Best Paper Dolls for Encouraging Creativity

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Who puts together the best looks and is always fun to be around? A paper doll. A generations-old toy, dress-up paper dolls owe their origins to 18th-century France, where they had movable limbs and were akin to puppets. A London company produced the first commercially available paper doll in 1810, and the product appeared in America two years later. Over time, with the advent of ready-to-wear collections and the rise of celebrity culture, paper dolls grew in popularity, often bearing the faces of movie stars, book characters, and socialites. From 1930 to 1950, paper dolls experienced a golden era, as paper proved affordable during the Depression and remained available in World War II’s ration economy. Paper dolls remain popular today; they’re mess-free, portable, and encourage creativity. One can choose among retro dolls reminiscent of those from the 30s and 40s, fashion-focused dolls with expansive wardrobes, and anthropomorphized animals with better accessories than many humans. Browse our selection of the best paper dolls below.

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ARTnews RECOMMENDS
Ruth Carter Paper Doll Kit
From the costume designer for the Black Panther movies comes this high-quality paper doll set with outfits that are contemporary but inspired by African tribal wear. You get a paper doll, plus two perforated sheets of garments and accessories. We love that the doll isn’t static but has articulated limbs, which you can move by attaching mini brads (included) when assembling the doll. The designs are all hand-drawn and printed on durable heavy stock.

WE ALSO LIKE
Of Unusual Kind My Paper Dolls
From the same manufacturer, the My Paper Doll series focuses on dolls with a distinct personalities, from a cool rocker chick to a skater girl to a tranquil lover of the outdoors. It is whimsical and quirky, featuring a slew of beautifully hand-drawn figures and outfits, complete with holes for brads (included) to move the dolls’ limbs. The shapes are all perforated so you don’t have to fiddle with scissors. Unlike many paper doll sets, this one comes in black and white so users can color them in as they wish. The dolls are also quite large, measuring a foot tall.

ANOTHER GOOD OPTION
Great Fashion Designs of the Sixties
Dive into the outré world of 1960s couture, courtesy of Tom Tierney, author of hundreds of paper doll books. Tierney was a fashion illustrator, and his dolls, garments, and accessories celebrate fashion history with precision and style—they don’t look childish, which makes his work stand out from many paper dolls on the market today. This set comes with two dolls as well as 32 garments from mod designers like Saint Laurent, Balmain, Courrèges, Dior, and Givenchy. Each outfit is labeled with its year and designer comes complete with a hairstyle and shoes for a full look. Designs are beautifully printed on good-quality cardstock that cuts cleanly with a sharp pair of scissors and is sturdy enough to withstand hours of play.

ECO-FRIENDLY
eeBoo Paper Dolls
(TEXT) This set of multicultural dolls feels ultra-fresh and contemporary, and it may encourage young ones to pursue creative careers, too! It comes with two dolls—a musician and an artist—to dress up with actually cool clothes, plus a two-sided paper room for them to stand against (one doll’s room even has a Noguchi lamp). The cardstock is made of 90% recycled materials and brightly printed with vegetable-based inks. This set also doesn’t require any cutting—the clothes are printed as electrostatic vinyl stickers, so you can continuously reapply them.

A GREAT ALTERNATIVE
Mudpuppy Cat Fashion Magnetic Figures
With this option, kids can quickly mix and match outfits without having to first remove them from a booklet. All parts, from outfits to figures, are magnetic, and therefore can be easily layered over the included metal surface. The designs are cute, and there are plenty of garments and accessories to combine. Because of the magnet design, these sets are perfect for taking on car trips, plane rides, or other adventures. You also get a tin to store everything as well.

ALSO CONSIDER
Dinosaurs on the Move
Dolls don’t always have to be people (or women)…they can also be dinosaurs! This set infuses the traditional paper-doll concept with the thrill of paleontology. The booklet is filled with dinosaur figures that children can cut out and assemble, using fasteners that make the critters’ joints articulated. Each species is printed twice—once in color so it’s almost ready for play, and once more as a line drawing to decorate without limit. The kit also comes with facts about each dino, making this a great hands-on learning experience.