How to Carpet a Dollhouse

Adding carpet to a dollhouse is a great way to make the room warm and cozy. Carpets can be found in an array of colors and styles, including plush, berber, printed, woven and hand-knotted. Whether a hand woven throw rug, an elaborate oriental rug or a wall-to-wall plush carpet, a floor covering helps to soften a room.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Embroidery thread
• Cardboard
• Glue
• Doilies
• Wide ribbon
• Fabric
• Paint
• Shellac

Carpets

1. Choose your carpet. There are several different types of pre-made carpets such as punched, knotted, petit point, plush pile or loom woven. Decide if you want use a period piece. Match the color as closely as you can to the paint, wallpaper and accessories within the room. You can also use a heavy brocade, plaid or velvet fabric.

2. Measure your room carefully. Purchase a piece of carpet a bit larger than the largest dimensions of the room.

3. Cut a template for the floor, making note of any angles or bump outs from the walls, such as a fireplace or staircase. Place it on the floor to see if the fit is good.

4. Flip the template over and trace onto the back of your carpet piece. Using scissors or a craft knife, trim the carpet to size. Check and see if it fits securely within the room before gluing down.

5. Apply glue to the whole floor using a foam brush and PVA glue or craft glue. Place the precut carpet piece down on top of the glue and press firmly. Let it dry for several hours.

6. Pick at the edges of the carpet to see if the glue is secure. If any parts lift up, touch up with glue to secure the carpet down.

7. Add base boards around the room using PVA glue or double stick tape. This will cover the edges of the carpet and help finish the room.

Rugs

8. Braid small pieces of embroidery thread together and then coil into a circle or an oval onto an adhesive backing, such as contact paper or a piece of cardboard with a thin layer of glue applied.

9. Use small crocheted doilies as scatter rugs in a Victorian or in a feminine room.

10. Trim an elaborately decorated piece of wide ribbon to a runner size rug. Fray the edges for the perfect runner for halls, hearth rug or throw.

11. Create a room size floor cloth by trimming a piece of fabric such as a heavy plaid, velvet or patterned fabric to slightly larger than the room size. Fold under the edges and either tack it down with glue or with small stitches.

12. Craft a waxed floor cloth by trimming a piece of cotton duck to the desired size. Fold under the edges and adhere with masking tape. Paint or stamp a pattern on the floor cloth and let dry. After the paint has dried, apply a thick layer of shellac over the floor cloth as a sealant.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the ceiling before you lay the carpet to prevent paint drips from staining the carpet.
• Instead of carpet, consider using brick sheeting, cut and stained balsa wood, trimmed popsicle sticks, marble tiles or cut linoleum.
• Run your electrical wiring before carpeting so you can cover any exposed wires with the carpet flooring.

Resources

• Purchase a variety of dollhouse carpets at TheMagicalDollhouse.com.

[PamelaA]

on 4/22/2008 What is 'cotton duck' in Step 5 above?
Regards, Pamela