inkspired musings: diy paper doll

Found on Pinterest

I recently discovered a wonderful magazine called

Paperdoll Review

It is a fairly small publication, I suppose, if you compare it to Better Homes & Gardens or Cooking Light, but I have found the articles to be very interesting and well researched. The best part about it? It is chock full of paper dolls and outfits! Pages and pages of costumes drawn by readers, reproductions of vintage paper dolls and sets drawn by paper doll artist celebrities fill the pages, in full color.

Pretty much right up my alley, so to speak. I thought it would be fun to check out some paper dolls and altered paper dolls and share some of the things I have been doing in that area.

Found on Pinterest

Summer is a great time to get out the old magazines, scissors, glue, colored pencils and maybe some empty cereal boxes or old file folders.

Let’s start with some basic shapes. There are many, many options ready for you to download on Pinterest. Here are a couple:

Kiwi Family Media

Once you have your basic doll shape, you need to trace and cut out this shape. I suggest you glue your cut out shape onto something sturdy, such as cereal box cardboard or file folder surfaces, and cut out. Check out my past blogs on how to make a stand for your paper doll.

(Paper doll bonanza, April 18, 2024)

ehow.com

If you haven’t yet, now is a good time to get your crayons, markers, etc and draw and color in your doll’s face and any permanent clothes.

Some ideas are a swimsuit or basic lingerie or underwear for your doll to be in.

Tushi, vintage Native American paper doll

Now you have a choice. You can make your paper doll a ‘stand alone’ doll, such as an ornament for a tree or wreath. These paper dolls are usually not played with but are for decoration. You can dress them however you wish, but typically there are not removable or extra clothes. Here are a couple of examples:

Lorena’s altered art; Pinterest

Here are a couple of examples of altered art type dolls that are mounted and framed that I have made:

Jointed paper dolls are perfect for these type of dolls also. You can find parts and pieces on Etsy and Pinterest in a variety of styles:

Antique scrap reproduction

TheEnchantedGallery.com

You put them together with brass or eyelets, and can then move their parts around for different poses.

Here are some altered art jointed paper dolls I made with playing cards and junk mail:

Let your imagination run wild! There is no right or wrong with these types of altered art paper dolls.

However,

if you want a playable doll with a wardrobe of clothes, go back to your basic doll shape.

Another option I have used is to find a photo in a magazine of a complete person. Draw in anything missing (a hand, part of a leg, etc.) then cut out. Glue this onto your cereal cardboard to make it sturdy, and you have a basic doll shape to work with!

Next comes the fun part, at least for me -

making paper doll clothes!

Found on Pinterest, no credit

Place a light piece of copy paper or tracing paper on top of your doll. Carefully trace around the outside shape.

I recently purchased a light box tablet that I LOVE. It is perfect for tracing like this. Here is a photo of a light box. There are a few different sizes and features available to you.

Walmart

Once you have a few good outlines for clothes, such as a skirt, pair of pants, top or dress, trace this shape onto sturdy cardboard or cardstock. Cut out. You now have a template that you can adapt, add or delete to for endless variations of clothes. You have premeasured, so you don’t need to measure each clothing item every time you draw one.

Don’t forget to draw on tabs!

A corset or swimsuit shape that you can add sleeves to or a different neckline.

Below is a pattern for a felt doll, but it is easily adapted for paper. Remember to draw in some sort of stand, and tabs to keep the clothes on.

These dolls used the same pattern for legs, etc but changed up the outfits somewhat-

I think these are done by Lisa Vollrath

These next 2 dress patters do not need tabs, as long as they are one piece and the neckline is open enough to fit over the head of your doll. Many antique dress-up dolls were made this way.

Sorry, credit is in Russian! Found on Pinterest.

2 antique advertisements with ‘free’ paper dolls

The above advertising paper dolls are also fun because the main dolls have a front and back. This was a common practice with paper dolls of that era. These are from the 1920’s.

Artist unknown

I have taken a paperdoll outline shape and decorated it with Zentangle-style doodles. These could be colored, cut out and played with, or I might copy and resize them to fit a greeting card (another passion of mine).

I have also done a few using colored pens-

Another fun thing is to take your black/white line drawing, and insert it into a digital program that ‘colorizes’. Here are a couple of my ‘playin’ with my apps’ paper doll clothes-

If you didn’t notice, this one needs tabs!

Another way to create paper doll clothes is to make your pattern (basic shape that fits your doll, as explained above) and then get out those magazines and catalogs that are collecting dust under the coffee table.

There are wonderful designs and colors just waiting to be turned into something beautiful. Here are some samples I made for a nature themed paper doll-

These were all cut from old Bird and Butterfly magazines

Here is one more idea for you. Do you have any old sewing patterns stuck in a box somewhere? Have you seen them at garage sales? Use the models on the front for a paper doll! Carefully cut around the image, then attach to cereal box type cardboard. Cut out. Remember the doll stand. Is the skirt too ‘frou frou’? Just trim it down, no problem.

Laura Beth Love, Pinterest

Now, are you having way too much fun yet? Did you get carried away and have a stack of paper doll clothes now? Make a few greeting cards! These will be one-of-a-kind cards for special occasions and celebrations.

I was able to purchase a lot of paper dolls on e-bay. Included in the batch were several outfits with no dolls.

So, I made greeting cards!

I hope I have given you ideas to try this really fun papercraft. It is also a wonderful project to do with children of all ages, boys and girls. Playing with something you have created yourself is so satisfying. I’m not even mentioning all the fine motor skills and brain stimulation that these will enhance.

Handkerchief dresses, artist unknown; Pinterest

Giving a handmade card is extra special to the recipient. Send a little joy to someone, no special occasion needed!

Now go get those scissors and some glue…

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Random websites I checked out to write this blog, in no particular order:

PaperdollReview.com

WikiHow.com

RSMadness.com

inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com

Welcome!

Antique paper dolls

After finishing a blog on a paper doll party, and then one on aprons, I find I have quite a few paper dolls that I wasn’t able to share.

Let’s have fun with them today!

All of the paper dolls I am sharing today are vintage/antique and have no copyright restrictions, as far as I can tell.

My suggestion is download, print, and have fun! Don’t share and say they are yours.

Don’t sell them.

I found a ton of paper dolls on Pinterest similar to the one above. I have run them through a program I have that enhances and sharpens images. It mostly works wonders, although sometimes it tweaks the paper dolls’ faces a little weirdly.

When you cut this one out, be sure to add in the tabs she will need for her clothes to stay on.

These next ones feature aprons in at least one of the costumes -

I love the peasant costume with this one!

The above paper doll looks like it is showing costumes from different regions of the same country.

This next one is an antique French set-

remember to add on tabs before cutting.

Some of these next ones have really tiny tabs. I would extend them to make them bigger, so the costume doesn’t fall off the doll.

Did you notice something about those last 4 sets? They all have an ethnic costume included! I wish I could tell you the nationalities, but I don’t know them.

Do you?

Many of these sets have paper dolls without any kind of stand. Check out the one above for a great stand you can add on. Here is another idea for making stands for your dolls.

ikatbag.com

I would suggest printing out a copy of just the doll part. That way there is room for you to draw a base similar to this one:

WikiHow

Next you have a couple of choices.

Here is a very simple stand to glue on the back. You can also notch your pieces and make a stand with your strip base:

By Cory Jensen

Donna Grimm posted this on Facebook.

Here are a few more paper dolls:

I hope you have noticed these paper dolls have a mix of regular clothes, and fairytale land costumes; or national costumes.

When cutting out the paper doll, glue it onto some cereal box cardboard, or similar weight cardboard. After cutting out, the glued doll is sturdy and ready to support clothes.