Think of these matchbox dolls as tiny guardians of curiosity.

Each figure is made by attaching a matchbox to doll parts and filling the drawer with unexpected treasures: handwritten notes, vintage cut-outs, even little charms.

With their mismatched limbs and expressive paper faces, they straddle the line between playful and eerie.

They’re not just crafts; they’re conversation starters, ready to stand on your shelf as whimsical little storytellers.

Materials Needed

• 6–10 vintage matchboxes (2” × 1.5” each)
• Old doll arms and legs (plastic or porcelain, 2-3” size)
• Paper cut-outs of vintage faces (photographs, magazines, or prints)
• Mini trinkets or ephemera (buttons, lace, tiny notes, fabric scraps)
• Glue gun or strong craft glue
• Acrylic paint or decoupage paper
• Optional: stamps, washi tape, or hand lettering

Step-by-step Guide

Step 1: Choose your matchboxes and clean them up if they’re old. You decide which ones will become torsos for your dolls.

Step 2: Attach doll arms and legs to the sides and bottom of each box using a glue gun. Make sure they’re secure.

Step 3: Select paper faces (or draw your own) and glue them to the tops of the boxes to give each doll a personality.

Step 4: Open each matchbox drawer and decorate the inside with small collages, fabrics, or objects that tell a tiny story.

Step 5: Paint or cover the outsides of the boxes to give them a vintage or surreal aesthetic.

Step 6: Arrange your finished dolls in a group, they look amazing when displayed together like a quirky little army of memories.

Tips:

Don’t worry about symmetry; part of the charm comes from the imperfections.

Mixing different eras of materials like old lace with modern magazine cut-outs creates even more intrigue.