fantasy

Happy Valentine’s Day 2026

Valentine’s Day paper doll printable coloring sheet featuring an artist-created paper doll and her fantasy gowns. This free printable paper doll includes a romantic ball gown, puff-sleeve dress, heart purse, book, and Valentine envelopes, designed for cutting and assembling at home. Perfect for Valentine’s Day crafts, coloring, and imaginative play.
Valentine’s Day paper doll printable featuring an artist-created fashion doll with dark skin and pink double buns, wearing a turquoise bodysuit and surrounded by heart-themed dresses and accessories in teal, pink, and red. This free printable paper doll includes a romantic ball gown, puff-sleeve dress, heart purse, books, and Valentine envelopes, designed for cutting and assembling at home. Perfect for Valentine’s Day crafts, coloring, and imaginative play.

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

Happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day paper dolls and I have a long history together. So, if this printable Valentine paper doll one doesn’t bring you joy well.. I have quite a few others. I’m sure there’s something there you’ll enjoy.

When I was little, my grandmother would mail my sister and me Valentine’s cards which were often paper dolls. You can’t really find greeting card paper dolls anymore (a fact that makes me very sad, but, oh well…) When I was a kid, each one felt like a small treasure. So now, most years, I draw a Valentine’s Day paper doll in her honor. I try to remember to pop something in the mail for my niece and nephew each year, because of how much I enjoyed getting those cards.

A few notes: I decided on a pink and teal color scheme for this year’s printable Valentine paper doll, which is pretty common for me. I really like teal and pink (two of my favorite colors) and so I wanted to see them together. I went more teal than pink with this time. Not for any real reason, it just sort of happened. The puff sleeved bodice can go over the gown with open shoulders and a heart shape on the bodice. Also, in my head, that gown is the evening dress and the other gown is a day dress. Or maybe one is a summer dress and the other a winter dress, since the longer sleeves are warmer.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day today. And if not wonderful, may it at least pass without incident and deliver you into tomorrow’s promised land of half-price chocolate and discounted roses. Truly, February 15th is the unsung hero of the season. (If you’re a rose enthusiast, this is your moment.) I’ll confess, though: my heart belongs to peonies. But love is personal, so choose your own floral adventure.

And in the spirit of Valentine’s Day honesty: while these paper dolls are free to enjoy, they’re lovingly supported by my Patreon community. people who choose to contribute a little each month. Want a bit more Valentine magic? A second version of this doll (in purple and pink) and behind-the-scenes sketches are waiting for my supporting patrons.

Wishing you a day that’s as sweet as these little dolls!

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

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 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.

Enchanted Realm: Fantasy Ensemble Eclectica Paper Doll

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.

Pantheon Gowns: A Fun Ancient Greek Inspired Paper Doll

Digital paper doll download with braided hair and two elegant ancient Greek–inspired gowns, plus matching accessories. A fun, artful printable from Paper Thin Personas. Perfect for fans of historical or fantasy paper dolls.
Digital paper doll download with braided hair and two elegant ancient Greek–inspired gowns, plus matching accessories. A yellow and pink color scheme. A fun, artful download from Paper Thin Personas. Perfect for fans of historical or fantasy paper dolls.

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

This is the second of two digital paper doll downloads I designed with an ancient geek inspired theme. The first one went up last week, so you can go download that paper doll too, if you feel so inspired. I don’t think two paper doll is enough to make a series right? We’d need at least four, I think?

It’s not really the “second” one, because my brain doesn’t work like that. It’s more like, I drew three dresses, remembered that three dresses is one two many for my usual paper doll layout and then was like… well I guess I better draw a fourth dress and make that work.

Lately I’ve been very into wig designers for interesting hairstyle ideas. I think wigs are fun, because they don’t have to be realistic, much like paper dolls don’t have to be realistic. Over a decade ago, I interviewed Liana of Liana’s Paper Doll Blog (anyone else on the planet remember that one?) and she told me that drawing paper dolls made her “feel like I’m getting away with warping reality for fun.” I 100% agree.

Also, I cannot believe that interview was over a decade ago. It feels like yesterday. Wow.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the “end of the internet,” and when I think about how old this site is (17 years now!), I realize it really is kind of old-school. It’s from the days when one person could just make a website about something they loved and share it. The internet is so different now, which makes sense. 17 years is a long time. Were this website a person, it would be able to vote next year.

Increasingly, keeping a site up like this is hard. There’s a lot of costs associated with running a site like this (especially one this big) and it is occasionally janky and slow (I know, I know.) Still, when I go back to old interviews like that one, I’m reminded why I did this in the first place.

That makes me want to keep going.

If you’ve been enjoying my paper dolls and want to help keep the site running (and ad-free), I’d love if you considered becoming a patron. Your support really does make a difference and helps me keep creating.

I don’t think I’ll ever have the budget to hire someone to totally “clean up” the site, but Patreon makes it possible to cover the basics (like server space) and to pay for help when something breaks that I just can’t fix myself. That’s been happening more often lately; turns out websites have gotten a lot more complicated in the last 17 years. Shocking, I know.

Ancient Elegance: A Foray into Fantasy Greek Inspired Gowns

A printable paper doll coloring sheet titled "Ancient Elegance" from the Ensemble Eclectica series by Paper Thin Personas. The central doll has braided styled with a headpiece and bold earrings. She wears a strapless bodysuit and sandals. Surrounding her are two Ancient Greek toga-inspired gowns. Additional accessories include strappy sandals, gold and blue jewelry, a scroll, and Greek-style decorative vases and pitchers. The sheet is designed with cut-out tabs for dressing the doll.
A printable paper doll sheet titled "Ancient Elegance" from the Ensemble Eclectica series by Paper Thin Personas. The central doll has light skin, pale green eyes, and braided red-brown hair styled with a gold headpiece. She wears a blue strapless bodysuit with gold details and blue sandals. Surrounding her are Ancient Greek toga-inspired gowns, including a flowing deep blue mermaid-style dress and a pale green and navy layered gown with a gold belt. Additional accessories include strappy sandals, gold and blue jewelry, a scroll, and Greek-style decorative vases and pitchers. The sheet is designed with cut-out tabs for dressing the doll.

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

Step into the world of myth and elegance with today’s paper doll set, Ancient Elegance, part of my Ensemble Eclectica series. This Greek mythology fashion doll is well within the realm of fantasy and one of two dolls with this theme I drew. I’ll share the second soon, I’m sure. 

I’ve loved Greek myths since I was a child, devouring them in every form I could find from illustrated books for kids to my mother’s old college encyclopedia of mythology. Of course, if you’ve been around here for any lenght of time, you know I also loved the old Xena television shows.

One of the rare things I did with this paper doll (that I don’t do with many of my creations) is I gave her a head piece. It’s easy enough to trim off with a pair of scissors, should you wish to do so. I just thought it added a fun element to the paper doll. She’s got two gowns, of course. To complete the set, you’ll find strappy sandals, jewelry, a scroll, and a collection of decorative Greek-style vases and pitchers and these the kinds of treasures you might imagine in a temple or mythic hero’s home.

Color scheme-wise I went with blues and pale green. I don’t know that I’ve ever done a color scheme quite like this and it was largely inspired by a color card from the Color Cube, something I treated myself too as a source for color schemes last year, I think. This was card 007 from volume 1 of the cube, which I am not sharing out of respect for the creator of the Color Cubes. It’s very blue color scheme! As you can see, I suspect.

As fall tips into winter up here in Alaska, I always notice my cat deciding that yes, my lap is officially the warmest place in the house (a sure sign that winter has arrived, even if snow has not). It does make cozy evenings, but it also make drawing occasionally challenging when there’s a needy cat.

Celestial Fashionista: A Fantasy Astronomer Paper Doll

A paper doll coloring page with braided hair, wearing corsets and bodices. The set includes two gowns, a pair of boots, an armillary sphere, books, and notepaper.
A red-brown skinned paper doll with braided hair, wearing corsets and bodices. The set includes two gowns, a pair of boots, an armillary sphere, books, and notepaper.

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

Today’s paper doll is a fantasy scientist I think. Some sort of astrologer or astronomer paper doll perhaps? I’ll leave that up to others to decide.

Netflix did a version of Cinderella back in 2021 and honestly, it was not a film I enjoyed very much. The attempt to modernize the story fell a bit flat. The costumes were cool and I love a musical, but I didn’t actually think it was a very good movie. The film’s excessive close-ups and awkward staging make it feel less like a true musical and more like a disjointed movie where people randomly burst into song. It was a jukebox musical, but not one that worked very well. I thought Pierce Brosnan was quite funny as the king and Camila Cabello was charming enough as the lead.

Even though nothing will ever replace the 1997 Brandy version of Cinderella in my heart, I did find some of the costume designs in the Netflix version interesting. I created this printable paper doll inspired by those looks—specifically the main outfit Cinderella wears for most of the movie which is a heavily boned set of stays over a skit with a wrap belt of some sort.

After designing the two dresses, I started thinking about the character behind them. There was something practical about the costumes that made me imagine this astronomer paper doll. That’s when the idea to draw the armillary sphere came in, and the concept evolved from there. The color palette was inspired by what I think of as “galactic” colors. Not colors I tend to use that much, I don’t think.

This photo from Pinterest inspired her hair. I added some dramatic earrings.

This month has absolutely flown by. It’s been one of those stretches where I keep thinking “I’ll do that when I have a moment” but those moments are in short supply lately. I’ve been teaching, attending a historical conference, catching up after August travel, and taking a class.

I have been scheming on a October project, so that might be happening. We shall see!

Chivalry in Paper: Cut & Color Couture Knight Paper Doll

A knight paper doll coloring page with mix and match armor, a sowrd and an axe.

Download Black and White PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cut & Color Couture Series

Today’s paper doll is a knight, decked out in her armor and ready for adventure. She comes with both a sword and an axe, because why settle for just one weapon when you can have options? I really love her sword and her axe. I’ve done a fair number of knights over the years. You can check all those knights out here. This knight’s series has been running for a while, so you can mix and match with Archer of the Realm, In Full Armor, and Gallant Garb, of course.

Of course, I couldn’t resist giving her cute hair, because knights deserve good hair days too. Just because you’re wearing heavy plate and carrying sharp objects doesn’t mean you can’t have style. I have always loved two buns as a hair style. I think it’s super cute, even though I’ve never worn it much myself.

Underneath all that metal, she’s wearing a padded coat called a gambeson. Gambesons were basically the medieval multitaskers of clothing. They could be worn on their own as light armor, or layered under chainmail and plate to add cushioning and keep the metal from rubbing skin raw. Think of it as a combination safety pad and anti-chafing solution, because no one wants to spend the day riding a horse, swinging a sword, and getting stabbed while also dealing with terrible blisters.

So, this knight paper doll isn’t just fierce. She’s also fashionable and practical. You might remember some of the previews of these outfits, if you’re a patron.

September has just slipped away from me. I don’t mind. I’m busy and that’s not a bad thing, but it hasn’t left much time for working on paper dolls. I hope once winter comes things might slow down a little.

Gallant Garb: A Paper Doll Adventurer

Fantasy armor coloring page printable paper doll to cut and color featuring a female character with micro braids and her two mix-and-match armored outfits, including a armored corsets over blouses, pants, and accessories like a sword, bow, arrows, dagger, and bag. Great for kids, screen-free play, or homeschool on a rainy day.

Download Black and White PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cut & Color Couture Series

There was no way I was going to create a fantasy armor coloring page paper doll and not end up with armored corsets. I mean, I am me. Two things I love are corsets and fantasy outfits featuring pants. After all, I have a Pinterest board devoted to fantasy armor and another one solely for “fantasy outfits with pants” and I probably should have one for corsets, but I do not.

One of the things that keeps me so drawn to collecting reference images on Pinterest is that they constantly inspire new interpretations. I remember a lesson from a poetry class in college that I’ve carried with me: My professor said that waiting for inspiration to strike is a surefire way to spend more time waiting than actually creating. Waiting for the perfect spark is less effective than actively engaging in things that will give you ideas. Paper dolls are a visual medium, so I tend towards visuals.

If you want to support my work (and dress some paper dolls while you’re at it), take a look at my Patreon and my newest book from Paper Doll Review, Big Eyed Girlies.

In Full Armor: A Knight Paper Doll

Printable lady knight paper craft to cut and color includes detailed medieval armor, sword, and dagger. She has short hair. Great for creative play or homeschool activities.

Download Black and White PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cut & Color Couture Series

So, as I mentioned last time I shared one of these knights, you know that moment when a single idea takes hold and before you realize it, you’ve found yourself fully immersed in a creative rabbit hole? That’s exactly what happened here.

I thought I’d just draw a little fantasy armor, and then things spiraled. Before I knew it, I had created a whole series of knight paper craft designs—more than I honestly knew what to do with. Well, that’s not totally true. I knew exactly what to do: finish them up and share them here. This blog exists because I need a place for all the paper dolls I make, and these knight paper craft creations fit right in.

I should probably always include a disclaimer with these posts: I know next to nothing about how actual full plate armor works, and I’m sure I’ve gotten plenty of details wrong. But hey, artistic license, right?

On my head, this paper doll is the sort of “serious warrior” of the group, since she’s the one with full-plate armor, where everyone else has sort of more light weight armor options. So, maybe she’s a paladin, to put things in Dungeons & Dragons terminology.

If you want to support my work, don’t forget I have a new book, Big Eyed Girlies, from Paper Doll Review, and a Patreon. The book features fun paper dolls and Patreon supporters get an exclusive extra paper doll each month.

Archer of the Realm: A Warrior Woman Paper Doll

Black and white printable paper doll coloring page titled "Archer of the Realm" from Paper Thin Personas. The sheet features a female doll with braided hair in underwear, a medieval-inspired wardrobe with three pieces (a tunic top with armor and puffy sleeves, a tunic with chaimaile over it, and matching armored pants tucked into boots), a sword, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. Decorative border with loops surrounds the page. Instructions on the right side explain how to print, cut, and use the doll. Created by Rachel L. Cohen, 2025. Great for homeschooling, rainy days, or fantasy-themed play!

Download Black and White PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cut & Color Couture Series

Have I ever mentioned how I tend to get into a “theme” and then realize I’ve drawn way too much of it? Yeah, that’s pretty much what happens to me.

I decide I want to draw armor. The next thing I know, I’ve done like five different versions of a warrior woman paper doll. And I’m just like… welp, that’s getting into series territory, ain’t it?

Part of this was about me learning to draw chainmail on an iPad. Part of it was me just wanting to draw some cool fantasy armor for ladies.

Anyway, this is the first in a little collection of paper doll knights, adventurers, warrior women, and ladies wearing fantasy outfits that include pants… you can call them whatever you like. Fantasy armor and outfits with pants are recurring obsessions of mine. I have an entire Pinterest board devoted to fantasy armor and another one solely for “fantasy outfits with pants.”

Please, don’t judge the clothing of this warrior woman paper doll based on practicality. Because, let’s be honest, could someone survive an actual fight in these outfits? No idea, but they look cool.

I might be defeating my own argument about not caring for practicality when I admit that my obsession with fantasy outfits featuring pants probably started as a child. Back then, I watched Xena and thought, “Someone, anyone, get these women some dang trousers, please.”

I wanted to be Xena really badly, but I also really badly did not want to wear a skirt. So, maybe all my armor drawing is my way of solving this problem for young Rachel.

If you want to support my work (and dress some dolls while you’re at it), don’t forget that I have a new book  Big Eyed Girlies from Paper Doll Review. This one’s close to my heart, and I’d love for you to check it out.

Wardrobes of Whimsy: Fjord Fantasy

Download 2 Page Black and White PDF | Download 2 Page Color PDF |

So, back in June of last year, my husband and I went to Norway for a few weeks. Partly a work trip for me and partly a lovely vacation for the two of us. It was very fun. We went to several different cities and lots of museums. Norway is beautiful and reminds me so much of Alaska where I am from. The fjords, the mountains, the weirdly large number of stuffed polar bears in Tromsø, and the presence of lots of plants that looked familiar.

It was a really really fantastic trip.

While I was there, I did a lot of doodling of Viking inspired clothing (especially because I got to see actual dwarf broaches and they were just as beautiful as I suspect they would be) and so here’s a bit of that coming out in paper doll format.

So, these garments are inspired by “apron dresses” over under dresses. As I discussed at great length a decade ago when I wrote about Viking dress, no one really knows for sure what Viking women wore, but man there are a lot of people on the internet who get a lot of joy out of arguing about it. I’m not entering into that debate, but I did have fun creating these fantasy dresses inspired by my limited understanding of Viking clothing.

These aren’t very traditional mix and match dolls, which is kind of the point. As I mentioned last week, the whole concept of these was how layering comes together for a paper doll outfit. I really like the idea, but I’m not sure. There’s more than two outfits here- you actually have 8 different combinations, between the shoes and the various apron dresses that go over the dresses.

I don’t know if I’ll do more of these or not… I’m having many thoughts.