If you’re remodeling a dollhouse and you don’t want to paint the walls, you can use wallpaper to create different decor styles.
There are a lot of things that you can use for dollhouse wallpaper, and not all of them are actually made from paper.
This list of wallpaper ideas is meant to be a starting point for your dollhouse, whether you want something traditional or something that’s more quirky.
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1. Actual dollhouse wallpaper.
The most obvious choice for dollhouse wallpaper is actual dollhouse wallpaper.
There are a lot of companies that make scaled-down designs for small miniatures, and you can get them both online and in craft stores.
Dollhouse wallpaper can be either peel and stick, or regular paper that needs an adhesive to stick it to the walls.
If you choose the type that needs to be glued to the wall it’s going to be a lot more permanent than the peel-and-stick type.
If you want to change the look of your dollhouse on a regular basis, permanent wallpaper might make that harder to do, so take that into account.
2. Printable digital paper.
Printable digital paper can be found online and can be purchased and printed on a home printer to make as many sheets of wallpaper as you need.
The benefit of buying digital paper is that you can keep the files and print them as often as you need them. So if you mess a sheet up, you can print some more!
You can get digital dollhouse wallpaper on Etsy.
I have some designs that are based on different vintage patterns, including some that are inspired by the original wallpaper in the house I’m working on.
Click here to see the dollhouse wallpaper on E
tsy.
If you buy printable paper, it’s easier to use if it’s a repeating pattern so that the edges line up when you put two pieces next to each other. That way, you won’t have to adjust the paper too much.
3. Real wallpaper samples.
Real wallpaper samples that have smaller designs on them, or that are solid colors, are good options for dollhouses.
You can also get wallpaper that I’ve designed and sized specifically for 1:12 dollhouses in my Spoonflower shop here.
Wallpaper sample books can often be found at thrift stores, and some home decor stores sell rolls that have been discontinued to get rid of the last of the inventory.
The only downside is that you might not be able to find enough to do larger rooms in the same pattern if you’re using scrap pieces.
Wallpaper sample books have pieces that are large enough to find pieces that are usable, but you might have to combine a few patterns to do an entire room.
If you can find rolls or end pieces of rolls, you might be able to find enough to do an entire room.
Real wallpaper will probably need to be glued or taped into place because they’re generally not peel and stick! There are some types of wallpaper that are self-adhesive, and you activate the glue on them by wetting them.
You can either do it that way, or just use double-sided tape to attach the sheets to the walls so that it’s not as permanently attached.
4. Scrapbooking paper.
There are a lot of choices of patterns and designs if you use scrapbook paper, including heavyweight versions that have glitter and metallic surfaces.
Scrapbooking paper comes in different weights, so if the walls that you’re covering aren’t perfectly clean or have old paper on them, the heavyweight versions can help to disguise those flaws.
It usually comes in pieces that are 12″ square, so they’re going to be large enough to cover the walls of most 1:12 and smaller houses without having to piece them floor to ceiling.
You’ll have to line them up lengthwise, but since they’re tall enough you won’t have a seam that goes parallel to the ceiling.
5. Gift wrap and gift bags.
Gift wrap and gift bags for dollhouse wallpaper are good options because they’re inexpensive and they come in different weights, so you can get some that are pretty sturdy.
I used gift wrap for the Pink Flamingo room in this dollhouse. The good thing about it was that I got it at the Dollar Store, so when I messed it up, it didn’t cost a lot to redo it!
The downside of gift wrap is that it can be really thin, so if you get a cheaper type (like from the Dollar Store,) it can tear easily and you might mess up the wall you just papered.
If you get a heavier weight, or if you use gift bags, you won’t run as much risk of tearing the paper once it’s on the wall.
Gift bags are usually sturdier because they have to be made to carry things.
If you find a gift bag with a nice pattern, you can cut it open on the seam and you’ll have a large piece that you can use to cut up and fit on your dollhouse walls.
You can also seal your wallpaper with polyurethane or a coat of Mod Podge if you want to make it less likely to tear.
Click here to see an article with tips for wallpapering a dollhouse with gift wrap.
6. Peel and Stick Wallpaper.
Using peel and stick wallpaper for a dollhouse is a good option, especially if you buy some that’s either designed for dollhouses specifically, or if you can find some in a small scale.
I’ve started a Spoonflower account where I have some designs that are specifically for dollhouses in fabric and wallpaper, and the patterns are intended for doll’s houses only.
The size of the designs are smaller and are good for 1:6 and 1:12 scale, and they have coordinating fabrics with them, so check those out as I add more designs.
Wallpaper usually comes in pattern sizes that are a little larger than the fabric versions, but the scale should still be small.
Peel and stick dollhouse wallpaper is similar to vinyl contact paper, but it’s designed in patterns that are meant to be used for dollhouses.
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7. Vinyl contact paper.
Vinyl contact paper is a good, non-permanent option for wallpapering your dollhouse. The adhesive is usually designed to be less sticky, so if you want to peel it off you should be able to do it with a little effort.
It should also come off in a single sheet if you’re careful.
The downside of contact paper is that if there are imperfections on the wall, it will telegraph through and you’ll be able to see bumps and lumps.
You’ll have to make sure that the walls are pretty flat before applying the contact paper so that the walls look good.
You can also use the removable wall method to start with a smooth surface to attach your contact paper to so that you get a good result.
8. Fabric.
Fabric comes in a lot of prints and patterns, and you can apply it directly to the walls of your dollhouse for quick decor.
You can attach the fabric directly to the walls using Mod Podge, then apply another coat to cover the walls to harden it.
You can also attach the fabric to the wall using tacks at the top, or use a little curtain rod to create a curtained wall that’s pleated or draped.
Fabric walls can be a nice touch in a traditionally-decorated dollhouse, and if you use a more modern pattern they can add a lot of visual interest.
9. 3D materials.
This is an unconventional approach, but you can glue things that have dimension to them to walls to create special effects.
I’m going to be adding moss and natural elements to one of the rooms in my dollhouse to make a gnome house environment in it.
It’s not going to be a traditional look, but it will definitely be interesting!
You can also create a wall that’s covered in flowers, or use tiles on the walls instead of flat paper.
I can think of walls that are covered in wood, or walls that have bamboo mats attached to them to create texture. There are a lot of options that would work.
I did a feature wall for my dollhouse that was covered with paper quilling, so that’s another 3D option.
10. Paper ephemera.
Using paper ephemera, like old tickets, sheet music, greeting cards, or other paper items, can be an approach that would look give the dollhouse walls a lot of visual interest.
If you try to keep the colors in the same range, it won’t look disjointed. Or you can do a variety of colors to make it look less predictable.
This kind of wallpaper would work well for a themed room if you can set it up that way.
You can use old sheet music for a music room, or make library walls that are covered with book pages.
11. Metal foil.
This is a bit of an extreme choice, but it definitely is a statement. I have one room that I’ve wallpapered using gold leaf, and it’s pretty cool, but it’s definitely going to be a blingy room.
Metallics aren’t a look that everyone is going to like, but they do go with some styles of home decor.
And if you want to do a gaudy room, they’re pretty much a must.
I’m going to bling out the gold room somehow, and the walls are just the starting point.
You can also use tinfoil or metallic embossing foil to create metallic effects on the walls.
Some scrapbooking papers also have a metallic finish to them, and you can use those to create a shiny wall.
12. Adhesive items
There are a lot of small things like mirror tiles and stickers that you can decorate the walls in your dollhouse with.
If you paint a wall and then stick things to it, it can create a feature wall with 3D elements.
Check out the craft store for things that you can attach to walls to make patterns.
The sticker aisle has a lot of things like sticky jewels, puffy stickers, and large stickers that are designed for scrapbooking that could be used to make a mural on the wall of a dollhouse.
You can also get little sticky frames that you can attach to the walls to create a floor-to-ceiling art gallery.
There are a lot of things that can go on walls in a dollhouse, and they don’t all have to be paper.
Anything that you can attach to the flat surface will probably work, it just depends on what effect you’re going for!