry more quickly by using a hairdryer on a low heat setting, continuously moving it around. (Don't leave it on one spot or it may cause the paper to peel and crack if dried too quickly.)