Create a paper doll birthday party for the little girl who loves playing dress up with these wonderful dolls. The tips below are simple suggestions for dressing up a birthday party with a paper doll theme.

Giveaway Goodies

Give each guest their own paper doll kit as a party favor. Small, affordable paper dolls like the Dover Publishing Company’s dollar editions are a great choice, along with a paper doll postcard from the Dolly Dingle collection. Other fun ideas include printable paper dolls from the Web, along with a set of mini crayons for black-and-white printouts.

Fun Activities

Have each girl make her own “paper doll” of herself. Pre-cut large doll shapes from white and colored poster board; then cut out clothing shapes from plain poster board (make sure you cut “tabs” like real paper doll clothes). Provide markers or crayons and let each girl had her own features to her dolly and color its outfit with the design she prefers.

Or make a chain of paper dolls, using scissors, paper, and a traditional “paper chain” design. With markers or crayons provided, each girl can color different features and outfits on her chain; display the finished creations as party garlands before letting your guests take their own home.

Sweet Snacks

Instead of gingerbread men, try making gingerbread or sugar dolls. Cut the shape, bake, then decorate with features, hair, and outfits from squeezable tubes of colored icing. Pile your paper doll cookies on a tray and serve.

Paper Doll Cake

Use the flat surface atop the cake to create a “paper doll scene” your daughter will love, whether it’s a blue icing ocean, brown sugar beach, or a crumbled Oreo “earth” garden. Tiny touches like scrapbooking items are easy to find to match the scene.

Then make the “dolls” for your setting by printing free designs from online. Glue to stiff cardboard packing, then cut as desired and pose with props in the cake scene. Extra trimming may be required to achieve the desired look, along with a little glue or sticky tack to secure props or outfits to the dolls.

For a “doll” cake, try cutting a sheet cake into a face shape, then add hair and features with icing. Extra removable touches like jewelry, hair ornaments, and sunglasses are perfect.

Perfect Present

For the girl who loves paper dolls, the perfect present would be a custom-designed paper doll in her image: many services online can transform your daughter’s image into a custom paper doll for a price, complete with outfits and other details.

For the collector, consider a few much-beloved classics from paper doll history. The Dover Publishing company’s reprints of Raphael Tuck’s elaborate dolls are so beautiful that many hesitate to cut them out. The celebrated dolls of Peck-Gandre and Peck-Aubrey include fairy tale favorites like Cinderella and Snow White as well as Dorothy of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.

A paper doll birthday party can be a memorable event for both the birthday girl and her guests. A few imaginative touches can create the perfect paper doll celebration.