Static grass for dollhouse

After doing some research and about a year of procrastination I finally managed to experiment with static grass last year. I have to say it was not as difficult as I thought it was, but that may be due to so many great online tutorials. I had to make adjustments to my particular 1:12 scale project from railroad tutorials.
Please note that I don’t have some of the step-by-step photos because there was no time to take photos after putting down the glue, but my written directions will fill in the gaps for you.

 I put down 1/8” thick cork and painted it dark green. I did this because I knew my garden beds would be raised so it helped to make the lawn more even. At first I thought the cork would look like dirt under the grass then I changed my mind and wanted more depth so I painted it dark green.

 To keep the fibers out of areas you want clean be sure to use paper towels to cover them.


 You can get a static grass applicator for $40 and up. I got a great deal on mine on eBay.

 Be sure the wire is attached to the lid that you unscrew to put in the grass. I hooked the wire in the center of the screen.

Read the directions for your applicator. If you can, I would recommend getting online and watch a few tutorials.

I used Noch HO O 07110 Static Wild Grass XL LONG Green Meadow 12mm and some very short dark green grass that came with my applicator. Be sure your grass is not clumped and put in the applicator.

I squeezed some wood glue on the cork, misted it with a spray bottle, and spread the glue over the cork with my fingers.

Push a nail into the cork with the wet glue and attach the ground wire with the small clamp. DO NOT touch the applicator screen once it is turned on, you will get shocked. Photo shows the clamp on the nail after.

If you need to you can add the nail first. There has to be some sort of metal in the surface to create the static charge once the clamp is attached to it.

Turn on your applicator and press the button as you shake the grass over the glue. Try to stay close so the grass is pulled up by the static charge. Shake, shake, shake! I had to hit the side of the applicator container because my grass was longer and more difficult to get out.

I may have put it on too thick my first try. As it got closer to my garden beds I wasn’t able to get the applicator center close enough so the grass ended up being a bit more  flat. I recommend doing your static grass before inserting your garden beds.

 On the right side of the garden, I used regular white glue; on the left, I used wood glue. Different tutorials will tell you different things. The wood glue recommendation was to minimize reflective glare because white glue can dry shiny. I put my grass on thick enough that it didn’t make a difference. Plus by adding that short dark green grass in the fiber mixture the white glue was completely covered.

 You can get different colors and lengths of grass for whichever season you want to emulate. I would recommend mixing them in the applicator. While researching, I also read that you can add one style of grass first and then use a spray adhesive specifically made for static grass and then add another style on top. I didn’t do this, I just mixed mine together in the applicator and put them straight on the glue surface.

 I gave it a quick spray with an aerosol hair spray to keep it in place then removed all the paper towels. Any excess fibers I collected and saved. If your grass goes to the edge of a platform, lay a container under to catch any extra.

I am very happy with my miniature lawn and am excited to finish a few more garden beds. I suppose I will also have to come up with a temporary cover to keep off the dust as well.
Follow my miniature art work progress on Instagram at auraleakrieger!