How do you dress up your stairs?

[AustinHighRider]

I have another stair question again. My house has 2 of the 3 sets of stairs that go in it. I had friends help me build the house, and I (stupidly) let them glue the stairs in. Only me accidentally putting the top floor in backwards saved me from the third set of stairs.

Anyway.. I was going to paint them white, and then have the step part (where you step) painted another color. I saw that in a house or two here and liked it. However it's impossible with the stairs GLUED in the house. I finally gave up and just painted them all white.

So what are some other things you guys do to dress up your stairs? Thanks for any tips.

[uppitycats]

When I built the Garfield, -- and before I put the staircases in -- I painted the risers white and the steps brown, and then the bannisters brown to match. Next kit I build, I'll stain the stairs as if they were flooring, with a latex stain.

In the houses I'm rehabbing, I'm painting the stairs, generally brown to look like flooring. Like with your house, the staircases are already in place, and almost impossible to get to. I had to create a door in the side of Brimble in order to get to the stairs...creating it's own set of issues -- like now I have to build a staircase down the side of the house on the outside, with a small deck and all.

Some folks cover the steps with carpet runners. You can buy runners to fit..they come in various lengths and widths. I've seen them advertised at miniatures.com, for example.

[CJEP]

You can find a nice wide ribbon and use it as a runner down the stairs or buy a runner for the stairs.

[Wolfie]

I stained my stairs, wallpapered around the outside of the stairs (they are for the Pierce, central staircase) then I carpeted them to match the living room carpeting. This winter I shall be making holly swags and decorating them for Christmas....whether the danged house is finished or not!

Wolfie

[rbytsdy]

For the Lily, I stained everything the same color but tried my own thing for the bannister:

Then for the Orchid, I painted everything white, but bashed the stairs around a bit and added some foot treads:

Tried something different for the Pierce (a la Wolfie): stained footboards and railing with the rest painted, with wallpaper and picture detailing on the sides of the staircase, and a ribbon runner with brass-ish colored stair rods (though lately I have had this naggling thought that I should put some brackets on those rods, because how are they supposed to be affixed on there, really...):

[Wolfie]

Great job! Fabulous pictures! Your's look even better than mine!

Wolfie

[chattycathy66]

I just used ribbon. I used a plain burgundy ribbon underneath the little fancier one. You can also purchase stair runners on any miniature site...they're pretty reasonable, I think.

[AustinHighRider]

my goodness! Some very nice suggestions and pictures! Thanks!

[nuttiwebgal]

I was able to find some very nice ribbon at Wal-Marts to use for stair runners

good luck! let us know how you fix your issue.

or better yer show us in photo!

nutti

[aggiemae]

I buy rice or other textured paper and print runners from on line carpet sites. The trxtured paper makes them look like fabric adnd there is no bulk at all. I spray with flat sealer cut them out and glue down with a glue stick so I can change them easily.

You can do this right onto fabric also. I starch the fabric and iron it to the waxed side of butcher paper. Thin fabric is best. Seal with matt sealer, turn under edges and tack to floor or stairs. This is great for rugs.

[wenlaine]

For the Van Buren, I stained and then printed my pattern for the runner on 100% cotton fabric.

I did the same for the Jefferson, only I used the small design in the wallpaper to use for the stair runner.

And for the Gloucester I just painted the stairs white and stained the treads.

[mstnggyrl]

Along that same vein, I bought some flocked paper at a scrap booking store to print rugs and runners on but have not gotten to it yet. Has anyone done that and how did it turn out?

Leigh

[justmesue]

You can also cut little peices of felt, colored foam rubber, or mactac, the size of each stair, and just lay them on one by one. You'll have you're different color tops, and it looks O.K.

[rbytsdy]

Great job! Fabulous pictures! Your's look even better than mine!

Wolfie

Thanks Wolfie, but for me, you're the one setting the Piercian standard! Looking forward to your next set o' pics...

[Missymew]

You can also paint the stairs (or centre part) with the colour you want and then put the stairs in a baggie with coloured flocking and give the bag a shake. The flocking will stick to the paint. I used this method to do the staircases in my 1:144 scale houses. It should also work quite well in any scale.

-Susanne

[wenlaine]

Susanne, what a great idea. I'm going to have to try that.

[bookmarm]

I save scraps of everything...wallpaper, trim bits, etc. I've used scraps of leftover wood flooring and glued the bits down on top of the treads and then just touched up the edge with paint that's similar in color to give them thickness. The thin paper backed flooring is easiest to trim down for each stair. I've seen some scrapbook papers that are thick, embossed, and almost flocked/suedy looking that would make great runners.

Gayle

[More Minis Dollhouses]

I have multiple looks for the stairs on my houses.

In my Sterling, I painted them all white but then added a carpet runner to give them some uniqueness.

I painted the Beacons stairs stained with cream risers but I dressed them up further by adding punch out pieces from the sheets as a decoration.

I stained my Pierces stairs completely and again dressed them up with punch out pieces. The punch out pieces make great decorations.

[Missymew]

I painted the Beacons stairs stained with cream risers but I dressed them up further by adding punch out pieces from the sheets as a decoration.

I stained my Pierces stairs completely and again dressed them up with punch out pieces. The punch out pieces make great decorations.

The punch out pieces have so many uses as embellishments. I'd not thought of using them on the stairs.

These are some great ideas.

-Susanne

[havanaholly]

Ah, stairs, one of my favorite things next to shingles! I have stained everthing, I have painted the stringers & stained the rest, the Laurel I'm rehabbing had neither risers nor banisters & balusters, so I bashed, painting the stringers & baluster rails and the banisters a coordinated color and making risers from tongueblade-sized craft sticks and staining them; I have used ribbon for stair runners in the HH, the McKinley and the Glencroft pub. I have patterns to stitch my own stair runners, including wome in Pamela Warner's Miniature Embroidery for the Georgian Dolls' House which matches somee of the rugs. You can buy brass rods from the hobby shop to make atair rods, or just cut sections of coathanger wire & spraypaint them brass color. I made a working closet under the Westville's stairway, but you could put in a commode instead, if you prefer.

[Suzette]

How do I adhere fabric runner for miniature dollhouse on stairs inside house going from one to the next. Stairs are painted wood. Reading on this I’m confused. Want it to be temp. for switching out later, but I read can use spray adhesive, mod podge, fabric glue stick, Elmer’s glue, etc.  I already have some strike flat glue but bought that to use on wallpaper.  I have no idea what strike flat glue even is. My miniature dollhouse is already assembled, I am redecorating it completely. 

[FurMama]

I would use double sided tape if it were me and I didn't want it permanent. If the stairs are painted and you don't want to hurt the finish maybe try the blue or purple painters tape folded ɓack on itself so you have a kind of homemade double sided tape. The purple tape is the less tacky I think but it might not hold the carpet. 

[havanaholly]

Or else glue the stair runner to the non-sticky side of the painter's tape?

[Shy Spirit]

Not sure what to suggest for the stair runner, but I noticed you mentioned your plans for gluing your wallpaper.  I don't know what strike flat glue is either, but I recommend using a wallpaper glue for the wallpaper.  Regular household wallpaper paste is fine.  You can buy small tubs of dollhouse specific paste, but in my experience, it costs more, and is essentially the same thing.  I like to spread a thin layer on the wall, and also on the paper.  This gives me some wiggle time to place it in exactly the right position before it glues fast.

In theatre terms, you strike the flats onstage when dismantling the walls of a set, once the production run is over.  Pretty sure that isn't anything to do with strike flat glue, though!