Jump For Joy Articulated Paper Toy by Dawn M. Cardona

All levels | 26 min 28 sec

"Jump For Joy" Articulated Paper Toy
Overview00:42
Materials and making your paper toy25:46

Taught by Dawn M. Cardona

This class will be available to view on August 19, 2026.
Jumping Jack paper dolls have been around for thousands of years, with the earliest versions believed to date back to ancient Egypt. When professional papercrafter Dawn M. Cardona first attempted to create one, her design only jumped, requiring her to manually reset the arms and legs. Instead of fixing the mistake, she embraced it with a laugh and named them “Jump for Joy” dolls. In this class, Dawn shares her new and improved design, which now performs real jumping jacks—but the charming name stuck!

Learn more about the history of Jumping Jack dolls!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Downloaded PDF template, printed on white cardstock with the back painted - see Dawn's Make Painted Papers for Art Making for inspiration
Medium-weight string such as Baker’s Twine
Heavy-weight thread, such as bookbinding thread
Craft needle or awl
Four small brads
Glue
Scissors
Colored pencils
Micron pens
Hole punch
Scrap cardstock for details
Ruler