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The last time you thought of a dollhouse furniture, carpets, and other accessories, it might have been when you were a kid. However, dollhouses are really popular with adults, and making miniatures is a fun craft for all ages. Making the accessories like carpets and rugs for doll’s houses can be as simple or complex as you like.
So, how do you make a dollhouse carpet?
Making dollhouse carpets and rugs can be as simple as cutting pieces of fabric into the size that you want, or as complex as creating miniature needlework pieces that replicate the patterns of genuine Persian rugs. Some methods include printing out carpets and making them out of paper, or painting them directly onto the dollhouse floor. For the most realistic versions, dollhouse carpet kits that can be needlepointed are available.
Miniature needlepoint dollhouse carpet by Janet Granger Designs
The simplest way to make a dollhouse carpet is to print one out using a photo of a real carpet, then to glue the paper rug to a piece of cardboard to make it more sturdy. The advantage of this method is that it’s quick and relatively easy, but it’s also less realistic than other methods because the carpet will be flat and won’t have a texture.
Images for carpets can be found online, or you can use pictures from the pages of old books. Images that you find online may not be free for commercial use, though, so be careful not to sell anything that you make from downloaded photos unless you own the copyright for them.
You can also make your own carpet images using photo editing software, then print those out. That way, you can edit the colors and patterns to fit the decor of your dollhouse rooms. Print the rug images on regular copy paper, or use a heavier paper or a light cardstock for a sturdier carpet.
Needlepoint dollhouse carpet kit by Janet Granger Designs
To read about other relaxing crafts for adults, click here
Making fabric dollhouse carpets.
To make a fabric dollhouse carpet, simply cut a piece of fabric to the size that you need, and finish the edges so that they won’t fray. Some types of fabrics are better suited for this than others, including heavier upholstery fabrics and fabrics that have a tight weave and will lay flat when cut into a small piece.
Some fabrics can just be cut into shapes and left unfinished, like faux furs that have a leather-like backing. The fake leather won’t unravel, so this kind of fabric can be used to make shag carpets.
Fabrics that are 100% synthetic can be melted, so to finish the edges you can run the cut edges against the flame of a lit candle to quickly melt the edge. This will melt the fibers together and will prevent it from fraying. Be very careful if you do this so that you don’t melt too much of the fabric or burn yourself!
If you don’t want to take a chance on overmelting the edges, or if the fabric has too much cotton and will burn instead of melting, you’ll need to hem the edges or serge them to keep them from fraying. A thin handkerchief hem will be enough to keep the carpet from unraveling.
If you want to make a fringe, you can run a straight stay stitch about 1/4″ from the cut edge, then unravel the fabric up to that point.
Modern dollhouse carpet kit by Janet Granger Designs
To see craft supplies from Artisan Shopping members, click here.
Modern dollhouse carpet kit by Janet Granger Designs
Needlepoint dollhouse carpet kits.
As a general rule, the simplest way to make a needlepoint dollhouse carpet is to buy a kit that fits the interior decor of your doll’s house. Miniature needlepoint carpet kits are available online, and come in many patterns that you can customize. You can also draft your own needlework patterns if you’re familiar with how to do that, but kits are usually easier.
There are a few businesses that create miniature dollhouse carpets, and some that also create patterns and kits for DIY projects. Janet and Chris Granger are Artisan Shopping Directory members, and their business is in making kits and patterns for miniature needlepoint textiles including carpets and tapestries.
The dollhouse carpet kits that they have available include traditional style as well as modern geometrics. You can also get charts, which will give you the design that you can then add your own colors to. You can browse her website here to see all of the needlework projects that she has available: Janet Granger Designs
The website also has excellent tutorials on miniature needlepoint, including this article detailing the basic stitches and terminology involved with making miniature carpets and other textiles for dollhouses: Needlepoint Stitches
Janet also has a blog that has extensive information about miniature needlepointing on it, so it’s the best place to go if you’re thinking about starting on this craft. Visit her blog here: Janet Granger Blog
Kara Buntin has run a home-based business since 1999, and has a background in art, theater design, and cake decorating. She's a top Etsy seller with over 46,000 sales on Etsy and her own website, and helps other home-based business owners with their business goals and SEO.
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