I primed the walls of the dollhouse and painted the ceilings. The primer doesn't have to be white; any light color will work since it won't show once the wallpaper is applied. I also stained the floors.
Next, I wallpapered the walls where the staircases will meet. It's important to do this now, as you won't be able to access these areas later. Having finished walls behind the staircases ensures a neat appearance, and cutting wallpaper around a staircase is challenging if it's already glued on.
While the wallpaper dried completely, I began assembling the second-floor staircase, following the same method I used for the first floor. I put everything together except for the treads. Once the glue dried, I painted it in the same sand color and let it dry while I stained the treads separately. After they dried, I glued them and the rails in place and left everything to dry.
While waiting for the other walls to dry, I started wallpapering the bathroom. I also punched out all the trim pieces and banister rails needed for the staircase, marking each piece with a pencil for easy identification. I added a decorative element to some of the trim squares.
Once the wallpaper on the staircase walls was dry, I could continue. It's crucial that your wallpaper is completely dry before installing the first-floor staircase. Since both the dollhouse and staircase are square, they fit perfectly, but getting them in can be tricky. Take your time to dry-fit the staircase until you find its best position. After determining how it fits, I applied glue only to the bottom of the staircase to avoid excess mess. The surrounding walls will support this winding staircase more than any glue will.
Be careful not to apply glue where it meets the walls, as this could damage your wallpaper; the staircase needs to slide into place under pressure. You'll need a mallet to tap the staircase assembly into position. That's why it's essential for both the dollhouse shell and staircase to be completely dry before starting this part; wet glue could break apart under pressure. Tap gently on all sides until it's properly placed. Patience and strength are key here. I only wallpapered one side wall before installing the staircase because hammering it in could tear wallpaper on the other side.
Once everything is tightly glued and dried, both the dollhouse and staircase will be stable. The staircase fit perfectly with no gaps, held securely by pressure from the side walls. I then added trim around the staircase and glued baseboard trim to ensure a firm fit. Using masking tape helped clamp everything tightly while I added decorative trim, which I stained to match.
For the second-floor staircase, it slid right into place without needing much pressure. Just remember to apply glue to its bottom and side that rests against the wall.
I assembled the third-floor railing next; this part is straightforward. While that dried, I stained and painted all of the posts, rails, and post caps. This process requires attention since each piece is labeled with pencil markings for identification. I organized all posts against their corresponding rails so nothing was missing before erasing my marks and beginning to stain them. Once dry, I glued them in place.
Next came the railings; I identified each piece, organized them similarly, erased their markings, painted them, and glued them down. The caps were easy to handle without needing labels. When everything was complete, I had a perfect miniature winding staircase.
