Remove a Doll’s Head

Ethan before (left) and after (right)

Removing a doll's head is crucial for rerooting doll hair and swapping doll bodies. This tutorial outlines some ways to remove a doll's head without breaking the body. These tips are intended for common fashion dolls such as Bratz, Bratz Boyz, Barbie, Ken, Moxie Girlz, and similar dolls. They are not intended for action figures, Only Hearts Club, Blythe, porcelain dolls, American Girl, Obitsu, or BJDs.

You Will Need:

• Doll
• Tea Kettle (for hard heads)
• Bowl (for hard heads)
• Blow dryer (for hard heads)
• Wash Cloth (optional)
• If your doll has a soft head, you only need your hands

More after the jump!

Tutorial: Rebody Bratz and Moxie Girls

Mika with her original Moxie girl body (left) and her new Bratz body (right)

Have a lot of Bratz and Moxie Girlz lying around? Are some of them broken? Want your dolls to share clothes? Easy. This tutorial is only intended for female Bratz and Moxie dolls, and may not work on other doll brands, or on males. Tutorials for those dolls are in the works!

You Will Need:

• Blow dryer
• 2 Dolls
• Wash cloth (optional)

More after the jump!

Tutorial: Make Bangs

Meg before (left) and after (right).

Sometimes, a doll has too much hair, or its regular ‘do is getting old. So give your doll a shot of bang-tox— it’s easy! In this tutorial, my second-hand 1997 Meg doll's trademark curls will be transformed into trendy forehead bangs.

You Will Need:

• Doll
• Large Wig Brush
• Small Wig Brush (optional)
• Thin scrunchie/rubber band
• Scissors
• Tea Kettle (for boiling water)
• Small towel/rag

More after the jump!

Tutorial: Cut Doll Hair

Is your doll in dire need of a haircut? Scared of screwing up? Here is a fool-proof way to get the cut you want.

Mika before (left) and after (right.)

 You Will Need:

• Scissors
• Doll
• Scrunchie/rubber band
• Wig Brush/Doll Comb

More after the jump!

Tutorial: Fix Frizzy Hair

Some dolls come with frizzy hair, others get that way during playtime. Maybe you just want to straighten your doll’s curls. This is easy to do! Meet Mika, a second-hand Moxie Girl. Check out her hair makeover...

You Will Need:

Doll
Large Wig Brush
Tea Kettle (for boiling water)
Small towel/rag
Sink

NOTE: This tutorial works on the hair of inexpensive porcelain dolls and generic fashion dolls such as Bratz and Barbie, but it will NOT work on hair made of mohair wool. If you are not sure which hair your doll has, try this on a small "sample" strand of hair.

More after the jump!

Welcome to Dolly Care!

Melvin, an action figure I purchased from Goodwill in 2010.

Each year, millions of new dolls are bought and manufactured, furthering a destructive cycle of environmental pollution and sweatshop labor. Meanwhile, older dolls pile up in landfills, lay forgotten in lonely corners of the house, or wait for new homes in second-hand stores. Used dolls are often passed over because of messy hair, stains, or broken bodyparts... but these can be surprisingly easy to fix!

Doll restoration is fun, creative, and often, surprisingly simple. It will also save you money and leave you with some nifty skills that you can use to customize your dolls.

DollyCare is a weekly blog dedicated to sharing tips and tricks about restoring, styling, and getting the most of your dolls.

Stay tuned...


~Roxy