Paper Thin Personas • Rachel Cohen's Paper Doll Creations

Meet the Cuties: Kid Friendly Paper Dolls to Color

February 4, 2026

Line-art kid-friendly paper dolls Alex and Aspen with simple bodies, ready to color and cut out.

Line-art kid-friendly paper dolls Ariel and Aster with simple bodies, ready to color and cut out.

To be 100% honest, I don’t have that much exposure to children.

It’s not intentional, but I don’t have kids and most of my friends also don’t have kids. However, I have a delightful niece and a wonderful nephew. Both of them love to color and I have spent many a family gathering coloring with them. One thing became extremely clear to me in 2024: many of my paper doll printables are… a lot. Like, ambitious. Possibly designed for people with the fine motor control of a watchmaker.

My niece explained this to me very politely as, “Some kids might have some trouble with some of them,” which I’m fairly certain translates to: This is unhinged, Aunt Rachel.

Friends, she was correct.

So I set to work designing a genuinely kid-friendly paper doll series.

My requirements:

Tabs big enough that little fingers can actually cut them out without losing their minds.

Linework simple and generous, with plenty of room for crayons, markers, or just joyful scribbles. I test colored several sets with crayons just to make sure I could and sized the dolls generously for crayon usage. (People can have preferences, but I love a crayon. Super fun way to color.)

Bodies designed to wear any outfits. That way you can mix, match, swap, repeat. Listen, if you want to dress up the same doll in a ballgown and a suit of armor, that should be 100% possible. The joy of paper dolls is their versatility and I am not about to dictate how children should play.

Years ago, I got a letter once from a reader saying their four year old son really wanted guy paper dolls with ballgowns and while I didn’t have any guy paper dolls at the time, I often think of that letter. That child is now probably in college (It’s been a very long time), but better late than never. Now, guy paper dolls can 100% have ballgowns that fit them properly.

Lastly, I wanted faces friendly and simple… absolutely not the kind that stare into your soul. Promise. Though I was warned by my friend that they might edge a little into terrifying, if I wasn’t careful.

So, here we are.

I’m planning to name each batch of dolls alphabetically, so here are some A dolls. Yes, I was looking for gender neutral names. Yes, Ariel was a guys name until Disney came along. Go read The Tempest. I digress.

Briars and Blooms: An 18th-century Inspired Paper Doll in the Garden

January 22, 2026

An 18th-century inspired paper doll download featuring an original illustrated female doll with interchangeable historical-inspired dresses, floral corsetry, layered skirts, accessories, and gardening motifs from the Briars & Blooms Ensemble Eclectica collection.

Black and white 18th-century inspired paper doll download designed for coloring, with whimsical fantasy charm, interchangeable summer dresses, and floral accessories. Perfect for creative play and imaginative crafting. Titled Briars & Blooms: Ensemble Eclectica collection.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

For this fantasy 18th-century inspired paper doll download, I’ve been dipping my toes into 18th-century fashion, drawing inspiration from structured stays, flowing overskirts, folkloric motifs, and romance of gardening. I really wanted to include a watering can. Little details like that help ground the fantasy and give the paper doll a sense of theme with her seed packets and her gardening journal. As a child, I had a Madame Alexander 2002 catalog and I remember falling in love with the Cissy Pompadour doll and well, my love of roccoco 18th century gardening was born.

When I first sketched this idea, it was the height of summer. Now it’s –30 outside and any real-world gardening is firmly on hold, but this little historical fantasy exists in its own warm season, blissfully unaware of the cold.

After finishing all the inking, I dove into the coloring phase, which turned out to be both a challenge and a delight. I spent some time wrestling with the palette, At first, some of the base tones felt out of sync, making the overall look a bit clashy rather than cohesive.

What finally unlocked it was a simple but reliable trick: laying down a very nearly transparent wash, just a hint of grey, brown, or blue, over the whole piece. That helps pull disparate colors into the same tonal family, softening harsh contrasts and giving everything a shared atmosphere. It’s an old trick and it works well.

One of my favorite details to work on was the paper doll’s absurd 18th-century inspired hair, which became especially satisfying to refine once the colors were working together instead of fighting each other. Her hair color changed about six times, but in the end I though a soft honey blond was a contrast to the very bright color scheme.

If you enjoy printable paper dolls inspired by historical fashion and garden fantasy, you may also like exploring my other 18th-century inspired paper doll download options, including designs that focus on period underpinnings, layered dresses, and seasonal themes. I love revisiting historical silhouettes through fantasy designs inspired by the era, but I’ve also done some historical 18th century sets as well. Please don’t ask me to pick a favorite, I know I couldn’t.

I shared some of the messy middle stages of this printable paper doll over on Patreon for my Patrons, including sketches, color experiments, and behind-the-scenes process images. If you enjoy seeing how these historical fantasy paper dolls come together, you can check that out here. One of my goals for 2026 is to share more of my WIP for my Patrons.

Introducing the Cutie Series: January’s Flower the Carnation

January 14, 2026

January coloring activities for kids with two paper dolls (a boy and a girl). The girl has braided hair in an updo and the boy has a beard.

January coloring activities for kids featuring a printable carnation and owl inspired set of outfits. There is a ball gown and a men's suit.

Download the Paper Dolls PDF | Download the Clothing PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cuties Series

Last year, I took on a slightly wild project: drawing 100 days of paper dolls. Once I started drawing 100 outfits for paper dolls, I needed ideas. So, I drew outfits inspired by birth month flowers, since it seemed like a fun thing to do.

This post kicks off the Cutie Series, an ongoing paper doll project with several different sets planned over time. The Cuties are designed to be easy to color (especially for kids). I’ll say more about that approach in a future post.

This year (2026!), I’ll be sharing the flower-inspired designs here on the blog one month at a time, starting in January with the carnation. So, if you need January coloring activities for kids, these two pages hopefully will be some fun.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the Carnation is the birth flower of the month for January. In the Victorian language of flowers (floriography, if we’re being formal), carnations symbolized fascination, though color mattered: yellow meant disdain, red meant passionate love, and so on. Carnations are also the state flower of Ohio, a random fact I stumbled across in my carnation research.

January’s bird of the month is the owl, which is why it appears in the second outfit. I originally planned to use birds of the month throughout this subseries, but birds, it turns out, refuse to be neatly categorized. There are so many different lists of them. I quickly gave up. Still, an owl, long associated with Athena and therefore wisdom, feels like a good way to start the year.

This project began as a 100-day challenge on Patreon in 2025, and Patreon is still where I test ideas, share early drafts, and quietly see what works for me. If that part of the creative process appeals to you, you’re very welcome to join me there. It’s a nice little community.

Reflecting on 2025 here at Paper Thin Personas

January 7, 2026

It’s been an good year on Paper Thin Personas! On average, 6,500 people visit the site each month, with around 22,000 page views, and in 2025 I welcomed 74,000 total users. Not as many as last year, but not shocking given how AI has impacted search behavior across the internet.

Over the year, I shared 36 new paper dolls, adding to a total of 55 posts on the site. That includes fantasy designs (9), historical dolls (9), and contemporary fashion (7), plus 114 Patreon-exclusive paper dolls. A big thank you to my patrons who really keep me being able to create.

My 100 Day Project sure did throw those Patreon stats into a different category, didn’t it? I digress.

Fun Paper Doll Projects:

I wrapped up The 100 Day Project over on Patreon, and honestly, it was a lot of fun. I’ll be sharing some of that work here on the blog as finished sets, along with a brand-new paper doll series that I think is very cute. Will I do another 100 Day Project in 2026? I’m not sure yet. I’ll decide in February, when I’m a little closer to the starting line. I tend to decide these things at the last minute, it’s true.

I got to collaborate with Paper Doll Review on a book called Big Eyed Girlies, and it was an absolute blast to work on. I’m genuinely thrilled with how it turned out. And if you’re curious, you can grab your own copy directly from Paper Doll Review. By the way, if you don’t already get Paper Doll Studio magazine, I highly recommend it. Such a fun quarterly treat.

I added a “random paper doll post” button while poking around with AI tools. Since I teach information literacy, I spend a lot of time thinking about how AI fits into creative and research work, which means I also like to get my hands dirty and actually use it. In this case, that meant letting AI help me wrangle some code. I hadn’t written original code in ages, so it was equal parts experiment, refresher, and a bit of fun. Mostly, it was a reminder that my coding skills are very rusty, but not totally atrophied.

Top 5 Most Viewed Paper Dolls Created in 2025

Sunshine and Scallops, my most popular 2025 paper doll by views. — *Sunshine & Scallops*

Scallops & Sunshine: Printable Summer Paper Doll for Ensemble Eclectica was a burst of summer for Ensemble Eclectica, this cheerful printable proved that sunshine and scalloped edges are an irresistible combination.
Exploring 1830s Women’s Underwear in Paper Dolls with Ensemble Eclectica I learned so much drawing this paper doll and the 1830s.
A 1839 Dress for the Races for the Ensemble Eclectica Paper Dolls this big 1830s project was so much fun. I learned a huge amount and I got to draw the very fun and very silly period of fashion.
Straps and Lace: Steampunk Paper Doll For Ensemble Eclectica I loved the blue and yellow color scheme and I was super proud of the paper doll’s hair.
Victorian Whims: A Paper Doll with a Mix & Match Steampunk Wardrobe was another paper doll whose hair I was very happy with and I liked the green color scheme. Green isn’t a color I work with much and I should change that, because I’m always happy when I do.

Hanukkah Paper Doll Printables Round Up for 2025 & A Hiatus Announcement

December 17, 2025December 17, 2025

After a quiet November, I’m taking a short break for the rest of December to recharge and dream up new paper doll ideas. In the meantime, you can still enjoy my Hanukkah paper doll gallery with festive dolls, outfits, and accessories for the season!

Whatever holiday you celebrate (or don’t) at this time of the year, I hope your winter (or summer for those down on the other side of the globe) is a lovely time with family.

Hanukkah Paper Doll Printables From Hanukkah’s Past!

Happy Hanukkah! I hope this season brings you light, joy, and time for reflection and hope. I don’t manage to make a brand-new Hanukkah paper doll every single year (December tends to be wonderfully hectic, as I’m sure you can relate), but I always try to share something so it’s easy to find Hanukkah printables to celebrate and enjoy with kids.

Click on the images to go to the post to download whichever Hanukah paper doll printable, you like best.

Plus, I’ll be sharing a special printable just for my patrons later this month, and quietly working behind the scenes on a new paper doll series and some big, fun plans to kick off 2026 in style.

As always, Paper Thin Personas is very much a one-woman show, and I’m deeply grateful for every visit, comment, bit of encouragement, and all your patience and support.

If you’d like to support the site, get more paper dolls, and help make future paper doll projects possible, consider joining me on Patreon or simply browse the gallery and download a doll or two to enjoy this season.

Enchanted Realm: Fantasy Ensemble Eclectica Paper Doll

December 12, 2025

This printable paper doll coloring page has a cartoon-style girl with long hair. Around her are several fantasy-themed dresses and accessories, each with tabs for attaching to the doll. Her accessories are two books and two swords. The sheet includes cutting instructions.

This printable paper doll has a cartoon-style girl with long brown hair and tan skin. Around her are several fantasy-themed dresses and accessories, each with tabs for attaching to the doll. There is a long green gown over a pink ruffle, a purple and pink layered dress with a corset-style bodice, a necklace, a pair of boot. Her accessories are two books and two swords. The sheet includes cutting instructions.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

Meet a diminutive paper doll with fantasy dresses, poised for adventure, literary excursions, and the occasional (but undeniably dramatic) sword duel. In truth, any visit to the library carries a nontrivial risk of armed theatrics with sword, or at least it should. You may take my word for it. I am, after all, a librarian.

This particular paper doll with fantasy dresses was inspired by two outfits I sketched many years ago for an entirely different doll. When my imagination feels sluggish, I like to rummage through my old work and borrow from my past self. It’s a bit like time travel, only with (hopefully) better line work. Anyway, this is one of the dresses and this is the other dress.

Her overall mood carries a whisper of The Lord of the Rings, mixed with a dash of Victorian-era medieval romance. You know, the sort of world where everyone looks fancy and has surprisingly straight teeth and no one leaves the castle without a sword or a book. Whenever I get stuck designing fantasy accessories, I default to “books and swords,” which feels deeply on-brand. Someday I may diversify my repertoire to include goblets or apothecary vessels of dubious origin, but today is not that day.

May her paper skirts swish gracefully across your imagination.

If you enjoy these little paper worlds and want to support the drawings behind them, you’re always welcome on my Patreon, where I share behind-the-scenes sketches, extra paper doll downloads, and the occasional overly enthusiastic ramble about various creative things.

12 Autumn Fashionista Paper Dolls In Color or Black and White for Coloring!

November 14, 2025

So, as I was sorting through my archive of paper dolls this week (as I occasionally do), I pulled together a dozen designs that felt perfect for autumn and all have fun contemporary fashion vibes They all have rich colors, cozy layers, and that unmistakable sense of shifting seasons. Funny enough, a few of these dolls were originally meant for winter, and a couple I sketched with summer in mind, but looking at them now, they all feel like they belong squarely in fall. I’ll probably change my mind about this later, but that’s the artist prerogative, right?

Here in Alaska, there’s already snow on the ground, but I know that like in many parts of the world, autumn is still lingering with full of color and crisp air and the last golden days of the season. I’m only a little jealous. So, wherever you are, I hope these twelve autumn fashionistas bring a little bit of that magic to your day.

12 Printable Fall Fashionista Paper Dolls

I confess openly that I haven’t been drawing much lately. I’m having a bit of artist’s block. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, I usually return to my archives to spark some inspiration. Looking back through old paper doll designs reminded me just how much I love the feel of this season.

(I know autumn is more of a British term than an American one, but I think it sounds so much nicer than fall.)

I hope everyone is having an amazing autumn, or fall, or whatever you call it in your part of the world. And if you have a favorite fall-themed paper doll that I’ve missed, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks: Ghost

January 19, 2026October 31, 2025

Download Page 7: Bianca Boo Bloody Ghost | Download Page 7: Bianca Boo Ghost | The Bianca Boo Collection

Today’s costume for Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks is a Halloween ghost outfit! It’s inspired by 18th-century rococo style and my love of deconstructed hoop skirts (even if it’s not exactly historically accurate). I made two versions. There’s one with blood splatter and one without. The splatter version was really just an excuse to finally use my ink splatter brushes in Procreate, and honestly, I love it. But I also know not everyone wants to hand their kiddo a blood-splattered dress, so there’s a “cute” version for those who prefer their Halloween less creepy.

Speaking of ghosts: Occasionally, I think this blog might be haunted. My server’s been acting up for days. It’s nothing major, just those annoying little downtimes that fix themselves if I wait long enough.

Anyway, here’s a poem, as usual for my Halloween ghost paper doll, two versions for the two dresses:

Beneath the moon’s silver light,
Bianca Boo floats out tonight,
Her tears fall where love has bled,
A bloody ghost among the dead.
—or—
Beneath the moon’s silver light,
Bianca Boo floats out tonight,
Her tears fall where love has bled,
A silent ghost among the dead.

The idea behind this one was more costume than literal ghost. Transparent people just aren’t that exciting to draw. I’m usually a “creepy but not gory” Halloween person, so the blood surprised even me, but once I did it, I thought, “Huh, maybe I should splatter more things with blood.”

When Julie and I started this project, she suggested reasonable black and white designs, and I was like, “Nope! Full color, patterns, shadows. The works!”

(She was right, by the way. This was way more work than I anticipated when I schemed it up.)

At the time, I wanted to push myself creatively, focus on painting, and not worry about the usual mix-and-match practicality. Normally, I design paper dolls that can swap clothes endlessly (because representation and flexibility matter!), but for this project, it was just seven dresses, one doll. Totally manageable—and honestly, a breath of fresh air. I don’t regret the decision to go full color and try my hand at digital painting, but I admit I might not be doing it again for a while.

Paper dolls have always felt a little like theater to me. Change the costume, change the character. Funny story: when I named Paper Thin Personas, I discovered that the “correct” plural of persona is personae, but in theater, cast lists are often titled Personas. I loved that. So, each paper doll is a performer, and every outfit is a new role to play. Super fun! And in this case, the transformation is into a Halloween ghost!

Oh—and don’t miss Julie’s ghost! Hers is totally 1980s-inspired and so much fun.

If you’re enjoying Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks, consider supporting me on Patreon and leave a comment. The full set will be available to download soon. I need to catch my breath.

Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks: Pumpkin

October 31, 2025October 30, 2025

A printable paper doll for Halloween themed around pumpkins with a wig and stockings.

Download Page 6: Bianca Boo Pumpkin | The Bianca Boo Collection

Today’s theme for Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks is Pumpkins!

This paper doll outfit was another case where I designed the hair before I designed the outfit. (Just like I did with the Bat design) I feel like I must have seen this somewhere. I don’t imagine I came up with entirely on my own, but I have a sort of “no research” rule when I do Halloween things. So, I don’t know where it came from even though I imagine it came from somewhere.

For the outfit, I was inspired in part by a these pumpkin designs from (I think) Nyahallo. The designs aren’t signed, which is hard. I love pumpkins. Not only do I love to eat them (I do love that), but I love the shapes and colors of them. They’re so sculptural. I wanted to bring this love of the shape of pumpkins to the outfit.

I wish I had not used the word “rows” twice in the poem. I was writing fast, because I was behind. “Oh, well, perhaps something I’ll fix someday in revision.” (I say this knowing I will never do that.)

Bianca Boo with laughter sweet,
Steps through rows of pumpkins neat,
Orange globes in cheerful rows,
Her Halloween magic clearly shows!

While Julie Matthews from Paper Doll School and I are doing a fun joint paper doll project between our two sites: Paper Thin Personas (mine) and Paper Doll School (hers), we didn’t consult about what out ideas were for the themes. So, I have no idea what she’s done. It looks amazing though. You should go check it out.

I think this one really captures what I love about Halloween paper doll design. Those little intersections of whimsy, nostalgia, and seasonal color. Pumpkins have such a joyful presence, and translating that into a costume was just plain fun.

As always, I hope you enjoy dressing up your dolls in these frightful frocks and maybe feel a little pumpkin magic of your own this spooky season.

Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks: Fortune Teller

October 29, 2025

Download Page 5: Bianca Boo Fortune Teller | The Bianca Boo Collection

Today’s Halloween paper doll dress theme is “Fortune Teller.” I don’t have a lot to say about this one. I really struggled to come up with an idea. I think this ended up somewhere between a mystical wanderer, pirate, and a free-spirited artist. I spent quite a while experimenting before finally finding a direction that felt right. I decided to center the look around a dress decorated with classic Rider–Waite tarot card designs. These cards were first published in December 1909 by William Rider & Son of London. Because the original cards were printed cheaply, the color palette was quite limited. I don’t know tarot, so the one I chose mostly had to do with what I thought I could draw and simpify and would still be clearly cards. If you know how to read these cards, let me know!

It’s deeply hilarious to me how close Julie’s design and my design are. We do not consult when we do these! I had no idea what she was planning.

Today’s little poem:

Bianca Boo with a knowing grin,
Foretells where your fate will begin.
As cards reveal their mystic hue,
Dark whispers tell what waits for you

As in many Octobers past, I’m teaming up with Julie Matthews from Paper Doll School for this fun joint paper doll project between our two sites: Paper Thin Personas (mine) and Paper Doll School (hers). This year, though, things are a little more hectic than usual. I usually like to have everything finished a few days ahead, but right now I’m definitely scrambling. Still, we’re determined to make it happen and with a bit of luck (and plenty of caffeine), the spooky magic will come together once again.

If you enjoyed today’s design, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! You can also check out Julie’s latest Frightful Frock over on her site, or join me on Patreon to help keep the paper dolls coming (and get a few fun extras along the way).

Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks: Bat!

October 28, 2025

A printable halloween paper doll dress with a bat theme in lilac and black from paperthinpersonas.com

Download Page 3: Bianca Boo Moth Queen | The Bianca Boo Collection

Today’s Frightful Frock for Bianca Boo is a bat-themed dress in lilac and black. It is probably the darkest of all the dresses I designed for this series. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to give her a bat hair clip, and the rest of the look grew from there. I don’t usually start with a hair idea, but in this case, that was how my brain worked.

This was actually the first dress I designed, and its over-skirt (meant to resemble bat wings) made it tricky to come up with a unique idea for the Moth Queen gown later on. My early drafts for that one looked way too much like this bat-themed dress! That’s part of why I leaned into the Qi Lolita style for the Moth Queen from yesterday’s post. Of course, I didn’t work in order, because I am not that organized.

There’s a subtle pattern on this dress, though I wish I’d pushed the contrast a bit more. That is something I’m still learning to balance in digital art. One of my “rules” for this was that I was designing things that were inspired by their themes, rather than literal costumes for those things; however, I didn’t 100% follow that, as you shall see later on.

Here’s her poem:

Bianca Boo with lilac hair,
Found a bat swooping through the air,
They spiraled past the haunted trees,
Two happy friends on a ghostly breeze.

For the poetry fans out there: each of these poems is a quatrain, a four-line stanza. This one uses an AA/BB rhyme scheme, meaning lines one and two rhyme, and lines three and four rhyme. This is a very common poetic form. I had planned to write limericks, but limericks are actually a really complicated form to work in.

And can we talk about Julie’s bat corset? It’s an absolute delight. I wish I’d thought of it first! She also has a procreate “bat brush” available for folks over on Paper Doll School. So much fun.

The epic of Halloween’s paper doll dresses continues!

Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks: Moth Queen

October 27, 2025

Download Page 3: Bianca Boo Moth Queen | The Bianca Boo Collection

Today’s Fright Frock for Bianca Boo, my Halloween printable paper doll project with Julie Matthews, is a “Moth Queen” themed gown. So, of course, I needed a dress and a crown and a wig, because Bianca’s hair has to match the rest of her style. When Julie and I first brainstormed this Halloween paper doll project, we started with a list of thirteen ideas and narrowed it down to our favorites. Today’s design, The Moth Queen, isn’t a costume exactly, it is more of an “inspired by” outfit. I admit that I first thought of a more “fairy” feeling sort of dress, but that felt cliche, so I turned to other ideas.

Lolita fashion has always fascinated me. Originating from Japanese street fashion, Lolita draws inspiration from Victorian and Rococo clothing, creating that signature modest, doll-like silhouette full of lace, bows, and ruffles. What I find endlessly inspiring about the style is that outfits are organized into coordinates around themes, so everything matches from the purse to the dress. I think that’s very rich fodder for paper dolls, myself. For today’s Moth Queen themed paper doll outfit, I was inspired by Qi Lolita fashion, a substyle that mixes the frilly sweetness of Lolita with traditional Chinese clothing details.

Moths seem to be having a real moment right now. I’m not sure why, but then again, I rarely understand fashion trends, and that’s never stopped me from drawing them anyway. Personally, I like to think of moths as butterflies for autumn. They are a little moodier and perfect for spooky season (which is apparently what the internet is calling ‘fall’ these days).

As with the rest of Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks, I’ve been pairing each outfit with a short, whimsical poem. I don’t usually write formal verse, but I’ve been having so much fun experimenting with these little rhymes. Here’s the poem for today’s dress:

Bianco Boo in a frock so bright,
Dancing and twirling through the night,
With wings unfurled in golden gloss,
She crowned herself the queen of moths.

If you’d like to add The Moth Queen to your collection, you can download the printable paper doll outfit above. And if you missed the earlier designs in this Halloween series, be sure to check out the rest of Bianca Boo’s Frightful Frocks. Each one comes with its own little verse to celebrate the spooky season. Also, be sure to check out Julie Matthew’s Paper Doll School where she’s also creating outfits for these themes.

Fun Paper Doll Projects:

Top 5 Most Viewed Paper Dolls Created in 2025

Top 5 of Posts in 2025 Over All

Hanukkah Paper Doll Printables From Hanukkah’s Past!

12 Printable Fall Fashionista Paper Dolls