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

If you’ve been following Paper Thin Personas for a while, you might remember a fantasy gown I drew back in 2018 inspired by kaftans. That design has lived in the back of my mind ever since. Today’s Sunset Enchantress is me finally picking it back up and doing something it. This new Ensemble Eclectica fantasy paper doll printable comes with two complete fantasy outfit options. They are both rooted in that folklore-and-fantasy aesthetic I love so much.

The color palette, with the deep purples, warm oranges, teal, and magenta, was inspired by a much older set: the Elven Empress from 2015, yet another fantasy paper doll printable. Something about those particular jewel tones feels magical to me. So, I wanted to revisit them with fresh eyes and try something different. I think color schemes are a fun place to play around.

If you’ve printed the Straps and Lace steampunk doll, you’ll notice this doll shares her skin tone. So, they can share shoes and, of course, all the Ensemble Eclectica paper dolls can share clothing. I have considered limiting my skintone’s more dramatically, but just this last winter I was asked by a long time reader to recolor a set with two different skintones to that they would match her nieces. I just think it’s important to have many many shades of beige and brown, so all people can find a skin-tone match.

As always, today’s Sunset Enchantress fantasy paper doll printable comes with a black-and-white coloring version too. If you’ve been wanting to put your own colors to this doll, the linework is all yours to play with. The patterns are intricate enough to be a genuinely satisfying coloring project for adults and sole very patient older kids. I would not have been one those, but I know they exist.

After all, every time I do these sorts of super patterned designs I tell myself “never again”. Then I inevitably fall into the trap to doing them again. They are just so time consuming to color, but I do love how they turn out.

Now, this paper doll is the “partner in crime” to another paper doll I designed, but she’s not ready to be shared yet. I can’t wait to show her off though, so keep an eye out! In the meantime, leave a comment and let me know what you think of the Sunset Enchantress!

The post Sunset Enchantress: A Fantasy Paper Doll Printable from the Ensemble Eclectica Series appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

Download the Paper Doll PDF | Download the Paper Doll Clothing PDF | More Cuties Paper Dolls & Clothing

Like all my brith flower floral designs for the Cuties, this May birth flower coloring page for kids (and kids at heart) began as part of my quest to draw paper dolls during last year’s 100 Day Project. (I’m attempting it again right now on Patreon, though I confess I’m probably going to fall far short of 100 designs.) This set is inspired by May’s birth flower, the Lily of the Valley.

With these designs, I wanted to explore fantasy clothing inspired by Asian dress, featuring wide obi-like belts and long kimono-style sleeves. In the Victorian language of flowers, Lily of the Valley symbolizes the “return of happiness,” and it’s one of the earliest flowers to bloom each year. Also, apparently, their berries are poisonous? I truly had no idea they even made berries.

The biggest design challenge was figuring out how to turn such a delicate flower into a floral crown. In the end, I used the leaves to create a sort of backdrop for the blossoms. I also wanted to keep the design simple enough that it wouldn’t be too difficult to color or cut out.

Only afterward did it occur to me that the paper doll’s hair, with those big curled pigtails, might make fitting the crown a little tricky. I think it will still work, though it may need to sit over the pigtails.

May has been a blur this year. I traveled down to visit my sister and spend time with my niece and nephew for Mother’s Day, along with several family birthdays. It was lovely, though the drive is long from interior Alaska to Southeast Alaska. The border crossings into and out of Canada went smoothly, and the scenery along the way was beautiful. We saw swans, moose, rabbits, caribou, owls, mountain goats, porcupines, and, at one memorable moment, an owl eating a rabbit. Poor rabbit.

I finally seem to have recovered from a long, drawn-out illness that left me barely functional for much of March and all of April. One thing I always find fascinating about being sick for that long is that I never fully realize how exhausted I was until I start feeling better. Then suddenly it’s, “Oh, this is what my normal energy level feels like. This is so nice.”

If you enjoyed today’s May birth flower coloring page, be sure to explore the rest of the monthly floral Cuties collection. Each set is inspired by a different birth flower and a fantasy fashion theme, and who doesn’t want to see more of that? If you have a favorite flower you’d love to see turned into a paper doll design, leave a comment and let me know. I’m always looking for inspiration for future Cuties paper dolls.

The post May Paper Dolls: The Lily of the Valley with the Cuties appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

March 2026 Paper Dolls | March Clothing Paper Dolls | April 2026 Paper Dolls | April Clothing Paper Dolls | More Cuties Paper Dolls & Clothing

Today’s kid-friendly printable paper dolls started as part of my ongoing quest to draw a truly unreasonable number of paper dolls last year for the 100 day project. (I am doing this again on Patreon right now, though I am unlikely going to hit 100 designs this year.) This set is inspired by March and April’s birth flowers which are the daffodil and the daisy. Daffodils are all about renewal and “hey, we survived winter,” while daisies bring that softer, simple, fresh-start energy. Honestly, I’ll take both. I’ve been under the weather for the last few weeks.

If you’re new around here, these are part of my Cuties series: aka my kids printable paper dolls that are actually designed with actual children in mind. Think big, easy-to-cut tabs, simple linework that plays nicely with crayons (a personal favorite), and outfits that all mix and match. Any doll can wear anything. Ballgown? Armor? Swim trunks with a flower crown? Yes, yes, and absolutely yes.

That mix-and-match magic has always been my favorite thing about paper dolls. One outfit swap and suddenly you’ve got a whole new character and story.

With these paper doll designs, I wanted to explore different elements of the flowers themselves. Daffodils have always looked like gowns to me, so for that design I tried to drawn the entire flower as a gown. The shape of the daisy made me think besagews (aka besagues) on armor. Besagews are a type round armor piece designed to protect the armpits, as part of plate armor. Major artiaries flow through the armpits, so guarding them against attack was critical. Who knew? I didn’t until I looked up to write this blog post. But I knew it had a name. When it comes to armor, every part has a name, I’ve learned. I also try to get the names right.

If you enjoy today’s paper dolls and want to help keep the site going (and the paper dolls coming), you can support my work over on Patreon. It genuinely makes a difference and helps me keep creating more printable sets. Plus, you can come cheer on the current 100 Day Project (Sewing Pattern Themed) and get to see more behind the scenes.

Also, don’t forget to check out the rest of the Cuties series for more dolls and more outfit options.

The post Cuties Paper Dolls: Daffodil & Daisy Designs appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

Download the 2 Page Black and White PDF | Casual Cool: Stripes Clothing | Casual Cool: Sweaters Clothing | More Cuties Paper Dolls & Clothing

In some places, I’ve heard it might be spring, but where I live, we’re having a record breaking cold snap and there’s several feet of snow on the ground. So I’ve put together a brand-new set of paper doll winter clothing for the Cuties. I wanted this winter set to feel like a warm hug in paper form. For the best experience, I recommend printing these on a heavy card stock so everything feels sturdy during play.

So, I hope you grab the crayons and the safety scissors! The Cuties paper dolls are ready for a snow day, and they need some help getting dressed. I designed this special winter set with extra-large tabs and simple, bold shapes to make it easy and fun for little hands to color, cut, and play. You can download the full printable coloring pages above as either single pages or a two page set. I hope this provides a perfect indoor activity for your next chilly afternoon. Bust out the crayons and have some fun with them.

If you’re new to the series, you’ll need a doll to dress up! You can find the one set of Cuties Dolls here and all the other Cuties series here. Once you’ve finished this winter set, why not check out the February Violets to dream of warmer weather or fairytale vibes?

I’d love to see how you bring these designs to life! If you and your little ones enjoy this paper doll winter clothing set, please tag me @PaperThinPersonas on Instagram. Seeing your unique color choices is what keeps me inspired to draw the next collection.

The post Cuties Casual Cool: Paper Doll Winter Clothing for a Cozy Day appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

Download the Paper Doll PDF | Download the Paper Doll Clothing PDF | More Cuties Paper Dolls & Clothing

Last year, I took on a slightly wild project: drawing 100 days of paper dolls. And part of that was drawing a dress and suit for each of the 12 months, focusing on flowers of the month. This is February’s version celebrating the violet.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the violet is one of February’s birth flowers (along with the primrose, but the violet won my heart). In the Victorian language of flowers (floriography, as it is known) violets symbolized modesty, faithfulness, and devotion. They’re small, low-growing flowers, the kind you have to bend down to notice. I like that for February. It’s a month that often feels hushed.

My grandmother grew African violets competitively, but these are wild violets.

This post continues the Cutie Series, my ongoing paper doll project designed to be easy to color (especially for kids), with simple lines and open spaces. This year (2026!), I’m sharing the flower-inspired designs here on the blog one month at a time.

As I said, this project began as a 100-day challenge on Patreon in 2025, and Patreon is still a place where I tested ideas. In fact, I am currently doing a different 100-day challenge involving sewing patterns! It’s been super fun and I’ll be sharing it over on Patreon.

The post February Paper Dolls: Celebrate the Violet with the Cuties appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

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!

The post Happy Valentine’s Day 2026 appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

Download the 4 Page Black and White PDF | Alex & Aspen Paper Dolls | Aster & Ariel Paper Dolls | Aubery & Adrian Paper Dolls | Avery & August Paper Dolls | More Cuties Paper Dolls & Clothing

To be 100% honest, I don’t have that much exposure to children.

It’s not intentional, but I don’t have kids and most of my friends also don’t have kids. However, I have a delightful niece and a wonderful nephew. Both of them love to color and I have spent many a family gathering coloring with them. One thing became extremely clear to me in 2024: many of my paper doll printables are… a lot. Like, ambitious. Possibly designed for people with the fine motor control of a watchmaker.

My niece explained this to me very politely as, “Some kids might have some trouble with some of them,” which I’m fairly certain translates to: This is unhinged, Aunt Rachel.

Friends, she was correct.

So I set to work designing a genuinely kid-friendly paper doll series.

My requirements:

Tabs big enough that little fingers can actually cut them out without losing their minds.

Linework simple and generous, with plenty of room for crayons, markers, or just joyful scribbles. I test colored several sets with crayons just to make sure I could and sized the dolls generously for crayon usage. (People can have preferences, but I love a crayon. Super fun way to color.)

Bodies designed to wear any outfits. That way you can mix, match, swap, repeat. Listen, if you want to dress up the same doll in a ballgown and a suit of armor, that should be 100% possible. The joy of paper dolls is their versatility and I am not about to dictate how children should play.

Years ago, I got a letter once from a reader saying their four year old son really wanted guy paper dolls with ballgowns and while I didn’t have any guy paper dolls at the time, I often think of that letter. That child is now probably in college (It’s been a very long time), but better late than never. Now, guy paper dolls can 100% have ballgowns that fit them properly.

Lastly, I wanted faces friendly and simple… absolutely not the kind that stare into your soul. Promise. Though I was warned by my friend that they might edge a little into terrifying, if I wasn’t careful.

So, here we are.

I’m planning to name each batch of dolls alphabetically, so here are some A dolls. Yes, I was looking for gender neutral names. Yes, Ariel was a guys name until Disney came along. Go read The Tempest. I digress.

The post Meet the Cuties: Kid Friendly Paper Dolls to Color appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

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.

The post Briars and Blooms: An 18th-century Inspired Paper Doll in the Garden appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

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.

The post Introducing the Cutie Series: January’s Flower the Carnation appeared first on Paper Thin Personas.

Over the year, I shared 36 new paper dolls, adding to a total of 55 posts on the site. That includes fantasy designs (9), historical dolls (9), and contemporary fashion (7), plus 114 Patreon-exclusive paper dolls. A big thank you to my patrons who really keep me being able to create.

My 100 Day Project sure did throw those Patreon stats into a different category, didn’t it? I digress.

Fun Paper Doll Projects:

I wrapped up The 100 Day Project over on Patreon, and honestly, it was a lot of fun. I’ll be sharing some of that work here on the blog as finished sets, along with a brand-new paper doll series that I think is very cute. Will I do another 100 Day Project in 2026? I’m not sure yet. I’ll decide in February, when I’m a little closer to the starting line. I tend to decide these things at the last minute, it’s true.

I got to collaborate with Paper Doll Review on a book called Big Eyed Girlies, and it was an absolute blast to work on. I’m genuinely thrilled with how it turned out. And if you’re curious, you can grab your own copy directly from Paper Doll Review. By the way, if you don’t already get Paper Doll Studio magazine, I highly recommend it. Such a fun quarterly treat.

I added a “random paper doll post” button while poking around with AI tools. Since I teach information literacy, I spend a lot of time thinking about how AI fits into creative and research work, which means I also like to get my hands dirty and actually use it. In this case, that meant letting AI help me wrangle some code. I hadn’t written original code in ages, so it was equal parts experiment, refresher, and a bit of fun. Mostly, it was a reminder that my coding skills are very rusty, but not totally atrophied.

Top 5 Most Viewed Paper Dolls Created in 2025

• Scallops & Sunshine: Printable Summer Paper Doll for Ensemble Eclectica was a burst of summer for Ensemble Eclectica, this cheerful printable proved that sunshine and scalloped edges are an irresistible combination.
• Exploring 1830s Women’s Underwear in Paper Dolls with Ensemble Eclectica I learned so much drawing this paper doll and the 1830s.
• A 1839 Dress for the Races for the Ensemble Eclectica Paper Dolls this big 1830s project was so much fun. I learned a huge amount and I got to draw the very fun and very silly period of fashion.
• Straps and Lace: Steampunk Paper Doll For Ensemble Eclectica I loved the blue and yellow color scheme and I was super proud of the paper doll’s hair.
• Victorian Whims: A Paper Doll with a Mix & Match Steampunk Wardrobe was another paper doll whose hair I was very happy with and I liked the green color scheme. Green isn’t a color I work with much and I should change that, because I’m always happy when I do.

Top 5 of Posts in 2025 Over All

• Marisole Monday Modern Girl in Black and White remains the most popular post on the site by a huge margin with over 9K views this year. It’s always the most popular post on the site, not idea why, but I strongly suspect it’s positioning on Google Image Search has everything to do with it’s popularity.
• Citrus Summer stayed in the second spot. It’s a very solid paper doll with several mix and match clothing pieces and accessories.
• A Little 1970s Retro Inspired Floral Spring a new surprise addition to this list this year. I’m happy to see it here, because it’s also a paper doll I really like. So, I’m glad it’s popular.
• Black and White Printable Paper Dolls…. Marisole Monday & Friends A trio of black-and-white sets that continues to perform year after year. Simple, printable, and endlessly reliable.
• Female Proportions for Drawing was originally something I made for myself, but it turns out lots of people find it helpful. I’m glad. I hope it continues to be helpful for folks.

All in all, 2025 was a really satisfying year for Paper Thin Personas. I got to make a lot of things I genuinely enjoyed, try a few new experiments, and share them with people who love paper dolls as much as I do. That’s the best part. Thank you for visiting, downloading, supporting on Patreon, and generally cheering this little corner of the internet on. I’m excited to see where things go next, and I’ve got plenty more paper dolls (and probably a few experiments) lined up for the year ahead.

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