paper dolls need a home, too.
Hey, thanks for all the mailorder love! And extra thanks to Melissa and Mariko for coming by and last night to stuff the red envelopes with me. Good times.
Sadie is now officially into paper dolls, (Delia is still a bit rippy) and they sure are a bad combo of the messy/fragile. Don't get me wrong, I love them too, but get a bit buggy when the tabs get hung up on each other. So, the unpainted cigar box came to the rescue. The big label was made on the computer with an image from the super swell paper doll group on flickr (This is a private group, you can ask the admins, or me, or other members you know in the group for an invite if you are on flickr.)
We have a variety of species in there, faeries, humans, etc. This box was about $5 from the craft store and the Dover paper doll books are really cheap, I think about $5 as well. I was thinking this would be a great gift. They have boy paper doll stuff too, right? I need to research this. A book, along with a box with a label (just card stock from the printer, glued on, and then sealed, which I would not do again, because it made the image blurry) and maybe even the child's name on the label too? I was also thinking it would be super nice to cut the dolls out, a gift for the parents really (my Dover books don't have the dolls pre-punched.) but wow, um-no, that would take forever. I spent an hour cutting out 2 pages for Sadie this week.
On a unrelated note, a special someone has a birthday tomorrow. . .just thought you all would like to know. Hee-hee.
I was fanatic about paper dolls when I was little, although I would quickly become frustrated with all the detailed cutting that went along with them! I recently decided to start making some of my own felt dolls - Penny & Paul - to which I adhere magnetic paper to the backs. My kids just love them, and I feel like a super cool mom for actually creating something crafty!
As for that special someone - Gawd! Isn't she wonderful??!!
Posted by: Melissa R. Garrett | January 05, 2007 at 10:36 AM
what a great idea! we've been auditioning "paper" dolls, but I've been printing them on magnet paper so that they're a bit more durable. Seems to work, but the cutting is pretty tedious!
I'd love an invite to the flickr group, if you're up for it!
Posted by: kelly | January 05, 2007 at 10:58 AM
does that special someone get a paper doll box?? great idea amy but yeah, let the parents do their own damn cutting...
Posted by: hannah | January 05, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Lovely little box and lovely idea, ms. amy! I'm jealous of you guys' collection.
and thanks for the tip-off about hillary...now we can all do the online equivilent of having the Olive Garden wait-staff crowd around to sing "Happy Birthday" to her ;)
Posted by: emily | January 05, 2007 at 11:27 AM
oh i had my hours of meticulously cutting out paper dolls. then they all ended up torn and strewn across the floor. i've decided to pack them away for a few years.
but i LOVE the idea of a little wooden box full of them. storing that idea away, too!
Posted by: molly | January 05, 2007 at 11:48 AM
I also loved paper dolls when I was little. They seem to have disappeared and when I do find them here in Portugal they tend to be very expensive... like some kind of a deluxe-retro-toy...
Posted by: Concha | January 05, 2007 at 12:07 PM
great storage idea and i agree that it is good for gift giving. cutting them out would be a most generous gift...
Posted by: erin | January 05, 2007 at 12:23 PM
I'd love an invite, my dd is really into her magnetic paper dolls, I've been on the search for some new ones!!
The box is a great idea to store them in.
Posted by: momomimi | January 05, 2007 at 12:44 PM
cute
i've got some cigar boxes that mother in law gave me that i've been doing some interesting things with- a letter box and a birthday box
would love an invite to that flickr group
Posted by: Nancy | January 05, 2007 at 01:14 PM
oh I would love an invite for that flickr group, I love paperdolls! always have, and still have all the ones from when I was little :) actually even in the box I had then too ^^
Posted by: Elisabeth | January 05, 2007 at 01:32 PM
I love the cigar box idea!
We had resorted to a three ring binder with plastic pockets for each set. Neat, clean, and organized, but not very astheticaly pleasing :(
Maybe I'll have to print up a super-cute label set for the front and sides.
I'd also love an invite to the flicker paperdoll group.
Pretty Please?!
Posted by: Shannon | January 05, 2007 at 01:41 PM
thanks you all!
okay-I can only invite members if they list me as a contact on flickr-the best way to do this is send me flick mail through flickr please), add me as a contact-and then I will send you an invite to the group
thank you!
Posted by: amy k. | January 05, 2007 at 01:51 PM
This is a fantastic idea. We have two 4 year old princess parties coming up and now I think we have an idea for the gifts.
Posted by: Mama Urchin | January 05, 2007 at 02:03 PM
that cake really settled in nicely today. did you have some more today? dense. i know this, because it's almost the only thing i've eaten all day.
Posted by: melissa f. | January 05, 2007 at 03:50 PM
My daughter (age 6) really likes the paper dolls that come in the Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazines.
We have them in a regular paper box but a cigar box would be a lot better.
Posted by: becky | January 05, 2007 at 04:22 PM
Hiya,
I find laminating the dolls and the clothes and then attaching velcro dots helps with the tab and tearing issue. It also means my two year old can play too.
It doesn't help with the cutting out though!
BTW love your blog!
-Racquel
Posted by: Racquel | January 05, 2007 at 07:53 PM
i still have my paper dolls from when i was little. cutting them out and running them thru a magnetic xyron cartridge really works well 'cause it laminates them too and they really last.
Posted by: suesue | January 06, 2007 at 08:12 AM
I used to love paper dolls too! My daughter is a little young to play with them yet, but I just made one with a twist for a friend's daughter - the doll itself has a wire body so it can be made to fit different poses. I have some pics of it on my blog: http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2006/11/paper-dolls.html
Posted by: Anna | January 06, 2007 at 04:44 PM
Would love to see your flickr photos on this one!
I'm an Australian Contemporary Artist currently doing a series of large canvasses on Paper Dolls. It would be awesome to see what others are doing as well :)
Posted by: michelle giacobello | January 06, 2007 at 08:49 PM
That's so funny - I used to have paper dolls and I kept mine in a cigar box as well. I still have it and the smell still reminds me of my late Grandpa.
Would love you to check out my site.
www.vintagefilm.typepad.com
Posted by: Jodie Chapman | January 17, 2007 at 05:56 AM
Hi there,I just love the paper dolls!My girls had flowerfairies when they were small and we had a fairy tea party once and cut out all the fairies and still have magical memories about them!
Many dutch greetings!
Posted by: Desirée | January 19, 2007 at 11:45 AM