From Bunty to My Own Paper Doll Books: A Creative Journey

Sometimes, the things we love as children have a way of finding their way back into our lives. For me, that thing has always been paper dolls!

I think paper dolls have been following me through life. Looking back, it's funny to see how something I loved as a child eventually became part of my work as a textile designer and, years later, inspired me to create my own collection of Paper Doll Books.

Growing up, I loved cutting out and dressing the paper dolls that appeared in magazines like Bunty, Twinkle and Judy. If you remember those, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about! There was something so enjoyable about cutting out the little outfits and deciding what your paper doll would wear next.

While doing a big clear out at home recently, I came across some old photographs that reminded me just how long paper dolls have been part of my life. Little did I know back then that they would eventually become part of my own business.

In the 1990s, I worked as a textile designer at Dan River Inc. in New York City. Dan River was an American textile mill based in Virginia, producing fabrics for both the apparel and home markets. Each year, the company showcased its woven fabric collections to retailers and wholesalers at the International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas.

In 1998, I came up with a display idea to showcase the fabrics I had designed in a slightly different way, for the stand at the International Quilt Market. I created large cardboard paper dolls and dressed them in outfits made from my Dan River fabric designs.

The dolls were made from thick cardboard, with their hair created using fuzzy craft pipe cleaners. 

Looking at those photographs now, I can't help smiling. There I was, working as a textile designer in New York, using paper dolls to bring my designs to life. I had no idea that, many years later, I would be creating paper dolls all over again.

Fast forward to 2025, when I designed and published my first two Paper Doll Books, the Pop Star and Superhero.

After years of working in design, I had returned to something that had always appealed to me. This time, though, I was creating the dolls, outfits and accessories myself, bringing together my love of illustration, colour, fashion and storytelling.

My Paper Doll Books are designed to encourage children to step away from screens for a while, cut out the dolls and outfits, mix and match their favourite looks and make up their own stories along the way.

It's lovely to think that the same simple pleasure I enjoyed as a child is something I can now share with a new generation.

And the collection is growing! With more books in the works, I'm excited to see where this little creative journey takes me next.

Finding those old photographs made me realise that sometimes our creative journeys aren't as straightforward as we might think. Ideas and interests can stay with us for years, popping up in unexpected places and eventually leading us somewhere new.

From cutting out paper dolls in childhood magazines, to making oversized cardboard dolls in New York in 1998, to publishing my own Paper Doll Books in Ireland in 2025, it seems that paper dolls really have followed me through life!

I'd love to know if you remember the paper dolls from Bunty, Twinkle or Judy. Did you spend hours cutting out the outfits and dressing your dolls too?

And if you would like to see what I have been creating, you can find my collection of Paper Doll Books at www.paperdollbooks.com.

Thanks for taking this little trip down memory lane with me!