How To Make Papier Mâché Art And Miniatures For Dollhouses?

Looking for an easy way to build textures and shapes for small scenes? Try DIY papier-mâché miniatures for dollhouses and dioramas. With scrap paper, PVA glue, and a quick papier-mâché clay recipe, you can make rocks, walls, trees, and tiny props without a trip to the craft store.

In this guide, I’ll show the basics—materials, a fast recipe, and simple papier-mâché crafts for dioramas and dollhouses you can start today.

updated 21/08/25

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Why use papier-mâché for miniatures?

It’s cheap, lightweight, and easy to shape into almost anything. Whether you want to build a rocky base for a diorama, create a medieval-style wall for your dollhouse, or even make small props like bowls or masks, papier-mâché is one of the most versatile materials you can use.

Let’s go over what you need and how to mix up a quick batch.

How to make Paper Mache DIY?

Which materials do you need?

• 1. Glue

There are a few different options you can use for papier-mâché:

PVA or wood glue – Stronger than wallpaper or flour paste, which means you can work with thinner paper layers. You can also thin it with a bit of water if needed

Wallpaper paste – It’s cheap and easy to find. You don’t need much, but you’ll have to build up several layers of paper to get good strength.

Homemade flour-and-water paste – Boil 5 cups of water. In a separate bowl, mix ¼ cup of sifted flour with 1 cup of cold water until smooth. Add this to the boiling water, simmer for about three minutes while stirring, and let it cool. For a thicker paste, use 1 cup of flour with 3 cups of water.

• 2. Paper

The most common choice for papier-mâché is old newspaper, but plenty of other papers work too:

• copy paper
• colored paper
• rice paper
• crepe paper
• tissue paper
• wrapping paper
• egg cartons
• toilet paper

Each type gives a slightly different look. Colored or printed papers can add nice tones, while plain paper makes painting easier afterward.

For dollhouse miniatures:

• Toilet paper or tissue works best for fine details, like smoothing small shapes or covering delicate parts.
• Egg cartons are great if you want texture, for example, stone walls or rocky surfaces in a diorama.
• Thin copy or rice paper helps when you need sharper edges or lightweight layers.

• A Bowl or a large container. And a place where you can go ahead and make it dirty.

This kind of speaks for itself, I would guess 😉

• A Brush
  

How to Actually Make Papier-Mâché

1. Prepare your workspace
Papier-mâché is messy. Cover your table with newspaper or plastic so cleanup is easy.

2. Tear the paper
Skip the scissors—torn edges blend better.

• For layering: Tear newspaper into long strips.
• For pulp: Shred the paper into small pieces to soak later.

3. Apply or make pulp

• Layering method: Dip strips into glue or paste, then smooth them over a base shape (like a balloon or cardboard form). Build up several layers for strength.
  
• Pulp method:
  
  1. Soak shredded paper overnight.
  2. Boil for at least 30 minutes to loosen fibers.
  3. Drain, then whisk until it turns into pulp.
  4. Squeeze out excess water.
  5. Mix in about 3 spoons of glue. Add more water or glue if needed until it feels like clay.
     

Now the pulp is ready to use for modeling.

(If you want to see the process in action, check out the video below.)

How to make your papier mache art and miniatures?

You can choose between two popular methods:

1. Layering strips

• Tear paper into long strips—not cut—for smoother edges.
• Dip them in glue and layer them over a form (like a balloon or mold).
• Alternate the direction of strips (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) for strength.
• Keep it to 2–3 layers per coat and let each dry before adding more.
• Once dry, remove the base and paint.
  
  

2. Using pulp

• Great for texture—like castle walls, rocky bases, or uneven ground in dollhouses.
• To make it: shred paper, soak overnight, then boil until the fibers soften.
• Drain and whisk into a pulp; squeeze out excess water.
• Mix in a little PVA or wallpaper paste until it feels like clay.
• You can even blend in egg cartons for a stone-like effect.
• Keep in mind: pulp takes longer to dry than layering. ( I found out the hard way)
  
  

Why it works for dollhouse dioramas too:
Papier-mâché is perfect for terrain. I used it underneath my miniature treehouse to build the ground, complete with a small river scene: see how it turned out here.

Tips for Adding Details to Papier-Mâché Miniatures

Once your base is ready, you can push your miniatures further with some extra tipss:

• Painting – Use acrylics and a fine brush for highlights and details. (I also have a miniature painting tutorial for figurines on the blog if you’d like to check it out.)

• Paper-mâché clay – Mix shredded paper, glue, and water into a clay-like paste. It’s easier to sculpt fine textures like stone, fabric folds, or tiny props.

• Simple sculpting tools – Toothpicks, skewers, or the back of a paintbrush work great for carving lines and patterns.

• Embed small objects – Beads, wires, or buttons can become jewelry, handles, or decorations.

• Papier collé – Glue on small scraps of patterned paper for clothing textures or wallpaper effects.

My Final Conclusion

I hope that you enjoyed this blog post on how to make papier-mache and how to apply it in our dollhouse world.

If you have any questions on the topic or if you would just like to chat with me, then please leave a comment below or join me on my Facebook group.

I wish you happy crafting!

Best regards,

Lizzy

PS. If you would like to know who made the large papier-mache cat in the main picture (cute, no?), it is made by TheSecretSquirrelLyn

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