This paper doll gets its puffy skirt from 25 small pieces of paper, each 8 cm by 12 cm, cut into a half-bell shape, folded into an M and glued together into a ring. A torso drawn with a marker sits on a toothpick pushed into the skirt, and the 17-step card below estimates 30 to 50 minutes.
What do you need to make a paper doll?
You need 25 pieces of colored paper cut to 8 cm by 12 cm, plus 6 basic supplies.
- Scissors
- Glue
- 1 toothpick
- Tape
- A pen for marking the folds
- A marker for drawing the doll
How does the puffy paper skirt work?
Each half-bell piece is folded into an M so the fold lines show, then marked with small circles at the folds (steps 7 to 9). The pieces are glued into a stack along those marks, and joining the first piece to the last in step 13 makes the stack open into a full round skirt, the same way a honeycomb paper decoration opens.
How To Craft A Paper Doll (For Kids)
Here’s the full guide to making this beautiful paper doll with a puffy dress, complete with required materials, instructions, a video and notes.
Materials
- 25 Pieces Paper, 8cm × 12cm
- 1 Scissors
- 1 Glue
- 1 Toothpick
- 1 Tape
- 1 Pen
- 1 Marker
Instructions
Take 1 piece of 8cm ×12cm colored paper.
Fold the piece neatly in half.
Using a pen, draw a half-bell shape on one side of the folded piece of paper.
Use a pair of scissors to cut out the shape of the half-bell from the folded piece of paper.
Fold the cut-out piece of paper in half.
Fold back one side of the paper in half.
Fold back the other side of the paper, so that the whole piece of paper forms an “M” shape.
Straighten out the paper and use a pen to draw circle marks along the length of the paper at points where the fold lines are showing.
Unfold the paper completely, so you can work on the other side. This time, draw circle marks along the length of one side of the paper at points where the fold lines are showing. Add a line of glue that covers only one side of the paper directly under the upper and lower circles you made.
Fold the paper again, so it’s glued together.
Add another line of glue that runs through the middle circle mark you made earlier.
Start arranging the pieces of paper one by one on top of each other. Add a line of glue that runs through the middle circle mark each time so that the pieces stick to each other.
Once the pieces are now stuck together, bring the first and last pieces together, so they stick together and the paper structure forms a continuous circle.
Use a marker to draw the upper torso of a pretty, smiling doll. Shade the top part of her dress using a similar color to the one used for her puffy skirts.
Glue a toothpick to the back of the paper doll.
Push one end of the toothpick into the centerfold of the “puffy skirts” to attach them to the paper doll’s torso.
There you go! You now have a complete paper doll wearing a puffy dress. Isn’t she so pretty?
Notes
You can craft a paper doll using a different color for different outfits.
The paper doll can also have a different face, which helps kids experiment with their drawing abilities.
This craft takes 30 to 50 minutes to complete, which is plenty of time for kids to have fun while also getting valuable sensory stimulation.
How can you change the paper doll’s look?
The card suggests 2 easy changes: use a different paper color for each new outfit, and draw a different face each time. Changing the face is also a simple way for kids to practice drawing expressions.
Paper doll FAQ
How do you make a paper doll?
Cut 25 small pieces of paper into half-bell shapes, fold each into an M, glue them into a stack and join the ends to make a round puffy skirt. Then draw the upper body with a marker and attach it to the skirt with a toothpick. The card above has all 17 steps with photos.
How do you make a doll out of paper with a puffy dress?
The puffy dress is the skirt: 25 folded half-bell pieces glued together at small circle marks along the fold lines. When the first and last pieces are glued together in step 13, the stack opens into a full round skirt.
How long does it take to make a paper doll?
The card estimates 30 to 50 minutes. Most of that time goes into cutting, folding and gluing the 25 skirt pieces.
What paper should you use for a paper doll?
Colored paper cut into pieces of 8 cm by 12 cm. Using one color for all 25 skirt pieces and shading the top of the dress in a similar color, as step 14 does, makes the doll look like it is wearing one outfit.