Get ready to celebrate Independence Day with a patriotic craft for kids! I’m excited to share this free printable 4th of July paper doll craft that allows children (And playful adults) to assemble their very own American Independence Day mascots. With movable body parts and a set of paper accessories, these paper dolls are gonna bring you both a creative activity and entertaining play time. Plus: After you complete your DIY paper dolls, you’ll learn how to turn them into a stop-motion animated 4th of July card!
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Print and make your paper doll craft
Let’s dive into the details and get started on our 4th of July craft:
You will need*:
- This printable 4th of July craft template
- Scissors
- Split pins (0.3”X0.47” / 8X12mm)
- Coloring materials (crayons, markers, or colored pencils)
(I use Amazon Basic Premium colored pencils and love them) - Glue
- Hole punch (1/8 inch)
- White cardstock for printers
* Amazon affiliate links
Steps:
1. Start by downloading and printing the free 4th of July craft template. These are three coloring pages with all the different paper doll parts and accessories.
2. Show off your artistic skills as you color the printable coloring pages and customize your paper dolls.
3. Once the coloring is complete, carefully cut out each doll’s parts and the accompanying paper accessories.
4. Punch a hole through each black dot with a 1/8” hole punch.
5. Use split pins to attach the movable arms and legs to the paper dolls. Insert the pins through the holes, allowing the limbs to move freely.
6. Add paper accessories to your dolls to make them ready for independence day! Glue festive hats on their heads, Let them hold a firework or the American flag, and put decorative prints on their shirts.
7. Howdy, newly born patriotic paper figures! Wanna play?
If you are ready to put your dolls into action, check out the bonus part below: How to make an animated 4th of July card in a stop-motion technique.
⭐BONUS PART⭐
Make an animated 4th of July card
Now that your paper dolls are set, you can create an animated 4th of July card that will surprise your family and friends. With a few photos of your paper dolls, you’ll make a moving 4th of July GIF, like the one below:
Send your unique GIF to anyone you want to wish a happy Independence Day! Ready to begin?
How to make an animated “Happy 4th of July” GIF with your printable paper dolls:
1. Set up a backdrop for your animated 4th of July card. It can have a festive theme or be plain white.
2. Position the paper dolls on the backdrop and take a photo.
3. Slightly move the paper dolls’ limbs to create the illusion of movement, and take another photo. You can also add text and wiggle it as well.
4. Repeat the previous step multiple times, capturing photos in different positions to create a series of movements.
5. Use a GIF-making tool like EZGIF.com to compile the series of photos into a stop-motion animation GIF. Here is how to do it with EZGIF.com:
– Visit EZGIF.com and click on ‘GIF maker’.
– Click on ‘select files’ to choose the photos from your computer, then click ‘upload and make a GIF!’
– On the GIF maker page, you can re-arrange the order of your photos, or duplicate some of them. If you are happy with the photo order, set up the ‘delay time’ under ‘GIF options’. The delay time will determine how fast your photos will switch.
– Click on ‘Make a GIF!’ to generate your final animated GIF.
– Save your GIF by clicking on the ‘save’ button.
Send your animate GIF to family and friends and wish them a happy 4th of July!
Liked this Independence Day craft idea? Pin this page to Pinterest so others can find it. You are welcome to visit my Pinterest boards, where I share lots of inspiring things.
And while you are here, don’t forget to grab this free printable 4th of July gift bag. Happy Independence Day!
* All the free printables in my website are for personal, non-commercial use only. Kindly refrain from sending them directly to others. Instead, feel free to share the link to the relevant post. Thanks!
