- Down by the Harbor
- Village Errands
- Village Craft and Learning
- Seaside Afternoons
- Little Ones and Music
- Frequently Asked Questions
This paper dolls book gathers the whole cast of one invented seaside village, nineteen villagers in all, young and old, each one living on its own page like a storybook character waiting to be cut free. There is a lighthouse keeper, a kite-flying boy, a flower seller, a harbor master and more, enough to fill a junk journal spread or a stack of handmade cards for a whole summer of gift giving.
Print the set on matte cardstock at actual size, then cut around each villager with a thin white edge left showing so the lines stay crisp. Keep the sheets together in an envelope or a small folder and the whole village travels well to a grandchild’s table for an afternoon of cutting and gluing.
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.
Down by the Harbor
Wind-blown red curls peek out from under her yellow raincoat hood, and she grins straight at the viewer as she holds up a small ship’s lantern, brave against the weather. Mount her on a card with a line about braving any storm for a friend who loves a good adventure.
She works just as well tucked into a junk journal page about rainy days, her lantern glowing beside a strip of washi tape made to look like rain streaks.
Standing tall with pride, the grandma lighthouse keeper wears a navy sweater and keeps her silver hair in a neat braid while she peers through a brass telescope toward the sea.
A messy fringe falls over his forehead as he grips a bright fish-shaped kite, pure excitement on his face as the string pulls taut in the sea breeze. Write a cheerful line like gone fishing for fun and tuck him into a card for a grandson who loves the outdoors.
Mount him on a craft stick and he becomes a little puppet that a child can wave through the air at the table.
White beard bristling with delight, the old fisherman stands in rubber waders and laughs out loud as he holds up a tiny fish dangling from his line, clearly thrilled with his small catch.
Village Errands
A short neat bob frames her cheerful smile as she strides along in a teal cape, a satchel of letters swinging at her side on her way through the village lanes. She pairs beautifully with the book stickers set for a junk journal spread about village post and reading corners.
Give her a card with a note about good news on the way, perfect for a friend expecting a letter or a package of her own.
Long dark braids swing as she tilts her head with curiosity, holding a glass jar full of sea glass up to the light to admire the colors she has gathered along the shore.
His curly mustache practically bounces with his beaming smile as the ice cream seller holds up a towering three-scoop cone, striped apron tied neatly over his shirt. He makes a sweet gift tag for a summer birthday, the cone doing all the talking next to a short line about treating yourself.
For a five-minute version, skip the cutting and simply tuck the printed sheet whole into a card envelope as a little surprise insert.
Blonde pigtails bounce as the little girl in her sundress holds a large spiral shell to her ear, eyes wide with amazement at the sound of the sea trapped inside.
Village Craft and Learning
Hair tied back into a practical ponytail, the boatbuilder leans over her work in sturdy overalls, fully focused as she sands and shapes a small wooden toy boat in her hands. Pair her with the kite flying boy for a two-doll card about small village hobbies, each one lost happily in their own little task.
She anchors a junk journal page about handmade things beautifully, especially next to a strip of twine made to look like sail rigging.
Round glasses sit on her nose and her gray hair is swept into a neat chignon as the schoolteacher holds a well-loved picture book out with a warm and patient kindness.
Freckles scatter across his cheeks as the boy jumps back in surprise, rubber boots planted wide, peering into a bucket where a crab has just pinched at him sideways. A line about a little surprise at the beach makes him perfect for a card to a grandchild who loves a good giggle over nothing serious.
Try the cute paper dolls set alongside him for more playful kid characters on the same journal page.
A beret sits over dark curls as the painter gazes off dreamily, paint-spattered smock covering her clothes, a loaded palette balanced on one arm as she loses herself in thought.
Seaside Afternoons
A pixie cut frames her giggling face as she holds up a long seagull feather, delighted with her little find, her knitted fisherman sweater warm against the sea air. Mount her on foam dots over a plain card front and she lifts right off the page, perfect for a friend who loves a beach walk.
She also makes a sweet gift tag paired with a scrap of blue ribbon trailing down like a kite string.
Bushy eyebrows droop over heavy eyelids as the grandpa settles into his cable knit cardigan, cradling a steaming mug of cocoa, utterly content and half asleep in his chair.
Auburn waves tumble past her shoulders as the flower seller beams with delight, floral dress matching the bucket of sea pinks she carries fresh from the cliff path. She fits naturally into any card for a gardener friend, and pairs well with ideas from lighthouse painting for a matching set of seaside gifts.
For a junk journal spread about the village market, set her beside the ice cream seller and let their two striped aprons echo each other across the page.
Gray sideburns peek from under his peaked cap as the harbor master holds a tightly coiled rope, his stern expression softened at the edges by the kindness underneath.
Little Ones and Music
A duck print romper covers the giggling toddler from shoulders to knees as tiny hands clutch a toy sailboat, pure uncomplicated joy spread across the round little face. She works as a sweet five-minute card for a new baby in the family, the toy boat saying everything a caption might try to.
Set her next to the shell listener for a soft two-doll spread about the smallest villagers discovering the sea for the first time.
A curly afro frames her face as she sings with her whole heart, striped dress swaying, hands pressed to the keys of an accordion that seems to fill the whole lane with sound.
A silver pixie cut suits her tweed skirt suit perfectly as the librarian holds up a map of the island, thrilled at the thought of a new reader finding their way around it. She rounds out the whole village cast nicely, and pairs beautifully with the book doodles collection for a reading-themed journal spread.
Give her the last page of the set and let her map stand in as a little table of contents for the rest of the village.
What to Do Next
Print the whole village at once, then let everyone pick a favorite villager to start with, cutting, propping and gluing until the little seaside storybook comes together one character at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paper works best for a paper dolls book like this one?
Matte cardstock works best for a paper dolls book, since it holds fine lines crisply and resists curling after cutting. Avoid glossy photo paper, which can crack along tight folds and makes pencil or marker additions slide rather than sit.
What printer settings give the sharpest results?
Print at actual size with no scaling, using the highest quality or photo setting available on the printer. This keeps the fine outlines and small faces sharp instead of soft or slightly blurred.
How do you cut out the villagers cleanly?
Small detail scissors work best for the curved edges, cutting slowly and turning the paper rather than the blade. Leave a thin white edge around each figure so no color gets clipped away by accident.
How can the dolls stand up on a shelf or table?
Fold a small cardstock tab and glue it to the back of each doll so it props up like a tiny easel. A craft stick glued down the spine works just as well and doubles as a puppet handle for kids.
Can the dolls be made to pop off a card front?
Yes, foam adhesive dots raise any doll off the card surface for a slight 3D lift that catches the light nicely. Use two or three small dots spaced evenly behind the figure so it sits flat and even.