DRESS ME UP!

Younger fashion mavens can mix and match attire on a cast of children using strips of finely worked patterns.

The trick is to stack stiff, die-cut pictures of eight button-eyed children—a racially diverse group including figures with different shades of brown skin and one, named Emily, with East Asian features—on one side and three rectangular pads of paper “fabric” on the other. Each pad is composed of a unique set of eight patterns, ranging from thin stripes and fabric textures to tiny hearts or dinosaurs. These can be flipped over to show through the die cuts as a selected child’s hat, coat, shirt, shoes, scarf, or accessory. The children are hinged at the top of the page and the “fabric” on the left, so that a fair number of variations can be achieved. Lift Isabella, Aidan, Anika, and Riley up to reveal Emily, and then flop a kitten-patterned strip, a rainbow-and-unicorn–patterned strip, and a red strip with white polka dots underneath her so that she appears to be wearing a hat with the kitten pattern and a scarf with unicorns and rainbows while towing a red sled with white polka dots. The patterns are all different, but they harmonize so well in color and motif that it may well be impossible to create any ensembles that clash.

A less messy and far sturdier alternative to paper dolls.