Updating this website, I stumbled upon these doll patterns, and decided to make them available again.
All of these patterns are free to print and use.
But… these are OLD patterns from ~15 or more years ago, designed to print on 8.5″ x 11″ paper, but at a very low resolution. (I’m working on improving them, right now.)
As usual, these are free patterns for personal use. (You CAN make dolls from them, and then sell those dolls. It’s just the patterns that are for personal use, meaning that you can’t put your name on the patterns and sell them.)
If you would like to feature these patterns on your own website, you MUST include my copyright with the patterns. (In other words, be considerate. Please don’t remove my copyright and claim you created the patterns, yourself.)
If you’d like to reproduce these patterns for a class or workshop, that’s fine as long as the copyright remains on them, and you don’t charge anything extra for the patterns.
These patterns moved here from my (former) Wild Art Dolls website. If any links don’t seem to work, let me know in a comment, below. Thanks!
Here are the patterns & links.If any of the links don’t work for you, leave a comment and let me know.
Belle de Lautrec and her zany sister, Tallulah Lautrec were created for a swap/round robin at the Yahoo group, Doll Journals.
Each of the next two patterns open in a new window.
Neither of them have sewing instructions, yet.
Right-click on the link to save the pattern to your hard drive, for use later, or click the link and print from the screen.
Dangerous Women – a free, online doll pattern Print it from your screen, and/or enlarge the pattern so the “one inch” line really is one inch. The doll shown in this post’s header (above) is made from this pattern. (I later added optional wings.)
Last year, I began making sock dolls. I was inspired by the book Stray Sock Sewing.
Here’s how I made my sock dolls for the Wild Art Dolls swap in July 2010.
Sock Doll Supplies
You will need one sock, some batting or stuffing, Fray-Check, and your basic sewing supplies. (Needle, thread, scissors, and a thimble if you use one.) You’ll also want something for eyes, nose, and other embellishments. At the very least, that will be embroidery thread, yarn, or a contrasting color of regular thread.
Sock Doll Directions
This is the sock I started with.
First, I started with a large, children’s sock. I’d already washed it in the laundry so, if it was going to shrink, it had already done so. (If the sock dolly needs a bath later, we don’t have to worry about him or her shrinking, puckering, or losing color.)
You should do the same.
Then, stretch it out so the heel is exactly centered, horizontally. Then, the finished doll won’t look too off-center.
Arrange the sock so the heel is centered.
Next, you’ll cut off the toe part of the sock. You’ll be removing somewhere between 1/2 and 1/3 of the sock above the heel. That will vary with the size of the sock and your plans for the doll.
Remove the toe part of the sock, and a little extra.
If you remove a smaller amount, the doll will have longer ears and shorter arms. If you remove more, there will be shorter ears and longer arms.
Remember: If something goes terribly wrong, you still have another sock. You can use that to supplement the pieces you cut from this sock, or you can start all over again.
The next step is to cut the cuff of the sock, perpendicular to the cuff. What you’re doing is cutting the seam area for the legs. For shorter legs, leave more uncut. For long legs, cut closer to the heel.
Above all — unless you have an octopus kind of doll in mind — don’t cut all the way up to the heel.
Starting at the cuff of the sock, cut both layers up the middle.
The next step is to cut a notch where the ears will extend. Once again, the deeper the cut, the longer the ears. Avoid cutting all the way down to the heel, unless you want a really deranged-looking doll with a strange, short face.
Cut a rectangle or square out of the remaining area where the toe was.
Finally, you’re going to use the toe part that you cut off at the beginning. Lay it flat and snip in into two equal parts. These will be the arms.
Cut the toe part in half – just one snip – to make the arms.
Now, it’s time to seal the edges of the sock so they don’t unravel as you’re working. You’ll use a product called Fray-Check for that. You can find it in many sewing supply stores, crafts stores like Michael’s, or order it from Amazon.com.
If you’re making a lot of sock dolls (like for holiday gifts), pick up a couple of bottles of Fray-Check. You will go through it pretty quickly. (Plus that, it can dry out in the bottle, after a few months.)
You’ll need Fray-Check, a product by Dritz.
Apply a moderate amount of Fray Check to every raw edge on the doll. Be especially generous where there are angles, indicated by the blue arrows. Those points will get the most stress as the doll is being finished.
Apply Fray-Check to all raw edges. (Remember the arm pieces, too.)
Let the Fray-Check dry completely. This can take an hour or two. Don’t sew while the fabric is damp, or it can stretch and bubble.
Next, sew the top of the head. That’s where you cut the rectangle out, and it’s on the right side of the sock in the photo above.
Sew the ears and the top of the head.
Sometimes I sew along the wrong side of the fabric, and then turn the doll right-side out. At other times, I sew the whole thing from the outside, using an overcast-type stitch.
Then, turn the doll right-side out, so you can start stuffing it.
Next, Add Stuffing to Your Sock Dolls
When adding stuffing to your cloth doll, it should be packed firm.
Don’t over-stretch the sewn edges as you do this, but make sure your cloth doll won’t look all saggy after its been hugged a lot.
For sock dolls, you’ll probably start from the bottom, or wherever the open seams are.
Stuff the doll from the bottom.
When you’re stuffing the ears, it’s a good idea to make them fairly solid. I use a chopstick or a stuffing tool for this purpose.
If the ears are really long, you may want to insert a wire after the ears are stuffed. You can use a pipe cleaner or any firm but flexible wire for this. Then, you can bend the ears in zany angles.
Sewing the Legs
Now, you’re ready to sew the legs, stuff them, and then sew the edges of the feet.
When your doll looks like this, you’re ready to work on the legs.
Sew the leg seams, but not the feet. Stuff the legs. (A chopstick, smooth end of a pencil, or stuffing tool is ideal.)
Finally, when the doll is how you want it to look, stitch along the bottom edges of the feet.
Add Embellishments to Your Sock Doll
At this point, I like to add the beads or buttons for eyes, and a nose. I usually use embroidery floss for the nose.
The doll is beginning to have character. I think that’s important, before attaching the arms. Arms can make a remarkable difference in the attitude of the doll.
Ready for the arms!
Add the Arms
For the arms, you’ll sew the seams on the toe pieces you cut at the beginning.
Sew just the longest side of each one and stuff it. Depending on how hard it is to hold the shoulder part together, you may want to baste it closed after the arms are fully stuffed.
If they’re only loosely stuffed, you can skip the basting step and attach the arms directly to the doll.
Add More Embellishments, Maybe
After that, you can add wings, hair, a pom-pom tail, or any other embellishments you like.
The completed doll!
More Examples
Here are a couple of other sock dolls I’ve made. They were propped up in Rubbermaid sandwich containers, so you can see them better. That also gives you an idea of the scale of them.
Here’s the same doll in profile. He has a yarn pom-pom tail.
Another doll, shown below, is made from an adult’s pink sock. The top of the head looks like the doll is wearing a cap. I made the cap from a second, different pink sock. I let the lower edges roll up, like the brim of a knit cap.
I also embroidered a heart on her, and gave her faerie wings.
Doll in profile.
Once you get used to making these dolls, you’ll find ways to mix n’ match pieces from different socks for different effects.
I can usually make one doll in an evening (about three or four hours), while I’m watching TV or talking with my family.
Sock Doll Tips
Sock dolly helps in the kitchen!
Use children’s socks for the best colors and patterns. For larger, colorful socks, I find good patterns & prices at places like TJ Maxx, especially in their sale sections. Want tiny socks for the dolls or for ears, arms, or a tail? Check the discount section of Michael’s Arts & Crafts. Some of their Mary Engelbreit-type socks can be wonderful for sock dolls!
Use Fray-Checkby Dritz. Amazon carries it, or find it at Michael’s, JoAnn Fabric, etc. I seal all edges before I sew them. (Usually, it takes a couple of hours for the Fray-Check to dry thoroughly. If you sew the edges while the Fray-Check is damp, the fabric can stretch too much.)
If your doll might get soiled easily, use any waterproofing spray on stain-resisting spray, after you complete the sewing but before you add any beads or buttons.
If you’re making a doll that you’ll turn inside-out, after sewing, always try to make the final seam (the one you’ll sew on the outside) where the doll sits down. That way, the seam isn’t so noticeable.
If your doll should sit and not fall over easily, make a small bean bag that will fit inside the “rear end” of the doll. Fill that bean bag with something heavy. I use anything like poly-pellets, or well-rinsed gravel intended for fish tanks, or even unscented kitty litter. (The latter, being clay, can deteriorate and turn to messy dust if handled too often.)
If your dolls are small enough, check the dollhouse furnishings aisle (at Michael’s, etc.) for accessories you can use with (or glue to) your sock dolls.
Q. Did you play with paper dolls as a kid? Do you have a favorite vintage paper doll that still makes you smile?
A. Yes, yes… the Ginghams little girls from the 70s, and Betsy McCalls from my Grandmother’s magazines. I made a paperdoll of my Grandmother in her honor, it is called “Amazing Grace”.
I was a tiny tot–not even two, they said–when I sat on her kitchen linoleum and made a paper coatdress for my doll out of the waxy paper liner from a cereal box. It was primitive, a basic rectangular shape with two carefully torn holes for the doll’s arms to go through. I know, it’s not exactly a paper doll per se, but I think it counts.
Q. What’s the most rewarding part of being in the paper art doll business?
A. The responses! Sometimes as an artist I think, “Well, I wonder if my art is as good as they told me it was?”
You know people won’t say it’s awful even if it is, so I wonder…Am I really a good artist?
The responses to my art have been overwhelming, just beautiful! I’ve made friends and they make me feel like making more art. Even if it never gets me famous or rich…even if I die a pauper, I made someone smile! I made them love me! That’s really all it is.
Q. If someone wants to pursue this as a career direction, what’s your best advice? What are the best books to read, if any?
A. First, go to eBay. Look at all the types of paperdolls there are, what sells commonly, and what is considered “rare”.
Realize that there are stupid people who won’t recognize true art but will pay ridiculous sums for things that can be easily mass-produced and resold on auction sites.
Then realize that one day you may be one of those stupid people because you’ll pay a million dollars for a tattered old stained copy of a Ginghams girls paperdoll booklet. Heh heh.
Then notice what the original artists’ works are going for; it may be exciting or depressing. I felt both.
You may notice other things selling by the same artists in other categories, such as art or books or jewelry. This is common because it’s very very rare to make enough money creating paperdolls alone, without a side business to help support it.
Most paper doll artists, serious ones, also make things to be sold at paper doll conventions, paper doll parties, and online at their websites. They have newsletters and fan-based groups to help support their promotions. They give programs or speeches at doll clubs.
Some famous paper doll artists are collectors or experts in related fields, such as regular dolls or dollhouse miniatures.
The really savvy artist will make use of all these things together to bring new viewers to their work.
Here are some important points:
Make a website. Title it with the word(s) “paperdoll” in it, and submit it to the major search engines.
Join several webrings to bring traffic to your website.
Begin a list of contacts and send them updates on your latest works, life, everything! Let them get to know you.
Also start a paper doll collecting group in your area. This helps with networking and keeps you busy!
From there it’s up to you. I wish you the best of luck!
Aisling’s note: JJ has generously shared one of her fun paper dolls, here. Right-click on that link to save it to your hard drive, and then print it at 200 pixels/inch. (216kb) To use it at a larger size, I recommend using VectorMagic.com to vectorize the image, then adjust it to the size you want.
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Be sure to look for JJ’s websites for more of her paper dolls and related art. As of 2020, I don’t have a current link for her work. If you do, please leave the link in a comment, below. Thanks!
The following links were part of the original 2005 article. Most won’t work. If you have a fresh URL for JJ, let me know in comments or at my Aisling D’Art Facebook page.
JJ on Webring
$1 Download Paper Dolls by JJ Complete Catalog w/ Viewable Thumbnails http://www.angelfire.com/fang/jjspds/thumbs [Just a really old page, with no useful links.]
Owner of “Portrait Paperdolls” To join, send an email to: portraitpaperdolls-subscribe@smartgroups.com [Update: Smargroups is gone.]
Owner of “Ephemera Restoration” To Join, send an email to: ephemera-restoration-subscribe@smartgroups.com
In January 2005, I had the great good fortune to interview paper doll artist JJ Buch.
She’s one of my idols, because her art has a very clear “voice” and her concepts are consistently innovative and often delightfully witty.
Here’s the interview*, on two pages:
Q. How did you get started with paper dolls?
A. In 1998, after receiving the grim news that I would never bear any children of my own, I was surfing the net for distraction. I happened upon the OPDAG (Original Paper Doll Artists Guild) website and saw all the inspiring paper dolls and artists there…I said to myself, “I can do that”, and made my first official paper doll.
The doll got rave reviews from my friends so I made another, then another, and now I have over 100 sets under my wing.
Q. What inspires you? Why paper dolls… instead of some other medium?
A. Emotions and anything that draws them out…the news, counter culture issues, the black market, tragedies and also victories of science and, yes, even religion. But moreso spiritual things than religious ones.
I feel more inspired by caves and tunnels and falling down gorgeous old architecture than I do cathedrals, but gorgeous stained glass does take my breath away.
It’s only things of beauty that are already perfect, that don’t seem to stir my creative urge as do things more carnal and dark.
I do love children, I feel very protective of all children. I do not think all of my paperdolls and art are appropriate for the little ones. But I do nevertheless make dolls of all ages and wages, heh heh.
By that, I mean dolls representing all incomes and ethnicities.
Also big women and voluptuous, even figures with overflowing flesh and aged to perfection…real life and unreal expectations: both the holy and the hideous, the innocent and the ones who’ve “seen it all, kid.”
Paperdolls are low cost to make, so no boundaries there. I made the first one out of a church flyer taped to my front door, a placemat from the local IHOP, and ink pens my husband brought home from work. Snip, snip… voila!
Q. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take the bare minimum of supplies to make paper dolls… what would you consider “essentials”?
A. Scissors; it’s very tedious to tear out the dolls by hand. I suppose one could use berry juice and a stick to draw them on dried palm leaves…
Q. How long does it take you to create one of your fabulous doll sheets?
A. Ooo, a black-and-white one-pager only takes an hour or two. But to finish it out and make it flawless, I use a computer graphics program and I scan it with a scanner. I print it out with a good quality printer, and make back-up files on a CD.
To make a custom one-page 8 1/2 x 11″ full color paperdoll plus, say, 2 outfits and the background accessories, I can do it all in a week, or a few days if the pay is good.
Q. Do you sit down and the ideas flood your creativity, or is it something where you get the basics down, and then you add a little here & there as it occurs to you, until it’s done?
A. No, I am always thinking of things and they all go into a mental kitchen where there are always things cooking up in various stages of ready to finish.
The new ideas always go on a back burner to simmer UNLESS it is something for a paid commission or a publication.
Then, it gets a front burner and I move all the other pots full of ideas back, to make room.
Money definitely gets a paperdoll moved to the front and it will get done first!
I am a starving artist but do not intend to remain that way; I have a husband and 3 fat dogs to feed, after all.
Q. What would you tell someone who wants to find their own creative “voice” in paper art dolls?
A. Hahah! Don’t go into it without a job, or someone who is willing to support you financially and emotionally because the money that does come, has to pay for materials and postage and to pay the bills… to cut back on when the water won’t come out the faucet, the electricity won’t make the lights bright, the mortgage holder is going to come take the house away, and you’re so sick of ramen noodles you could throw up.
NOW! If–after all that–you don’t care to make a living with them, and just want to enjoy making them for fun and for love? It’s beautiful…you just keep drawing them and coloring until you realize one day, “Hey! My paperdoll art is really good! I like it… No I LOVE it!” And there you go.
I really like the first 10 dolls I made, before I saw all the other artists’ work.
Your own ingenious designs are always more authentic and more… BETTER… than after you’ve been influenced too much by other opinions.
Finding your own voice, is just not listening too much to the other voices. and let me tell you I am bipolar (manic-depressive) so I know all about other voices, Ha hah!
* Aisling’s note: When I interviewed JJ via email, she replied in mostly lower-case. I wanted to leave it like that, because I generally write in lower-case, myself.
But, to make this more readable for website visitors — and with very mixed feelings about doing this — I edited it into a more traditional format.
But, be assured that JJ’s unique “voice” in emails is just as clear as it is in her art; it’s another reason why I admire her tremendously!
Q. What’s your greatest influence today? Do you get your ideas from other dolls, other art, or something else altogether?
I read Soft Dolls & Animals, Art Doll Quarterly, and I belong to several internet doll lists. I love all of these, but things and people influence me the most.
Things? Well, here’s an example: Once while shopping, I went down the cleaning aisle. I stopped at the Chore-Girl display and picked up one and stood there studying the copper fibered scouring pad. I envisioned the pad unraveled and as hair on a cleaning woman wreath. She was hilarious and got plenty of laughs.
People? I am a people watcher. I love studying faces and expressions. Expressions say more than words ever can.
Q. When you make dolls, do you tend to include consistent elements such as striped legs, glittered hair, wings, etc? Has this changed?
I think it is the expressions of my creations. That is where I got the name for my business–“What an Expression!”
When searching for a business name I asked my husband for advice. He said, “Why don’t you call it what everyone says when they come into your booth–“What an Expression!”
Needle sculpture was my only media but I have begun working with clay and papier mache’ as well. (I entered my first all-polymer clay doll in an internet challenge and won beginner level–since it was my first in clay–plus best of theme and people’s choice.)
Q. Tell me about your design process: When you design your dolls, does the idea pop into your mind fully formed, or do you sketch it out, or what?
Oh, wow…hmmm… Usually, I have an idea. It stays in my head until I can envision it completely. I may spend hours, days, even months, thinking about it, and getting to know it, until it becomes “real.” Then, I make it. I don’t sit down and sketch it first because I can’t sketch. Well, sometimes I have drawn a stick figure, but my mind can see it better on its own.
It is funny because it may only take a day or so to “make,” but that is not counting months of thinking.
Q. If you were in the cast of “Survivor” and could take just a few dollmaking supplies with you to a deserted island, what would they be?
Just My Size nylons, poly-fill, upholstery thread, needle-sculpture needles, scissors.
Q. What do you like best–and least–about dollmaking?
Best: I like making faces. I love to sit and make faces all day. LOL
Least: Making the rest of the doll. That is why I like making the wreaths.
Q. Do you collect dolls by others?
I have dolls that I have received in swaps and one from a round robin. They mean a lot to me.
Note: This is the second part of a two-part article tracing the history of paper dolls. See The History of Paper Dolls, part one to read the first part.
20th century paper dolls – A brief history
In the 20th century, other magazines followed this trend, including Ladies’ Home Journal (Sheila Young’s “Lettie Lane”), Pictorial Review (Grace Drayton’s “Dolly Dingle”), Good Housekeeping (Sheila Young’s “Polly Pratt”), and the famous “Kewpie Dolls” by Rose O’Neill in Woman’s Home Companion.
At right, Little MaryJane, one of the famous Hader paper dolls from Good Housekeeping magazine.
The most popular paper doll of the mid-20th century was probably Betsy McCall, created by Kay Morrissey. However, children also enjoyed paper dolls in many magazines of that era, including Jack and Jill Magazine, and Children’s Playmate.
Since 1962, Barbie paper dolls have become the most popular among American children.
Paper art dolls, and fine art paper dolls – Where to find them now
Today’s paper doll designers frequently have backgrounds in fine arts. Many of them work together as part of the Original Paper Doll Artists Guild, based in Kingfield, Maine.
Their collectible paper dolls often feature celebrities and fashions from history, and are intended for both adults and children.
One of my designs for Art Doll Quarterly, Winter 2004 issue.
Paper dolls have been emerging for several years in the paper arts community, too. My own article (and pattern) in the Winter 2004 issue of Art Doll Quarterly is just one among many places to see examples of this emerging art form.
One of my designs is at right. The dolls were printed on vintage pages, and hinged with small, brass round-head paper fasteners. The hair was tinted wool (designed as doll hair), accented with feathers. Each doll was hand-colored.
Sometimes called “fine art paper dolls” and also “paper art dolls,” even the name is still evolving.
Today’s paper art dolls are sometimes drawn, painted or printed on paper. However, even more of them are one-of-a-kind, and more mixed media dolls than purely paper dolls.
For example, some artists swap hinged dolls on Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), and participate in exchanges and round robins involving paper art dolls.
This is a very exciting field, mixing a nostalgic love of dolls, with fresh and vibrant creative expressions.
References
(Note: This article was written around 2005. These links may not be current.)
Today’s paper dolls evolved from ceremonial and performance figures, and dressmakers’ fashion dolls.
General history
Paper was invented in China around 105 C.E. by Ts’ai-Lin, a courtier from Lei-yang. Although the word ‘paper’ is derived from ‘papyrus’, this early paper was not a papyrus product.
With paper’s development in nearby China, it should be no surprise that the earliest paper dolls were reported in Japan in 900 C.E. (or earlier), when a purification ceremony involved placing a paper figure and a folded kimono-like object in a boat.
According to legend, China was likewise responsible for the Spanish pinata when 13th-century explorer Marco Polo brought the tradition home from his travels in Asia. It is possible that the Western movement of paper dolls began in China, where puppets were used in shadow shows. These large puppets were often flat and mounted on sticks to create dramatic shadows on a screen.
Some paper doll historians include the shows created for the upper class in France, where life-sized jumping-jack figures, like marionettes, were used to satirize nobility. Other cultures practicing a variety of paper arts—including the German scherenschnitte—may have influenced the development of paper dolls.
However, our modern paper dolls trace a more direct history to traditional dolls, not puppets or even paper arts.
Dolls in general date from earliest recorded history.
Manufactured dolls trace their European popularity to wooden dolls made in Germany in the 17th century. To meet demand by the early 18th century, German dollmakers were employed throughout Europe.
Modern paper dolls
Paper dolls appeared in Western society in the late 18th century, when French dressmakers’ life-sized dolls were replaced with the “English fashion doll.” These eight-inch tall figures were printed on cardboard (invented by the Chinese about 200 years earlier), and jointed with threads. They came with underclothing as well as several changes of dresses and coiffures. At about three shillings (about $15 in today’s American dollars) for a complete doll and wardrobe–plus an envelope to store her in–dressmakers could afford to own several sets, and distribute these dolls among their favorite customers.
In 1810, the London firm of S. & J. Fuller & Company printed the first commercially popular paper doll, Little Fanny, with a 15-page book that included seven figures and five hats. Fanny’s head & neck were separate, and fitted into various outfits as the moral tale, The History of Little Fanny: Exemplified in a Series of Figures, was told. (Fuller also published the earliest “peep show” books, which were hinged, tunnel-style books.)
At five to eight shillings for each book, their primary audience included wealthy families. (Today, that’s the equivalent of 9 to 15 pounds, or US$13 – $22.)
The success of Little Fanny was followed two years later in America when J. Belcher printed a paper doll with a similar moral tale, The History and Adventures of Little Henry. Within ten years, boxed sets of paper dolls were popular playthings for children in Europe and America.
These dolls were often lithographed or hand-tinted, although some were left black-and-white for children to color.
Beginning in the 1830s, celebrity paper dolls featured entertainers such as ballerinas and characters from the P. T. Barnum Circus, as well as British royalty. In 1838, when Charles Fenerty made the first paper—newsprint—from wood pulp, the price of paper dropped dramatically, making paper dolls affordable for more families.
McLoughlin Brothers in the United States—later purchased by Milton Bradley—quickly became one of the largest manufacturers of paper dolls, printing them from engraved wooden blocks. Dottie Dimple was one of their most successful paper dolls, and McLoughlin was a leader in this field throughout the 19th century.
Several other American companies, including Crosby, Nichols & Company (Boston), Frederick Stokes, and—later—Selchow and Righter, contributed many different styles of paper dolls to meet popular demand.
During the Victorian era, Godey’s Lady’s Book, was the first magazine to publish a paper doll in their November 1859 issue.
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