inkspired musings: create

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Paper Doll Hearts

Welcome!

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidaCam

Can you believe it? Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! What happened to January? What happened to 2025 for that matter! No matter if I am ready or not, time marches on. I better get with it, and share some Valentines with y’all.

These are the outside and inside of a card I made recently. The Cupid has been made with an Iris Folding technique. Just type that into the search engine and you should find many examples and directions on that technique in past blogs.

The bow/arrow was cut with my Cricut (pronounce it just like the little critter). The inside was cut using metal dies with my Spellbinders Platinum.

Today however I want to share some heart-felt paper dolls with you. I have chosen ones that can be printed on one page and sent/given to the Valentine of your choice. Many of them are vintage.

Children’s PLAY MATE magazine; 1929-1935

Unknown, most likely magazine

There was a time when sending paper doll valentines was very popular. Electronic games and hand held devises had not been invented yet. Cutting out paper dolls, making props from things around the house and writing little scripts for puppet plays was a common pastime for both girls and boys.

Vintage Valentines

These paper doll valentines are very collectible now, especially if they are uncut. A brief look on eBay found uncut paper dolls Valentines for sale anywhere from $17 for one 1940’s pre-owned, to 2 uncut ones for $45.50. A 1978 Joan Walsh Anglund one page Valentine was listed for $20.

1993

Joan Walsh Anglund, 1987

I do admit, however, the ones from the 1940’s or so are my favorites!

Here are a couple more modern Valentine-themed paper doll pages:

While animal paper dolls remain a steady favorite, there doesn’t seem to be as many Valentine animal paper dolls as there are little girls. I did find this cute little bear however:

If you are wanting to draw your own paper dolls for a fun Valentine’s Day card, why not try a simple cat, dog or bear shape? The clothes would be much more forgiving to draw and color. Here’s a Dolly Dingle style dog, Fido, for inspiration-

Artist Grace Drayton

And a cute piggy-

Both of these sets have simple shapes with no hands you have to draw, or funny feet. Don’t forget to always add tabs to hold the costume in place.

The next 2 pages are by Lydia Fraser, a well-known Canadian illustrator and artist from the 1930’s. I believe these paper dolls were from Canadian Home Journal.

By Lydia Fraser

This next page is from the artist Hilda Miloche. This popular paper doll artist had the Cherub Valentine published in 1948 in

The Story Parade Magazine for Boys and Girls.

The next paper doll is by popular artist and illustrator Mary Engelbreit.

Here is a Valentine you can print out and color yourself, or let your recipient color it. It is drawn by Melissa Pepe.

Missmissypaperdolls.com

Can’t have a paper doll blog without including the iconic Betsy McCall-

1957

Here are 2 more vintage paper doll cards-

The next black and white paperdoll is by Laura R. Brock. She drew for a Los Angeles newspaper and this one is from a series from 1933-1934.

Laura R. Brock, 1933-1934

About ready to go find your paper scissors, fire up the printer, and grab some white cardstock?

No cardstock? Then just print on regular copy paper. Glue the sheet onto the back of a box, like a cereal box. Now is the time to color, if it needs it. Draw in the clothing tabs and a paper doll stand if needed. Now cut out, and let your imagination fly!

Let’s close with another vintage paper doll Valentine, from around the 1940’s perhaps-