Black & White

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

Download Page 1 to Print | Download Page 2 to Print

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

Winter Geometric

Today’s paper doll might be familiar to folks, because she’s made up of pieces from Jewels and Gemstones 1.0. One of the things I knew I wanted to do with Jewels and Gemstones 2.0 was take advantage of the 1.0 content to create sets as well.

So, you might recall these pieces from Winter Fashion Week 2019.

A paper doll coloring page with 12 clothing pieces.

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I did decide to re-color this set though. I wanted to make some changes and I really do enjoy coloring paper doll sets.

A black paper doll coloring page with curly hair and 12 clothing pieces. She's a printable from paperthinpersonas.com.

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I chose a warm, autumn color scheme with warm reds and oranges. I wanted it to feel different from the Original Winter Fashion Week, but I like teals and reds, so I’m not sure how different it really is.

If you want even more paper doll content and to help support the blog, I have a Patreon page. Thanks to my Patrons financial support, I’ve moved server companies this year, been able to pay for better website security and, hopefully, have a few more upgrades coming down the line.

A link to the exclusive Friday paper doll content on Patreon

Vertical Curves: Contemporary Clothing!

Fashionable paper dolls with jeans and a striped top! Super Cute. Easy to color paper doll clothing page!

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Every year in March during Spring Fashion Week the big fashion magazines bring out their issues on the trends for the next year. It’s one of the few times I buy fashion magazines, because I love getting to see what’s on the runways.

I know there’s lot of websites that do the same thing, but maybe it’s because I stare at a computer screen most of the day (and even more now that I’m working from home!) that I really find myself craving something that isn’t digital to look at. So, I still pick up my fashion magazines and crack them open.

Inspiration

So, I was pouring through the fashion magazines for March and I noticed a lot of these sort of soft tie-dyed stripes. Well, I can’t draw soft tie dye very well in pen and ink, so I decided to do this instead. It’s sort of an soft semi-monochrome stripe.

Also, just fyi, the new Jewels and Gemstones 2.0 I mentioned last week will debut next week. I am super excited about this.

Ask me if you have any questions!

And if you want more Jewels and Gemstones clothing, check out the Patreon page.

Military Steampunk Shorts & Jacket

A set of steampunk paper doll clothing with stockings, jacket, shorts and walking stick. A steampunk paper doll coloring page clothing with stockings, jacket, shorts and walking stick.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

I have just a few of these posts to share before I wrap up the Jewels and Gemstones 1.0 and roll out the new Jewels and Gemstones 2.0. I am super excited to share them.

So, this week will be the last week of Jewels and Gemstones 1.0.

I designed this set to be a set of military inspired steampunk clothing. Throughout history, the military uniforms have influenced fashion (as all current events do) and this is particularly obvious during the Regency era when the Napoleonic wars ragged and suddenly everyone was wearing bass buttons on their walking coats.

Also, the Civil War and World War 2, though World War 2 had other interesting influences, because of the fabric restrictions placed on clothing.

I digress.

Inspiration

Steampunk, obviously. Steampunk is an aesthetic which combines the Victorian era fashion with contemporary looks. I think it’s a natural response to the digital age, much as the craftsman movement of the turn of the century was a cultural response to industrialization.

However, I do find the whole genre’s tendency to glamorize an era that was rife with social issues and colonialism problematic. I mean, there’s no perfect era of history, but… the Victorian era was pretty grim.

Want more paper dolls? Head over to Patreon where I share an extra Jewels and Gemstones paper doll outfit every week.