Scrapbook Paper and Miniatures

Scrapbook paper is a great way to set the mood in your diorama or miniature scene. The right paper can add color, design and texture by using it for dollhouse wallpaper or flooring.

Making your own miniatures can be a daunting task, especially for newbies. I have only been doing this for a few years and it certainly has been a roller coaster ride. Some projects are definitely easier than others.

But when you finally create something you envisioned and you hold it in your hand, you want to build a whole scene just to show that itty bitty thing off!

Mini making does not have to be super frustrating or difficult. I am always looking for short cuts and ways to make my life and my projects easier. And today’s post is about one of my favorite supplies: scrapbook paper.

There are TONS of ways you can use scrapbook paper, depending on the design you have and the type of paper you have. I am showing you some of my favorite uses for it.

There is problem with using scrapbook paper, though. You can’t always find the design you need in the color you want. And the solution to that is to create your flooring, tiles and wallpaper yourself and print it out.

The bathroom scene featured at the top of this post uses scrapbook paper for the flooring, wallpaper, tiles and various pieces of artwork. It is hard to see, but I used textured white-on-white polka dot scrapbook paper for the tile walls along the lower wall.

Dollhouse wallpaper

My primary use for scrapbook paper is for dollhouse wallpaper. It is a great way to add color, pattern and texture to your dollhouse scene. You can use small designs that are to scale if you can find them, or use larger images for a big impact. I’ve done both.

Striped paper is so much easier to use than trying to paint small stripes on a dollhouse wall. This is especially true when your dollhouse is already assembled and you have to squeeze your head and hands into a small room!

Some papers come with texture, which can bring another dimension to your rooms. I found flat 12×12-inch sheets of burlap in the scrapbook section of Hobby Lobby, I believe. I added it to the walls of one of my dollhouse rooms and love how it turned out. It’s not complete yet, so I don’t have a picture to share.

If you have wainscoting or partial wood panels for the lower half of your walls, you can either paint or add scrapbook paper for the top half of your walls. I find that using scrapbook wallpaper is so much easier than finding a design, piecing it together to make a full sheet and printing a high quality version of it.

I have a dollhouse wallpaper tutorial to help walk you through how to install wallpaper, whether it is scrapbook or printed.

Dollhouse flooring

There are lots of scrapbook sheets that have wood designs, from browns to whites to colors. Most of them are not to scale, but you can find some that are… more or less, to scale.

Another option is to cut these sheets into strips to resemble planks of wood and then glue them onto card stock to use. You can also use these wood sheets for your walls to give it a shiplap look.

There are some sheets that have the texture of wood, too, giving it even more depth. I like to use these sheets in smaller scenes and room boxes. I admit that for wood flooring I prefer dollhouse flooring using popsicle sticks. Unfortunately, it is a time investment to do this.

But when I’m creating a small scene or want to take a quick pic of something I made, like the unicorn birthday party shot below, scrapbook paper flooring (and walls) makes it quick and painless.

Tile and bricks

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If you are lucky, you can find designs that resemble tiles. One very popular variety that I found is a black and white check pattern that has a weathered look to it. I have also found some textured papers that give the illusion of grout lines that work really well for bathroom tiles.

I have also found scrapbook paper that have brick and stone patterns that relatively to 1:12 scale, sometimes even 1:24. You can use it for flooring or apply it to your walls.

Some are all red, others all white, and even more that have a worn and weathered effect. It comes in 12×12 sheets and smaller 6×6 sheets.

The arabesque tile look for the bathroom scene photographed below was made with white-on-white textured scrapbook paper.

Miniature posters and artwork

Some sheets of scrapbook paper have blocks of designs on them. The images can be cut out and framed as posters or wall art for your dollhouses. These kinds of sheets are usually seasonal, featuring images for holidays like Halloween or Christmas.

I love flowers and botanicals, and snagged that sheet of rectangle flower graphics. To make floral “posters” for my mini shop, I simple cut out the pieces and brushed them with gloss Mod-Podge.

It gave each piece a sheen and poster feel. Some of the other images I chose to frame them using techniques I shared in my post about creating a miniature gallery wall.

For the American flag, I cut it into four strips and Mod-Podged them onto pieces of wood using the techniques I shared in this post about creating dollhouse paintings and artwork.

More uses for scrapbook paper

I have also used pretty scrapbook paper for drawer liners and shelf liners. Does your miniature cabinet need a wood backing, but your piece is made of cardboard? Cut some wood scrapbook paper to size and glue it in place.

Have I missed anything else? How else have YOU used scrapbook paper in your scenes? Share in a comment at the end of this post.

Expert tips and FAQs

Sometimes a sheet of scrapbook is the inspiration piece to a dollhouse room I am decorating. Since I have been collecting scrapbook paper for my dollhouses, I have amassed a growing collection of designs and colors.

As you explore the posts here on my blog, you can look at my photographs and see the various papers I have used in my scenes. I have tried to use all sorts of scrapbook paper to evoke a certain mood.

I have found that every craft store has a different selection of scrapbook paper, so yes, I visit all of them when I am looking for something new. Some great places I have shopped at to find scrapbook paper include:

• Michaels
• Hobby Lobby
• Joann’s (while it is still around)
• Walmart
• Amazon

There are lots of other online sources for purchasing scrapbook paper, but I have not purchased anything from them myself, like Scrapbook.com and CraftDirect.com.

The art of scrapbooking has evolved over the years, as more people are relying on digital photos and store their memories virtually. There used to be small craft and scrapbooking stores in San Diego, but many have shut down.

So if you find an independent stationery store, walk in and explore! Maybe you will find some gorgeous paper that will inspire you and your next miniature scene.

And one last tip: Get more than you think you need when you find a pretty piece of paper. It may not be there when you return a month or so later. Yes, I’m speaking from experience.

That lovely textured white arabesque tile paper I used in my bathroom? I only bought one 12×12-inch sheet to experiment with it. When I returned to get more, it was all gone. And I have spent the past two years looking for more.

AAARGH!!!

I used what I had left to fit in the space, after adding wall paneling to the bottom third of the walls.

So get extra sheets, JUST IN CASE.

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