Paper dolls are a lovely way to celebrate a rainy day! With a book or a stash of paper dolls and their clothes, small children can have hours of fun doing pretend play and making clothes and houses for their dolls. Since paper dolls and doll books are very much part of centuries gone by, sometimes they can be difficult to find in stores. Look online or explore these paper doll books.
Where to Buy Books or Chains of Paper Dolls
Paper dolls can be found in the oddest of places! Check the library to see if there are books of paper dolls. Antique and vintage stores are another place to find paper dolls, although these books may be somewhat expensive. Scrapbooking stores may have silhouettes to cut out and they definitely have a lovely selection of paper that can be used to create doll clothes. Check used book stores for older books that feature paper dolls as well.
Books That Feature Paper Dolls and Clothes
There are dolls out there that are as diverse as each child and that child’s interests. Historical dolls, fairies, and multicultural child dolls are all available.
- Book of Paper Dolls by Julie Collings. Looking for some paper dolls that are simple to cut out? The Book of Paper Dolls (Klutz, 2001) features six cartoon-style dolls in different outfits like a fairy and a cowboy.
- Little House in the Big Woods Paper Dolls by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her stories will enjoy these Little House books (Harper Festival, 1995) full of paper dolls that are based on the Little House series. This book even includes Jack the dog!
- Flower Fairies Paper Dolls by Cecily Mary Barker. This Flower Fairies (Warne, 2005) book contains two boy fairies, two girl fairies, and eight outfits.
- Girls Around the World by Dover Publications. Dover books are small and affordable. The Girls Around the World (Dover, 2006) book has little sticker dolls in the traditional dress of different countries.
Making Paper Doll Clothes
To adorn the paper dolls in books, choose from the clothes that they come with or make a new wardrobe! Paper doll clothes are simple to make. Take some cardboard and trace around the body of the paper doll, excluding the head. Make two cardboard cut-outs. Cut one in half along the waist. The cardboard piece with the full body is for dresses, while the halves are for tops, pants, and skirts. Children can trace the cut-outs onto wrapping paper, scrapbooking paper, or coloured construction paper. Cutting out the clothing is good practice for children who are beginning to cut! Find sticky jewels and stickers to adorn the clothes as well.
Paper dolls are a great activity for a rainy day. They’re a way to occupy and engage kids in an exploration of different worlds, whether those are different cultures, fairyland, historical figures or characters from books or movies.
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