Clean Marks and Stains

Whether you’re restoring a doll or recently deboxed one— stains happen. Here’s how to fix the most common ones on vinyl dolls: acrylic and dye stains. Before you removing any stain, wipe your doll down with soap and warm water to remove oils and grime.

Note: This tutorial is not recommended for dolls made from non-vinyl materials such as resin or porcelain. Please note the IMPORTANT health and safety warnings in this article, and supervise children and/or pets at all times.

Doll Photography: Make a Lightbox

Melvin sitting in my lightbox, un-photoshopped

Lightboxes mimic natural daylight and allow dolls to stand against a backdrop of your choice. They eliminate bad lighting and distracting scenery, bringing out the best in your subject. Lightbox pictures look crisp and professional, making them ideal for selling products... and even better for posting beautiful doll pictures online!

You can buy a lightbox online for over $100, or make your own "Free Lightbox" with DollyCare's tutorial...

You Will Need:

• Large cardboard box (for your doll to stand in)
• Scissors
• White Fabric (i.e. old white t-shirts or bedsheets)
• Stapler/Glue
• Ruler
• Pencil
• 2 non-fluorescent desk lamps (third lamp optional)
• Photo Editing Program (optional)

Where to Get Doll Hair

From left to right: Kanekalon wig hair, DollyHair curly saran, and RestoreDoll nylon

Since I'm on a "hair" roll, here's a list of trustworthy sources for doll hair! This might also come in handy for people who want to make doll-size wigs. This is an overview of the upsides, downsides, and pricing options for various services I've dealt with and ordered from!

If a service isn't listed, or you have any warnings/advice/good experiences, please tell me about it.

Reroot Doll Hair: Reroot Tool Method

Heddy before (left) and after (right)

Rerooting doll hair is an easy way to give your doll a new head of hair. There are many hair styles to choose from, but two main methods to reroot hair. In a previous tutorial, I covered the knot method to reroot hair. This one covers the reroot tool method. If you do not have a reroot tool, make one (and the needles to go with it!)

This tutorial covers how to use the reroot tool. My featured doll is actually just a spare head from a second-hand doll I rebodied. Let’s call her Heddy?

You Will Need:

• Cotton Swab
• Doll head
• Doll hair
• Embroidery sewing needles (size 7, 8 or 10)
• Reroot tool
• Waterproof craft glue
• Wire Cutter
• Pliers

Reroot Doll Hair: Make a Reroot Tool

Make your own Cheapo Reroot Tool...

Doll hair cannot regrow, but it can be rerooted! One of my recent tutorials covered the knot method, a painfully slow way of rerooting doll hair. Using a reroot tool is more efficient, and takes less than half the time the knot method takes. However, to use it you need a reroot tool! Many sites sell excellent metal tools, notably Dolly Hair. These are worth the money... but what if you’re broke?

Simple— make a Cheapo Reroot Tool! This sturdy metal tool can swap out broken needles and doubles as a hair-hole puncher!

You Will Need:
• Exacto knife (one without a rotating blade)
• embroidery sewing needle (size 7, 8 or 10)
• Wire Cutter
• Pliers (optional)

Guideline: Reroot Patterns

Ever wondered why you can't comb your doll's pigtails into a sleek straight 'do? That's because doll hair isn't rooted like human hair! Tiny holes on the plastic scalp determine a doll's hairstyles. Before rerooting a doll, check out its scalp pattern. Remember: Change the hole, change the style.

Now grab a shaved doll, a sturdy needle, and check out these popular reroot patterns (illustrated by yours truly!):

Perfect Part

The "perfect part" is a natural-looking hairdo that fits male and female dolls. It looks It looks great with all hair-types and textures, especially curly hair! The "part" can be placed on any side of the head, although I like it right in the middle (between the eyes.) To get this pattern, simply make two corresponding rows of holes in the middle of the scalp, ending at the back of the head (but do not go all the way down to the neck unless you want pigtails!)

Beautiful Bangs

Edgy fashion dolls, such as Bratz and Jem, sport perfect rockstar bangs. Also known as "fringes," this punky look is a great way to update older dolls, or to try out a new look.Just set the "hair part" back by 1 to 3 rows of holes... there is no need to stab holes into your doll's forehead! The full "curtain fringe" in the illustration can be styled into side-bangs, provided it is thin enough. For thin bangs, set the hair part back by one row of holes. For thicker bangs that stay straight-down, skip 3 to 4 rows.

 

Pinup Ponytail

 

Germany's Bild Lilli doll, and 1950s Barbie, made the high "pinup ponytail" the iconic look it is today. This retro style is very easy to root, and great for beginners! Just make a circle of holes around the crown of your doll's head. For a thicker ponytail, can make more than one circle. If the bald spot in the middle irks you, fill the blank area in the middle with a widely-spaced spiral of holes.

Preppy Pigtails

No schoolgirl is complete without a pair of pigtails! This preppy style dates back to ancient China, where unmarried girls wore buns on either side of their head to signify their status to prospective husbands. Give your doll this classic 'do by creating a hair part (two corresponding rows of holes) from the front of her head down the back of her head. Voila, pigtails! These pigtails can also be turned into buns.

Download the printer-friendly reroot pattern from Scribd.com:

Reroot Doll Hair: Knot Method

Ethan before (left) and after (right)

Some dolls have low-quality hair or improvised “haircuts.” Doll hair cannot regrow, but it can be rerooted! Rerooting replaces a doll's old hair with any hair you want: saran, yarn fibers, tinsel, etc. There are many ways to reroot hair, and two of the most common are the knot method and the reroot tool method. This tutorial outlines the knot method, a very slow, but beginner-friendly, way to reroot doll hair. It features a lovely second-hand doll, Ethan, whose head I removed in a previous tutorial.

You Will Need:

• Doll
• Large-eyed Sewing Needle
• Hair (old wigs are perfect for this)
• Scissors
• Pliers
• Tweezers (optional)
• Cup of water (optional)
• Towel (optional)

More after the jump!