THINGS TO DO: Make Custom Paper Dolls

Paper dolls. Easy to Make. Easy to Store. Recyclable. Free. It just might be the perfect toy.

A couple of summers ago, Marek had several girlfriends over to play. They were the crafty kind of girls and looking for something new to do. In a fit of necessity bred inspiration, I took photos of the kids, glued them on cardboard, and helped them to cut and dress their look-alike dolls. Hours of entertainment.

I have always loved paper dolls. What easier way to experiment with fashion than by changing the clothes on a paper doll?


Custom Paper Doll Instructions:
1) Begin with a paper doll posed photo. For tips on taking a good photo, see one of my paper doll listings at my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/macraft

2) Print out the photo and paste it onto cardboard. Use the cardboard from a cereal box or the back of a notebook for an economic and ecological solution. A have found rubber cement to be the best connector, because the paper will stay flat, it dries quickly, and the extra cement cleans off after it is dry.

3) Cut out around the edges of the paper doll. Scissors work fine for light-weight cardboard. I use an exacto knife for more precise cutting. If your model has long hair, you will need to make a cut across the shoulders for the clothing tabs to fold through.


Clothing Creation Instruction:
1) Choose paper for the clothing. We have used just plain white computer paper and colored it in. We have also used the fun colors and patterns of scrapbook paper.

2) Place the doll on the paper and trace around the edges to get the shape and size for the clothes. Use a pencil so extra lines can be erased.

3) Draw the clothing onto the tracing modifying the shape as needed. For example, for a dress the skirt will drape out from the legs.

4) Draw tabs on the shoulders, sides, legs or wherever needed to hold the clothing on. Do not forget the tabs!

5) Cut out the clothing with the tabs. Before cutting, I will sometimes draw around the final cut line in marker or a darker pencil so the cut line is clear.

6) Decorate the clothing and place on the doll.


Tips:
If you want to get really fancy, the doll can be placed face down on the paper to trace around it "inside out" so the lines do not show from the front.

You can also create a tissue paper template for the clothes. This will keep the doll nicer so repeated tracings are not taken from it, and it allows the doll to be visible through the template for fitting and shaping.

Younger children might need some help pasting with rubber cement and/or cutting the doll. They might also need you to hold the doll in place while they trace for clothing creation. And remind them about the tabs!