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This set of cute paper dolls printable cottage animals gives you 21 little characters, each busy with a small household job: baking, sweeping, mending socks, pulling weeds. They are made for card makers and junk journalers who want a ready character to cut out and glue down, no drawing required.
Use them on handmade cards for friends and grandchildren, on gift tags, or as the anchor of a junk journal spread. Print on matte cardstock at actual size, and leave a thin white edge around each doll when you cut, it keeps the outline crisp and gives you a little margin for error.
Using these images: free for personal projects such as printing, coloring, cards, journals and gifts. Handmade items that include them may be sold up to 30 pieces per design. More than that is commercial use and is not permitted, and neither is selling or sharing the images themselves or passing them off as your own. Please ask before any other use.
In the Cottage Kitchen
Carrying a basket of fresh baked rolls, this plump brown mouse in a blue gingham apron looks utterly delighted with the morning’s work, and makes a warm little card for anyone who loves to bake.
Mount her on foam dots over a kitchen-themed background for a touch of depth, or tuck her onto a recipe card as a cheerful little mascot. She pairs nicely with the jam-making pig further down this list if you want a baking duo on one spread.
Squinting at something just out of sight, a badger in a striped waistcoat sweeps the doorstep with a twig broom, clearly unimpressed with the mess someone else left behind.
Write “fresh from the oven, just for you” beside this one and send it to anyone who bakes for the whole street. A goose in a flowered bonnet marches along proud and honking, carrying a pie so hot it still steams.
She is a natural fit for a Christmas baking junk journal page, where her pie sits right at home among recipe cards and ribbon scraps. For readers who love everything goose, there is a whole collection of goose drawing ideas worth a look too.
Garden Chores
Wide-eyed and caught off balance, a little bear in dungarees holds a watering can clearly far too heavy for him, water sloshing dangerously close to the rim.
Laughing at something only she finds funny, a white duck in a polka dot head scarf holds up a clothes peg in one wing and a single tiny sock in the other, as if she just can’t find its match.
Give her a speech bubble reading “well, somebody lost a sock” for a quick laugh on a birthday card. She also makes a sweet gift tag for a new grandbaby, paired with a pastel ribbon through a punched hole.
Puzzling over instructions that make no sense at all, a mole in round glasses and a knitted vest holds a seed packet upside down, utterly convinced he is reading it correctly.
Giggling helplessly, a squirrel in a red cape tries to carry an armful of acorns that keep tumbling out no matter how she holds them, a fitting match for the daisy-carrying fawn later in this set if your spread needs two shy, cheerful characters side by side.
She would also do well tucked into a garden junk journal page among seed packets and little potted sprouts, her scattered acorns drawn or stamped trailing behind her across the paper.
Parlour and Tea Time
Chin tilted up, a cat in a lace collar dress holds a teapot in one paw and exactly one cup in the other, the picture of sass and no apology for it.
Hugging a strawberry nearly as big as he is, a frog in a straw hat and checked shirt looks overjoyed beyond words, arms barely reaching all the way around it.
This one earns a card that simply says “you’re the best thing that happened to my week,” no need for more words than that. Cut a smaller version for a gift tag on a jar of homemade jam, which pairs sweetly with the jam-making pig further along.
Yawning so wide her eyes have nearly closed, a lamb in a pink pinafore carries a little candle in a holder, clearly heading off to bed at last.
In the Sewing Room
Flustered beyond belief, a dormouse in a quilted jacket juggles three balls of wool at once, none of them staying still for a second, which is exactly the sort of chaos that belongs next to a sewing basket on a handmade card for a quilter.
Draw a few loose wool strands trailing off the edge of the page to carry the motion further. She works just as well glued flat for a simple card as she does raised slightly on foam dots for a journal page with real texture.
Beaming from ear to ear, a pig in a floral apron holds up a jar of homemade jam as if it just won first prize at the county fair.
Blushing right through her fur, a deer fawn in a ticking stripe smock carries a small bunch of daisies, clearly hoping nobody notices how nervous she is about giving them away.
Caught red handed with a grin that gives everything away, a goat in a knitted cardigan nibbles the corner of a dishcloth, clearly not the least bit sorry about it.
Workshop and Garden
Proud of every joint and nail, a beaver in a carpenter’s apron holds up a little wooden stool he built with his own paws, ready to show it off to anyone who will stop and look.
Clucking in pure amazement, a chicken in a calico dress holds an enormous egg in both wings, staring down at it as though she cannot quite believe what she just produced, which makes a perfect gift tag for a new baby announcement or a funny birthday card about getting one year older.
Set her beside the goose with her pie for a farmyard pair that fills a junk journal spread nicely, one cooking and one marveling at nature’s own handiwork.
Giggling with sticky paws, a bear cub in patchwork overalls licks honey straight off a wooden spoon, not even pretending to save any for later.
Determined and a little red in the face, a field mouse in a rose print skirt pushes a tiny wheelbarrow stacked with turnips, clearly not stopping until the whole row is harvested.
Staring down at a flowerpot in pure shock, a cat in a gardener’s smock cannot quite believe the single tiny sprout has finally pushed through the soil after so much waiting.
Evening Rounds
Carrying a small lantern through the last of the evening light, a toad in a waistcoat and bow tie looks sleepy and ready for bed, a quiet closing character for a junk journal spread about the end of the day.
For more ideas on drawing the glow around a little lantern like his, there is a whole set of lantern drawing ideas worth browsing. He also makes a gentle sympathy card paired with a soft handwritten line about rest.
Carrying a stack of books nearly taller than she is, a little owl in a knitted shawl looks wise and faintly smug, as though she already knows exactly how every story ends.
What to Do Next
Print the sheets you love most, keep matte cardstock and small scissors close by, and start with just one or two dolls on your next card before working through the rest of the set.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for these paper dolls?
Matte cardstock between 65 and 110 lb gives the cleanest result. It holds its shape when cut, resists curling, and takes colour well without the glare of a glossy finish.
What printer settings should you use?
Print at actual size, not fit to page, and choose the best or highest quality setting your printer offers. This keeps the fine outlines sharp instead of soft or pixelated.
How do you cut out the small details cleanly?
Cut the larger outline first, then use small detail scissors or a craft knife for tight areas like ears, baskets and raised paws. Turn the paper rather than the blade for smoother curves.
How do you make a paper doll stand up or pop off the page?
Fold a small tab at the back of the feet to make a stand, or mount the whole doll on foam adhesive dots over a card or journal page. Foam dots add a slight 3D lift without any extra assembly.
Can beginners cut these out easily?
Beginners can start with the simpler, rounder shapes like the pig or the lamb, saving fussier outlines like the squirrel’s scattered acorns for once scissors feel more confident.
Have any thoughts?
Share your reaction or leave a quick response — we’d love to hear what you think!
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