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This set of retro valentine paper dolls brings together 21 chubby-cheeked kids dressed up as valentine treats, each one styled like an old advertising mascot from a box of candy or a soda fountain menu. One is a heart candy box with a lace frill, another a cupcake with a cherry hat, another a swirl lollipop giggling over a love note, and the rest carry on in that same cheerful spirit through cupids, lovebugs and a cake astonished by its own candle.
Use them on handmade valentine cards, tuck one onto a gift tag, or let a whole page of them anchor a junk journal spread. Print on matte cardstock at actual size, and leave a thin white edge around each doll when you cut so the clean outline stays crisp.
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.
Sweet Shop Darlings
Blushing behind a lace frill collar, this girl dressed as a heart candy box holds out one single chocolate like it is the most important gift in the world, which makes her a sweet match for a card going to someone who always notices the little things.
Pair her with a ribbon border cut from scrap paper and she looks like she just stepped off a real candy box lid.
Topped with a little cherry hat and grinning shyly, this cupcake-costumed boy holds a heart lollipop out like he cannot quite decide whether to share it or eat it himself.
Caught mid-giggle, this girl dressed as a swirling lollipop clutches a folded love note like she already knows what it says, which makes her perfect for a card with a joke written inside instead of a sentimental line.
Write something a little cheeky next to her, the kind of line a granddaughter would laugh at rather than a formal verse.
Wide-eyed and sipping through a bendy straw, this boy dressed as a tall cherry soda glass wears a tiny straw hat and looks genuinely surprised by his own drink.
Berry Patch Sweethearts
Giving a coy wink over one shoulder, this strawberry-costumed girl holds a tiny heart between two fingers, which makes her a fun anchor for a junk journal food spread built around little painted treats.
She also sits nicely on a gift tag for a jar of homemade jam, since the costume does half the storytelling for you.
Proudly blowing a kiss with sprinkles scattered across his costume, this heart cookie boy makes a cheerful focal point for a card to a grandchild who loves anything with frosting on it.
Arms thrown wide in pure delight, this girl dressed as a box of candy hearts looks like she just opened the best present of the day.
Squinting one eye with a cheeky grin, this cupid boy aims his little bow while paper wings flutter behind him, a natural choice to pair with the candy hearts girl for a side by side card of two best friends causing valentine mischief together.
Mount him slightly forward of the background on foam dots so the paper wings seem to lift right off the page.
Garden of Love
Swooning with a dreamy half smile, this rose-costumed girl holds a single petal to her cheek like she is lost in a daydream about someone special.
Holding out a valentine with visibly nervous hands, this heart envelope boy is the one to use for a card about working up the courage to say something kind, which fits any note going to a shy grandchild or a new friend.
Give him a speech bubble cut from paper with a wobbly little line in it, since the nervous pose already does most of the talking.
Delighted over a single coin, this gumball machine girl looks ready to spend it on the very last colorful gumball inside her own glass dome costume.
Laughing on tiptoe like he might lift right off the ground, this boy dressed as a red heart balloon brings a light playful note to any page that needs a little movement.
Bakery Counter
Hand on hip with a sassy raised eyebrow, this cherry pie girl holds a pie server like she dares anyone to take the last slice.
Grinning wide with heart-shaped antennae bobbing above his head, this lovebug boy holds a single daisy out, a cheerful pick for the five-minute version of this set: print him alone, cut around the simple rounded shape, and glue him straight onto a card front with no extra layering needed.
He also pairs sweetly with the rose girl for a card celebrating any garden lover’s valentine.
Sipping with pure bliss on her face, this strawberry milkshake girl makes a sweet gift tag for anyone who loves an old-fashioned soda fountain treat.
Heartthrob Hideaways
Pouting with a sulky lower lip, this heart donut boy hides a small bouquet behind his back, caught in the exact moment before he works up the nerve to hand it over.
Swooning with dramatic flair and a powder puff raised near her chin, this perfume bottle girl brings a touch of old glamour to a card for someone who loves a bit of theater.
She also works well tucked into a keepsake journal page alongside pressed flowers or a lace scrap, since the vanity-table pose fits right in.
Caught sneaking one piece with a guilty grin, this chocolate box boy is the funny line writer’s dream: pencil in something like caught red-handed again right beside him before you scan the sheet.
Smiling sweetly with a little key held up, this heart locket girl makes a lovely stand-up piece for a shelf: mount her on a folded craft stick base so she holds her own spot on a mantel through the whole season.
Cozy Valentine Keepsakes
Hugging himself with a wide beaming smile, this teddy bear boy shows off a heart-shaped tummy patch that makes him an easy favorite for a grandchild’s valentine card.
Astonished by her own candle, this valentine cake girl in pink frosting looks like she just realized it is her own birthday and her own valentine all at once.
She closes the set nicely paired with the teddy bear boy, the two of them making a warm final page for a sweet-treat junk journal spread built around candy colors and cozy little characters.
What to Do Next
Print the whole set on matte cardstock, pick a favorite section to start with, and let these valentine treats take over the next batch of cards, tags and journal pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for printing these paper dolls?
Matte cardstock works best for printing these paper dolls because it holds color crisply and cuts cleanly without curling. Avoid glossy photo paper, since scissors tend to slip on the slick surface and edges fray faster.
What printer settings give the sharpest colors?
Choose actual size or 100 percent scale and select the best or photo quality setting for the sharpest colors. Skip fit to page, since that can shrink or stretch the dolls away from their printed proportions.
How do you cut out the small details cleanly?
Cut the outer shape first with small detail scissors, then work slowly around tight curves like antennae or hat brims. Leave a thin white edge around the whole doll rather than cutting exactly on the line, since it keeps the colors from looking clipped.
How can you make a doll stand up or sit on a card?
Glue the doll onto a folded strip of cardstock to make a simple stand, or mount it on foam adhesive dots for a card to lift it off the background with a bit of shadow and depth. Both methods take only a minute per doll.
Can these dolls go into a junk journal instead of a card?
Yes, these dolls fit easily into a junk journal, especially grouped by section so a few related treats share one spread. Trim the background close and layer them over patterned paper scraps or washi tape borders for extra texture.
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