Like other girls, Duong and Van had the hobby of collecting dolls. Their passion gradually grew up and turned into their love of art. With unique ideas, they started making dolls from paper.
To make beautiful paper dolls, it requires the artisan’s meticulousness and patience. They must spend a lot of time researching technique as well as other processes, from curling the hair to making every flower and attaching glass-beads to the dolls’ skirt. Even if they failed several times before being successful, the details are perfect.
 

Different kinds of paper used to make dolls. Doll frames. Gluing the hair on the dolls. Creating a hairstyle for the dolls. Putting make up on the dolls.

Thanks to the skillful hands of the girls, the paper dolls look lively and lovely, each having its own unique appearance. For example, some dolls have joyful and pert faces while others have elegant beauty. By decorating the hair or dresses of the dolls with accessories, the girls turn them into artworks. Therefore, these dolls are much sought after by customers of all ages. Many foreign tourists are also interested in these dolls and buy them to give to their friends and relatives as souvenirs.
In their doll collections, there are dolls sitting on swings, bride and bridegroom dolls, and Christmas dolls. Furthermore, they have also created collections of dolls in Ao dai (traditional long dress) and Ao tu than (traditional four-panel dress) that are made from soft paper and silk. The artists must decorate the Ao dai with patterns to make the flaps of the Ao dai look real. Looking at the colourful dolls in traditional Vietnamese outfits, such as Khan the, Ao dai, Ao mo ba mo bay, Non thung quai thao (basket-shaped bamboo hat with fringe) of Quan ho singers, one surely feels proud of the traditional culture.
 

Bride and bridegroom dolls. A doll in evening gown. A doll in evening gown. A doll in evening gown. A doll in Ao dai.

To meet the increasing demand of the market, Duong and Van have created thousands of paper dolls with diverse appearances and styles and nurtured many other projects to further develop the product.

Story: Ha Anh - Photos: Tra My