Printable Paper Dolls

An Elf Archer Paper Doll & Her Bow

The pollen count in this part of Alaska is worse than Alabama. I am constantly taking allergy medication and sniffling. As if the world isn’t hard enough right now, I also need sinus headaches and itchy eyes. Most of the time, my allergy medication keeps it under control, but I am not enjoying spring.

On the upside, it’s not over 100 degrees outside. So, I guess I need to look at benefits of Alaska.

Meanwhile, let’s talk paper dolls. Today’s creation is an elf paper doll. I will confess my images of elves were probably forever changed because of watching the Lord of the Rings movies a lot in high school and college. My friends and I in college binged those movies on several occasions. Except binge watching wasn’t a term yet, so we called it having a marathon. I digress. The pioinis that when I design an elf paper doll I always end up thinking of those costumes, for better or for worse.

I like to think for better.

Today’s paper doll was also an experiment in how many gowns I can fit in on one set and what the best way to arrange them is. I am pretty happy with this layout, I think. It’s not perfect, but I am still getting back into the grove of drawing sets, not individual pieces.

A fantasy paper doll coloring page with three dresses and a bow for archery

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I decided for Diamond to show off these. Her cheekbones feel elf-like to me. I don’t know, but I think elves probably have great cheekbones.

I’m trying to have each of the Jewels and Gemstones dolls have their own new Jewels and Gemstones 2.0 version. I haven’t gotten all of them yet. Amethyst, Pearl and Lapis still need their sets, I think. Pearl’s set is in progress- it’s some 1980s inspired fashions. Fingers crossed, I will get some drawing done this weekend.

I think the bow is a short bow and I measured the arrows against her arm. I think they are close to the right length, but I’m not 100% sure. Listen- I know very little about archery, except this- Never ask about bow hunting in Alabama around deer season unless you really really want to know. Bow hunters are passionate folks.

An elf paper doll with three dresses to print and play with.

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When I think elves, I think monstrous creatures that you bribe with milk so they don’t kill your cattle. Wait… that’s fairies. Sorry.

Elves, in a Tolkien sense, are sort of peaceful and wise. (Hopefully, as I don’t have that much milk on hand.) So, I decided to go with what I thought was a really calm color scheme. I somehow can’t imagine fantasy elves in day-glow orange, though as I write that I wonder if I should try to draw one anyway. Just to stretch myself.

What about you? What colors make you think of elves? Also, is it elven? Or Elfen? I have no idea and my computer tells me both are not words. Let me know in a comment if you have an opinion on that one or the color scheme or anything else.

Stay safe everyone.

A Tudor Clothing Paper Doll

The last time I did a Tudor clothing paper doll, many years ago, I focused on Henrician gowns. You can see that paper doll here. This time, however, I wanted draw a few other styles from that period. So, along with the Henrician gowns I drew several later styles which were popular in second part of the 1500s, but don’t have easy names (or if they do, I don’t know them.)

Today’s Tudor paper doll has two dresses. The dress on the left is from the 1560s to 1570s. I could find a name for this style of robe with hanging sleeves over petticoat, but you can see styles like this in this portrait of a Lady of the Wentworth Family from 1563, this portrait of an Unknown Lady from 1565-1568 and this portrait of Elizabeth Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury circa 1560s. Her dress on the right is a Henrician gown with a matching partlet filling in the low square neckline. These portraits of Queen Mary 1 and Lady Mary Dudley (c.1530–1586) show Henrician gowns with parlets.

Her underwear is a shift, which has been extremely simplified to deal with the sleeves of gowns (the sleeves would have been much fuller and ended in a ruffle/cuff.) Her pair of bodies are a combination of a set from an effigy of Queen Elizabeth in 1603 and those in a famous portrait of Elizabeth Vernon circa 1600. A well cited article about Queen Elizabeth I’s effigy bodies is Sarah Bendall’s Elizabeth I Effigy Bodies Reconstruction. The paper doll has a Spanish farthingale- cone shaped hoops to support skirts that is separate. Spanish Farthingale’s gave dresses their distinct triangular look.

A printable tudor clothing paper doll coloring page with two dresses and period underwear. A great homeschooling history project.

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For much of Europe’s history, women covered their hair. In the Tudor era, women wore headdresses called “hoods”. As far I can tell from my reading, the popularity of hood styles switched in and out depending on the current Queen. With Henry the 8th, that’s a lot of queens. While the French Hood was worn before (and after) Anne Boleyn, it is definitely most closely associated with her. I chose go with the French Hood, but there was also the English (or Gable) Hood and several other styles.

Her hat is a taffeta pipkin- a narrow brimmed cap made of paper and covered in thin silk taffeta. To cover the hair a jeweled cap was worn, which is a style that was also common in Germany.

A printable tudor clothing paper doll with two dresses and period underwear. A great way to introduce kids to Tudor history and clothing.

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So, let’s talk colors for a moment.

Black was one of the most expensive colors to dye fabric (in part because it look a lot of dye). Crimson and scarlet were also popular colors. I made one of her dresses primarily black and the other a very deep dark red, but it looks black depending on the computer screen settings I realized after I finished.

So, why a Tudor clothing paper doll, you might ask? Because my Patrons voted for it! The poll I shared with my patrons had a three way tie- Tudor, 1970s and 1890s. I’m still working on the 1890s and the 1970s.

I finished the Tudor clothing paper dolls first, because I had already been working on her underwear. Next up will either be 1970s or 1890s… I haven’t decided which one yet. Both are in progress.

If you’d like to get to vote on things like which paper dolls I draw, join us over on Patreon.

Evening Gowns for the Dolls Du Jour

On my short list of favorite paper dolls are evening gowns. When it comes to printable kids activities, I know not all my paper dolls are super kid designed. However, when I was a kid my favorite paper dolls were the ones with fancy gowns and historical ones. So, I think of today’s paper dolls as being a printable kids activity.

Dusk is only my second Doll Du Jour design. She’s joining Dawn from a few weeks ago.

Printable Kids Activity: Curvy Paper Doll with two evening gowns and two pairs of shoes.

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I knew I wanted to do a set of fancy evening gowns. I wasn’t planning to draw as many purses as I did, but then as I was doing layout, there was a lot of empty space. So, I thought, I’ll fill up this space with clutch purses!

Listen, I don’t judge how your brain works.

One of the fun things about the Dolls Du Jour pose that is that is is really good for showing off trains on dresses. I’m not great at drawing trains, but I do love the idea of them. In practice, I think actually having to deal with one would be super annoying.

A full-color curvy blond paper doll with two evening gowns and two pairs of shoes.

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I went back and forth about the colors for her dresses, but in the end I decided I wanted to focus on some less typical shades for women’s evening wear. I tend to do a lot of red and blue evening gowns, so I decided on yellow and coral. These colors feel fresh to me. Plus, warm and summery.

The sources on the dresses I honestly can’t remember. I suspect they were also David’s Bridal or some other website. I confess that with the disruption to my life from the Covid-19 thing has sort of blurred my brain.

Anyway, what were your favorite paper dolls when you were a child? Let me know in a comment.

Space Princess: Jade & Her Space Gowns

I know I’ve told this story before on this blog, but for those of you who are new, I shall tell it again. When I was a child, my grandmother sent a space princess paper doll card to either me or my sister. Our birthdays are within just a few days of each other. Anyway, I don’t remember much about that era, but I darn well remember that card.

In honor of that, I have a history of creating space princess original paper dolls from this one to this one to today’s, which is made up of my favorite gowns from my Space Princess Week last year. Like most of my Friday paper dolls these days, this paper doll is a “reboot” of older materials, except I’m posting her on Monday, because she’s finished.

Original paper dolls of a space princess and her gowns to color. Beautiful curvy fantasy paper doll.

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Back in 2019, my patrons voted for this space princess paper doll over many other options. I seem to recall I was a little surprised that this was the winner. Space princesses not being typical paper doll topics, but I like letting my patrons have input.

Designing my original paper dolls is always fun, but this one was particularly joyful. Guo Pei’s collections were a big influence on all these gowns. She has a wonderful, almost fantastical style with a strong traditional Chinese influence. A nice article on her work- Guo Pei: Couture Beyond.

A few more inspirations this hair, this gown, this gown both from Dior 2006. Space princess paper dolls need over the top clothing. I recently bought this book on Star Trek Costumes. I keep thinking about what makes something feel futuristic.

Original paper dolls of a space princess and her gowns to print. Beautiful brown curvy fantasy paper doll.

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I associate purples and gold with futuristic space clothing. So, they made sense as the color scheme for the space princess and her space princess gowns. I don’t entirely know why purple always feels futuristic to me. It’s a very old dye color.

What do you think of today’s space princess? Are you into sci-fi paper dolls? I love them, but they aren’t very common. Let me know what you think in a comment.

A link to the exclusive Friday paper doll content on Patreon

Lapis: A Cybergoth Paper Doll & Her Clothing

Cybergothic fashion is described by being a mixture of punk, industrial and futuristic fashion. I am fascinated by various types of alt fashion. My love of alt fashion is probably obvious if you spend much time around here.

My other cybergoth paper doll was my first foray into this style. She has the dubious honor of being the of the few paper dolls got me an angry email from a reader. Don’t worry- I didn’t take it personally. Last year, I did a whole Cybergoth Week, so I selected my favorite pieces from that series to use in this collection for Jewels and Gemstones 2.0.

A printable paper doll coloring page celebrating cybergoth fashion. The paper doll has 13 mix and match clothing pieces.

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Cybergoth fashion is not as popular now as I think it was 20 years ago, however, as a child of the 90s, I still feel a kinship with it. If want to know more about the style Wikipedia’s Article on Cybergoth is pretty good. Cyberdog (clothing brand), Lip Service (clothing brand), Cryoflesh (clothing brand), F*** Yeah Cyberlox (Tumblr site devoted to Cyberlox) & Cyber Goth (Another Tumblr, sort of NSFW) are all sources for todays paper doll.

Specifically, these Lovely Ladies (one in the center), this Fierce Fashionista (her body suit), these Pants, these pants from Rebels Market. Unlike some of my other sets, I chose not to recolor this set much, because I noticed these were the colors most common in cybergoth fashion.

A printable cybergoth paper doll with clothing. The paper doll has 13 mix and match clothing pieces.

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I am trying to share these Jewels and Gemstones 1.0 reboot paper dolls mostly on Fridays, but lord knows if I’ll be consistent. If you want totally new content on Fridays, join us on Patreon.

And speaking of Patreon, a huge thank you to my patrons who voted for this theme last year. Your support makes all the difference. And you can always print the Jewels and Gemstones 1.0 pieces at 80% if you want them to fit these new 2.0 versions.

Lastly, cybergoth, what do you think? Too much? Okay, but not your taste? Super cool? Let me know in a comment! I love hearing from you.

A link to the exclusive Friday paper doll content on Patreon

Polka-Dots: Celebrating a 2020 Fashion Trend

I love reading the fashion magazines in March when they publish the big spring fashion reports. It’s probably my second favorite time to buy fashion magazines. September is my other favorite time. So, one of the things I look for in those magazines are the trends for inspiration when drawing paper dolls with clothes.

One of the trends of 2020 it polka-dots. I knew I wanted to draw some! I love polka-dots. They’re whimsical and playful which is the best way to create paper dolls. There should be something playful about them, don’t you think?

Paper dolls with clothes coloring page, featuring a black paper doll and her polka-dot inspired wardrobe.

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Each of the clothing items I drew for this paper doll was a bit girly-ruffles for sleeves, pleats and such. The grey and coral is a color combination I love and there’s something feminine about polka-dots. Hence the pinks and ruffles.

I also wanted to repeat the circular shape in the dolls hair and her purse. I thought the afro would be a fun match to the polka-dots. Plus, while I have drawn a fair number of black paper dolls, not very many of them have afros.

Paper dolls with clothes printable paper toy, featuring a black paper doll and her polka-dot inspired wardrobe.

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A few of my other favorite polka-dot paper dolls over the years include this fun red dress, these gothic leggings, some sandals with this paper doll and Dot, a paper doll from back in 2010.

If you want more original paper dolls, join us if you like on Patreon.

I also used polka-dots when I was showing how I put patterns on my paper doll clothes. So, if you’re wondering how this paper doll with clothes got her polka-dots, read this tutorial. I still use this method.

What do you think of polka-dots? Are you a fan? I confess I love them, but I rarely wear them.

By the way, you might notice there’s some new layout things around here. I’m trying out a new theme to try to speed up the sites load time- which tends towards the awful. Let me know if anyone notices the change!

Paper Dolls in Masks! (A Pandemic Paper Doll Extra)

I have been really debating what to do about the pandemic. On one hand, I am not in anyway qualified to give anyone medical advice. (I’m qualified to maybe give archives/library/paper doll advice.) On the other hand, I wanted to respond to the current crisis somehow. It felt weird to pretend it wasn’t happening out in the outside world beyond my small isolated corner of it.

So, I decided to respond in paper doll fashion, plus I figure people need kids activity ideas right now. You need to occupy children at home and while I don’t have kids, I have a lot of empathy for folks who do.

So, behold- paper dolls in face masks!

Sapphire, Ruby and Pearl With Face Masks

Three printable paper dolls in black and white.
Three paper dolls in color to print- Diverse curvy paper dolls with different skin-tones.

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When Alaska mandated facemasks a few weeks ago, I pulled out my trusty fabric stash and sewed up a few for me, my partner and some friends who didn’t sew. I’ll openly confess I’m not a great seamstress and mostly I work in doll clothing creation, but the mask pattern was easy enough. I used the New York Times pattern for the pleated mask. Now the mandate is lifted, but I still wear my mask when grocery shopping, as the CDC recommends.

Originally, I had planned to make the face masks for the paper dolls removable, but my prototypes did not work. So, instead, they are permanently attached to each doll. I thought about doing extra heads- the way Dolly Dingle sometimes does- but frankly that kind freaks me out. Paper doll decapitation feels weird for a kids activity idea.

Opal, Amethyst and Lapis With Face Masks

Three printable paper dolls in black and white. A kids activity idea for dress up. Three fun curvy paper dolls.
A kids activity idea for dress up- three paper dolls to print in different skintones- diverse curvy paper dolls.

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I’ve done all the Jewels and Gemstones paper dolls here, so each page has three dolls and there are 9 dolls in total- Sapphire, Ruby, Pearl, Diamond, Opal, Topaz, Amethyst, Lapis, and Jade. I try not to have favorites, but I really like how Opal’s bangs came out in this set.

I also wanted to do a variety of mask styles. None of these are N-95, but rather the sorts of masks you might wear to the store. There seem to be two major styles- the curved one and the pleated one. I have a pleated mask, but I have seem lots of patterns for curved masks and those seem more popular among the folks I see during my rare grocery forays.

Topaz, Diamond and Jade with Face Masks

A kids activity idea for dress up- three paper dolls to color- diverse curvy paper dolls.
A kids activity idea for dress up- three paper dolls to dress- diverse curvy paper dolls.

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These cute girls can wear any of the Jewels and Gemstones 2.0 clothing, so they can dress up as princesses, evening gowns or to go fishing. They can wear any of the Jewels and Gemstones 1.0 clothing by printing those outfits at 80%. There’s dozens of different outfit options at the moment.

I think my favorite mask might be Topaz’s one all covered in abstract roses/flowers/swirls. Do you have a favorite?

Everyone stay safe out there.

Dolls Du Jour: Days in Denim

Sharing a new paper doll series is always a little stressful. When I design paper dolls to dress, I think about body poses and I think a lot about how many different styles I think I can get from a single body pose. A few perks of this pose are the 3/4 view and the spread legs, which open up some design options.

She will be hard to make into a mermaid though…

Anyway, the first version of this paper doll showed up on Instagram back in 2018. I had to do some extensive redrawing, because the sketchbook was ruined while traveling to Alaska.

Fixing her right foot was also a priority.

A huge thanks you to my Patrons! Sheryl helped me name the series and had the amazing idea to name the dolls after temporal themes. I love this! Because I tend to like giving my paper dolls names that are not really names. I mean, you can find people named Dawn, but like there aren’t a lot of Dusk or Evening named folks running around.

A coloring page with paper dolls to dress with jeans and other contemporary clothing pieces.

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I like to test out new series with sets that show me how many clothing pieces I can fit on a page. After all, the whole point of paper dolls to dress is that you want to dress them. Otherwise, why have the clothing at all?

Denim is the base of most modern wardrobes. Knowing that I have denim done, so to speak, allows for more variety in later sets. Every person (or paper doll) needs a good pair of jeans after all.

Paper dolls to dress with jeans and other contemporary clothing pieces.

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Color scheme wise, I had no idea what to do with this set. Denim is mostly blue, after all, so I went with a green, purple and pink scheme.

I have done occasional random denim themed paper dolls over the years. A few of my favorites- Weekend Denim, Paper Doll Guys Need Jeans, Girl Paper Dolls Need Jeans, Hearts Denim and Bows, Jeans and Tank Tops, and my first ever- Stylish Denim. I’ve heard that denim maxi skirts are back and I am secretly super excited about this.

What do you think of this new series? Let me know in a comments! And head over to join us on Patreon if you want to someday help name a paper doll series.

Princess Opal: Paper Dolls and Dresses

In my head, not always a logical space, I tend to organize princess paper dolls and dresses into categories. There are the medieval looks, the renaissance looks and then these- big skirted looks. If anything, I suppose a nod to the 1860s and 1700s, but really… not much when you come down to it. I have a whole Pinterest Board I keep devoted to these big skirted dresses.

There are two dresses here today- a Spring dress and a Winter dress. Clearly, I’ve been influenced by the current weather in Alaska, which is finally spring! It’s so beautiful. Most of the snow is gone and there’s grass. It’s not green, yet, but it will be.

Also, there’s a lot of birch pollen and my allergies are going nuts. I digress. Let’s get back to paper dolls and dresses.

Black and white paper dolls and dresses to color and cut out. A princess with fantasy gowns.

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To keep all these gowns feeling consistent, I kept the same color scheme. That makes all the gowns feel like they go together and come from the same sort of universe. A universe where people don’t have to go through doorways often.

Eventually, I will resize the rest Jewels and Gemstones 1.0 Princess Trousseau and pair those with their own princess with absurd hair. After that, there can be a whole collection of paper dolls and dresses with big skirts and fancy hair. All of them will qualify as impractical self-isolation costumes, let me tell you.

Paper dolls and dresses in full color. A princess with fantasy gowns.

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A few final thoughts- the current landscape up here inspired the colors of the Spring Dress- yellows and oranges with just a few hints of early spring green. The accessories here are books, because… well, everyone likes books don’t they? And I do tend to draw a lot of books for paper dolls.

I’m a librarian. What can you expect?

I hope everyone is staying safe and sane at the moment. Let me know what you think of today’s paper doll gowns in the comments. I love hearing from you all.

Four of My Favorite Paper Dolls You Can Color

There’s a lot of content on Paper Thin Personas. And I have far to many favorites to count!

Some of my paper dolls are not super kid friendly, but I wanted to highlight paper dolls you can color for kids that might be great while stuck at home. Specifically, I wanted to focus on sets that might be a bit buried in the archives. The sort of things that might be missed, unless you’re me and you know the archives super well.

(Actually, truth be told, I have a few readers who I think know them better than me. So, if I missed a favorite of anyone’s, please let me know in a comment.)

Her Ladyship: A Fantasy Paper Doll You Can Color

Three of the ten page of this fantasy paper doll that you can color and print.
A 10 Page Fantasy Paper Doll to Print and Color

Download the 10 Page PDF to Print

I drew this paper doll set back in 2014. She started as a one page little foray into something different and quickly expanded into 10 pages of black and white fantasy gowns for coloring. Lots of great potential here!

Her wigs were especially fun to create, though I confess I didn’t test any of them in the real world. I have no idea if they really work. They will all fit I am sure, but I am not sure they will all stay on.

You can read about every page in the Her Ladyship posts.

An Antique Doll from 1886: Paper Doll Coloring Pages

A Victorian Paper Doll with dresses from 1886

Download the 3 Page PDF to Print

I found in my college library a book with reprints of every fashion plate from a magazine from 1886. It was a fascinating study of seasonal dress over one year. I decided to try to draw some of the dresses from that book and this was the result.

Bustles and I have a had a long complex relationship, but I think the patterns here would be especially fun to color. When I was kid, my favorite paper dolls were paper doll of antique dolls. So, when I was picking out kid friendly paper doll coloring pages, this one had to be included.

A Regency Teddy Bear: Paper Doll Coloring Pages

A teddy bear paper doll you can color.
A Regency Teddy Bear with 7 Dresses

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These two PDF pages are the only one you’ll need to download individually. There’s 7 amazing outfits in this set along with a fun teddy bear to dress up.

When I was 8 or 9, I drew dozens of outfits for a commercial teddy bear paper doll, including multiple layers of complex underwear. I have no idea what happened to that paper doll, but it was certainly inspiration for this one.

Best Friends: Paper Dolls You Can Color

Four paper dolls you can color with many fun contemporary fashions.
Four paper doll friends and their many outfits.

Download the 8 Page PDF to Print

This is a set I drew right before I moved to Alabama in the early 2010s. Originally, it was going to be the basis of a whole new paper doll series, but I ended up burning out on it fast.

I still think the idea of four different poses and matching dresses for each of those poses was a fun concept and there’s lots of coloring to be had with this fun set. Besides, if you’re going to play with paper dolls it is a lot more fun to play when they have friends.

Since it is Friday, I did want to mention there’s always more paper doll content on Patreon on Fridays! Head over there to check it out.

A link to the exclusive Friday paper doll content on Patreon