We’re big fans of free printable paper dolls and find ourselves downloading them all the time for our kids. But while vintage Betsy McCall paper dolls from our childhood still hold a nostalgic place in our hearts, our older kids are often drawn to more modern paper dolls with an edgier vibe, or at least pop culture references from their own lifetimes.
With that in mind, I searched and found tons of fun, free printable modern paper dolls that get a big thumbs up from my older girls, including my picky teen.
Related: The motherlode of free printable paper dolls for pop culture junkies
Hamilton Paper Dolls by Tyler Feder
Hamilton-obsessed fans (that’s everyone right?) will love these paper dolls by Tyler Feder, which we also included in our Hamilton Party ideas roundup as a fun craft activity for the guests, or a cool take-home goodie bag treat. There’s also a gorgeous Eliza paper doll to download as part of the set.
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman paper doll by Cory Jensen
The coolest modern paper dolls may be the ones made by the prolific Cory Jensen (also shown above), whose work we first featured in a roundup of his wonderful paper dolls for pop culture junkies. He is so amazing at keeping up with the times, so not surprisingly, he’s now out with a fierce Wonder Woman set from the 2017 kick-ass movie we all love. But don’t stop there — you’ll find tons of awesome paper dolls from film, theater, and more on his Facebook page.
Moana Paper Dolls by Cory Jensen
Cory has created a ton of Disney characters for his collection, as you can imagine, from heroes and heroines to our favorite villains. But we’re really entranced by his rendition of the newest Disney character (and one of the best, if you ask us), Moana. Hey, your kids can even have her play with Wonder Woman if they want. That’s the joy of paper dolls.
Related: Personalized paper dolls: Coolest gift ever!
Doctor Who Paper Dolls by Entertainment Weekly
We think these Doctor Who paper dolls of The Eleventh Doctor and Clara Oswald are brilliant, and our older kids who watch the series think so too. We’re hoping there’s an updated set when the new Doctor Who airs next year, starring the first female Doctor.
Star Wars Paper Dolls by Pop Culture Looking Land
Our kids will never tire of playing with their favorite Star Wars characters — hey, we haven’t! So check out the collection of free printable paper dolls we found at Pop Culture Looking Land by artist Elena Carrillo which includes the original trilogy, The Clone Wars, and The Force Awakens. We’re admittedly biased toward the Rey and General Leia Organa paper dolls, though Kylo Ren does let you dabble safely with The Dark Side.
Japanese Momoko Paper Dolls by Siyi Lin
Our tweens and older kids are going nuts for animé and manga right now. So I’m thrilled to discover the incredible artwork of Siyi Lin on Deviant Art, where she’s uploaded a series of four Momoko paper dolls that are really cute.
Related: Free printable Halloween paper dolls with costumes from sweet to steampunk to Star Wars
Brooklyn and London Paper Dolls by Sweet Paul
These whimsical girl and boy paper dolls were created by Swedish artist Lova Blåvarg for Sweet Paul magazine, and while they aren’t based on anyone in particular, they’re so fun! That’s because both the paper dolls and their clothing are designed to be colored in or painted by your kids, allowing them to express their creativity in yet another unplugged way before they play.
