#doll tutorials

[firespirited]

I was asked to put together a beginner reroot kit so I’m going to cut needles for myself too and that’ll be today’s use of shoulders.

as specified in the previous needle cutting tutorial, you’ll want safety goggles.

Here are a few things I forgot to add:

The tool to cut needles is a memory wire cutter ($8-10 at craft stores) - if you don’t have that but do have heavy duty* diagonal cutters or large pliers with a cutting area, you can place the needle at the base and press with both hands. *We’re talking much larger than jewellery tools.

Do not hold the foam AND the wire cutters: align the wire cutters and press with both hands: let the foam fly backwards that’s why the needles are in foam to begin with. you need both hands to get a clear cut that doesn’t bend or snap the needle eye.

If you can’t cut the needle stem with both hands (especially the thicker needles, place the wire cutters on the cut and pliers above and pull in opposite directions to snap-cut the stem.

The kit itself is

an exacto knife holder (rebranded as a microblading tool)

5 needles: 1 for yarn, 2 for thin plugs, 2 normal.

3 crocodile clips for holding hair.

some electronic twistie ties

saran from trendy and bendy Teresa (not enough for a full head)

nylon from  rainbow high amaya (dyeable)

kiwi nylon from mermaze orra (dyeable)

black saran scraps for eyelashes

test head

[elsaspants]

If you were still looking for a doll sealant, I use Testor's dull coat! It's a spray like msc but a decent bit cheaper. I get it from the like miniature section of the craft store

thank you! I’ll look into this for sure. I appreciate it a lot!

publishing this for future reference :D

[dollulus]

Sneak peek for next week's video!! A tutorial for painting doll lips. I'm still editing it but super excited with how it's coming out so far! It will be out next Thursday.

[tanuki-kimono]

To complete past diy kimono dressing for Sylvanians Families/Calico Critters I shared before (see 1 / 2), here is a new step by step by @haluchobin to create cute easy to put on obi :

Tie a thin elastic into a loose loop around the tail

Slip both ends of a ribbon through the loop and sew into place

Tie another ribbon around the elastic covering the knot. Style it into a bow, you can try to mimic real musubi if you want

Put on the finished obi and enjoy!

[umbratundra]

Making of Sprigatito 🍃

[sleepytoycollection]

One Way to Repair a Broken Doll Arm

Today I'll be walking you through how I repaired this Ever After High Lizzie Hearts doll's broken arm. While I wouldn't call this a fool-proof method, and I'm not sure that this repair would hold up to being played with, if you've got a beloved doll you want to repair, this should be just fine for a doll that's mostly going to be displayed.

The best part is, this will retain the articulation of the arm and/or knee (this method will technically also work for knee joints, though knees are harder than arms to work with). So let's jump in.

Tools required: Craft Knife, Jewelry pliers, Wire (gauge depends on size of joint), Super Glue, Hot Glue, Patience.

Let's start with our patient.

I thrifted this Lizzie doll a few days ago, along with a Venus McFlytrap, as shown in the above image. As soon as I saw the taped up arm, I knew the joint was broken, but hey, she was like 80c USD. I can apply some elbow grease for that cheap. Plus it gives me an excuse to finally make this tutorial.

They went a little overkill with that much tape, but whatever works?

I cut the tape off carefully with a craft knife. I didn't take a pic of that, but I think you can image what a broken doll arm looks like. Unless you have aphantasia I guess, but that's getting off topic.

First thing I did was use the craft knife to slice along the seam lines, then pried the upper arm open (slowly. seriously go slow.) with a pair of jewelry pliers. It will leave marks on the plastic, but I can buff those out later.

Why am I doing this if the arm's already broken? I want to remove what's left of the peg that's in there. You could also drill it out if you have a dremel, but I wanted to avoid this tutorial needing power tools.

So here's the arm, pried open, with the peg removed.

To close it back up, I used a tiny bit of acetone to melt the plastic at the seams, then held it together until it hardened enough to stay in place. Leave it for a few hours to make sure it's all fully cured, then you can sand the area smooth.

And here's the arm with the broken peg.

So what now? We need to remove the peg piece that's attached to the elbow. I couldn't get a photo of that since it's a delicate process and I only have 2 hands, but here's an artist rendering that would give you the idea.

Take a craft knife, and SLOWLY. CAREFULLY. cut into the ring that surrounds the elbow joint. YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO TOO DEEP, TOO QUICKLY. YOU DO NOT WANT TO ACCIDENTALLY CUT THROUGH THE ELBOW POST. Just go nice and slow. Just chip a little out at a time until you get to the center.

Use pliers as well to pull out the rest of the bits, though you might have to cut a good bit out before you can pull the rest out.

As for my doll, the operation went successfully.

This is what the elbow looks like with the joint peg removed.

Now we've gotten past the hard part, we'll cut off a few inches of wire and string that though the elbow joint. Once through, we'll twist it until it's reasonably tight to the joint. If that makes sense.

It should look like this. Give it a test fit and cut the wire shorter as needed so there's no gap in the joint.

My test fit. Yep, I recycled this for the top photo as well. The blue is just painter's tape.

If you find you can't get it tight enough, and it feels too loose, I'd add a drop a super glue in there. Just keep moving the joint as the glue dries, and it'll add some friction so your arm will hold a pose.

Speaking of glue, I also add a dab of hot glue to the top of our new peg. The coating will add thickness that will help it stay in the upper arm. Tape works too, but hot glue holds up better.

Here's our newly repaired arm back on the doll. Aside from a slight glimmer of silver, the repair is not very obvious I think.

Lizzie can now enjoy having two functional arms again. Whoo-hoo.

While not 100% a beginner repair, it's not particularly difficult either. Just takes some patience and a reasonably steady hand.

Before I go though, some disclaimers/notes: Some wires can rust overtime, so keep an eye on your doll to make sure the wire isn't degrading and discoloring them.

Also, if you do a repair like this, then sell the doll, do let the buyer know. I feel like I shouldn't have to say that, but don't be one of those sellers okay?

This same method can be used for knees, but thighs tend to be made of a harder plastic, and it can be more difficult to pry them open to take the old, broken peg out with out major damage to the upper leg.

Good luck with your repairs! Love y'all. c:

[mel-addams]

Get Started Drawing...

...even as a complete beginner!

In my efforts to help some friends who are only just starting to learn to draw (as adults! glorious!! <3), I kept digging around for resources that cover things I remember learning in the various art classes I've taken...but that does a better job than I can of laying it all out in a comprehensive, but not overwhelming, manner. (I am far too prone to rambling as you can see from this post, and bounce around topics as I remember them, rather than in a sensible order.) I've found a few guides here and there that cover one thing or another decently well...but I've finally found a free site I'm really keen on as an overall source if you're just starting out with learning to draw!

It's incredibly clear and concise, whereas many of the other sites and books I found could sometimes be overwhelmingly detailed. It's arranged in a way that reminds me of the flow of art classes, starting at the very first steps--how to approach art if you've never done it before, and the fact that you only need basic tools to begin with. If you go in approximate order, it then establishes that you should start sorting out a solid foundation by practicing simple lines and shapes--the same way you learned to write letters so you could ultimately make words, sentences, stories... This includes some neat little practice exercises with questions to consider while you do them, so you also learn to see and observe things like angles and proportions, which are critical for being able to accurately draw more complex things.

It evolves from there into how to take those basic shapes and turn them into simplified human bodies--and from there, how to consider more complex 3D versions of the shapes to give those bodies a sense of dimension and physicality. It even touches on things like composition, silhouette, negative space, and line of action--all in a quick, straightforward manner. It plants the seed of understanding for these more complex illustration concepts, which you can then research further, armed with relevant terminology to dig up more in-depth resources as they catch your interest!

The style itself is usually simple, but even if your aim is to draw with a more detailed style, this one can serve as a base sketch to add that detail to. (Combine learning this base with photo studies, plus more detailed style guides for wherever you want to take your art, and you could use this as a base for comics, cartoons, anime, realism...the core concepts and skills remain the same!) There's also examples of how to adjust for varied body shapes, so it provides more flexibility than some drawing guides do, which often only focus on one "ideal" body type. (This style can also be used for that, if it's what you want--you just adjust the proportions of the basic shapes as you need! But this provides examples of how to handle variety, which will give you a better foundation for drawing people and characters so they don't all look the same, instead of having to figure out how to adjust for it later on.) The Shape Dolls for reference are also incredibly delightful, and a great cheap way to have a little pose reference mannequin of sorts!

There's also links to sources if you want to dig into concepts more deeply--available both as a general source page, as well as some specific topics including relevant sources at the bottom of their respective pages. There's also a patreon with some extra thoughts that is fully accessible for free, but has a paid option if you want to support Tan for providing such a lovely resource! (Also they have a legit vegetable farm?? How cool is that.)

So yes! If you have any interest in learning to draw--whether you've ever tried before or not, and no matter your age--try looking through this site, and let it guide you through the process!

[dragonsdelightstudio]

So here is a mini breakdown of how I created the BJD eye cups.

First off, you’re going to need some sort of backing to round out the eyeball. I split wooden beads apart and glued them to the backs. This is going to help the eyeball rotate.

Now you are going to need some half spheres. They need to be larger than your eyeball so the can move freely once padding is added. I made these with hot glue and two metal measuring spoons, one inside the other. This created the mold for the sphere. Have ice water handy because a quick cool down makes it easier to peel the glue out. They don’t have to be perfect, you can always trim if need be.

Fluff time. I gently tugged apart a cotton makeup wipe to create the pillow we need. How much you’re going to need will vary and you will need to experiment with how much is going to work for the eyeball. Lots of trial and error here. You want to set it in the half-spheres lightly, do not pack it in.

Position your eyeball. This is also trial and error. You want it center with enough room to move. You will have to put the cup on and experiment. Have a toothpick like object and a little bit of tac to do a trial run on the eyeballs movement. Add/remove fluff as needed. You want a semi-firm cushion but not so much to hinder movement. You may need to adjust position of the cup to either side as well for optimal movement.

I very much recommend Faber-Castell blue tac it. It doesn’t leave marks on the pupils as you move the eye around.

Mnnn

Did you find a prime position? Glue the cap in. I know magnets are usually used, but I’m being cheap here. A couple spots of hot glue holds the cup in and is easily pulled out for change and repositioning. Just trim off the excess glue and start again.

Some heads may be more difficult to place the cups side by side. You will have to use your best judgement to trim and move as necessary. For a couple I had to trim some of the side of the cup off because of the angle.

Got them both in? Great! Replace the head and admire your work.

Side note: I did notice some eyewells were deeper than others (looking at you Dante) I did have to do a little bit of pre padding carefully around the eyeball before placing the cap, just to help keep the eye in position. Be sure to check often to make sure there is no stray fluff peeking around the eye.

This was a quick and dirty explanation of how I did this. It isn’t pretty, but it works. Now the dolls have more expression than ever from sultry, to suspicious, to downright deviant.

Feel free to use or make improvements upon this concept. It’s meant to be a cheap and easy project.

[diddybu]

I love your robots!!! Do you have any advice for drawing those types of characters?

i hope that responds your questions (i didn't know what to say but then had a lot of fun doing this lol)

[oobbbear]

People asking for doll tutorials I see you

I’ll try to document the process next time I make dolls, I zoned out during this one so there’s not enough process pics for me to use :’]

But but I did document the entire process of making Courtney’s horn tho, those things drove me nuts I took so many pictures because I need it next time I make horns like those

They’re hollow on the inside so the head won’t be too heavy for the body, if anyone wants a tutorial of the horn specifically feel free to let me know!

[gert-the-disaster]

BON PAPER DOLL RAUUHHHH

(him interacting with another doll i made of one of my ocs under cut 💥💥)

[firespirited]

quick and very dirty Foam Beehive tutorial:

You will need

-foam/sponge: if it’s not black, paint it with acrylic paint

-thread some garden wire or a twistie tie though the foam

-apply a line of glue to your foam

-cut the scrap hair and apply using something metal to the glue then roll slowly

-comb the hair and pull it into a tiny ponytail at the end, glue the ponytail end down. it’s best to use a matching hair elastic but i wanted to show what it looks like

-pull together the wire into a loop, cut the wire ends, place it behind the doll’s hair and put a pin in it

For ideal results, straighten/condition the scrap hair first - mine was ratty, wait for the glue to have died before rolling the hair and spritz water to keep it in place. I’m too wobbly and made a mess. You can tint the glue with acrylic paint to match the hair for a tidier result. You can also pin in a black foam bump under the doll’s hair for a raised hairdo but I’m pretty sure Elvira will have the wrapped donut of hair slightly larger than what I just made.

[imreadydollparts]

If I had the right mindset for making videos this would be a video, but.

I don't.

Anyway.

There are a few little tricks to get from this severely matted mess:

It is worse than it looks. Most of the knot is under that scrunchie.

To this:

All smooth.

But first, you have to get through this:

Doll grade kanekalon hair is very fragile and often if the doll has been roughly handled and her hair has become matted, there is a ton of broken hair stuck in the matts.

I know that this was broken hair and not crumbling hair because the individual strands did not break when tested by giving them a gentle yank. Crumbling hair will break into little bits when you do that.

Sometimes when huge amounts of hair come out like this it's because one plug pulled free and the neighboring plugs are now loose and also pulling free, but this was not the case for Barbie today.

I also know just from experience. I've been doing this for a while. It gets to a point that you just know. You can feel it when it's crumble vs breakage combing out or if it's plugs coming out.

The first trick is using metal combs. It just works better with plastic hair. There is no mold line or seam on a good metal comb.

Second trick is to have the right flat iron.

Both the combs and flat iron are here:

I used the Tervixx, which is the second listing on that post, at 120F. Kanekalon is a low-heat fiber, meaning it will melt rather easily. That Conair can do Kanekalon, too, on setting 1, but the Tervixx is much narrower and that makes it easier to get to the scalp on dolls with shorter hair.

You want the hair to be damp but not dripping wet, lead it with a flea comb (also shown there), and go nice and slow giving the hair time to get hot and pliable while being pulled by the comb, to get the best results.

With a lot of breakage, you'll end up with something like this:

It's going to look rough. There are a lot of ends. To get rid of that rough appearance, you hold the section of hair tightly near the longest ends, then gently push the shorter hairs back toward the scalp with the other hand. You're not trying to tease the hair, just push surface hairs that are short toward the scalp. This part I'd like to record so you can see how gently it's meant to be done but can't brain making videos and working at the same time.

Then, keeping the longer hairs pulled back tightly, carefully snip those short hairs as close to the scalp as you can get with sharp, tiny scissors while being careful not to cut the long hairs. I use cuticle scissors.

Or you can pluck them right at the scalp with good tweezers.

And you'll end up with this:

So the tricks are hairline trimming. metal toothed combs, and a good, variable temp flat iron.

I haven't fixed her bangs, yet, so don't look too closely at them.

[wtfrepaints]

So I'm gonna make a list of people who are pretty good resources on learning new things for taking care of and customizing dolls here. Please feel free to send me recommendations.

Great glue seepage infographic made by MisfitDollies on here! It includes a tutorial on taking care of it with goo gone specifically but I have been hearing people are getting better results with oxyclean lately.

Doll hair care/styling/rerooting:

Peace love and plastic

PLANET HIMM

ZombiexCorn

Rodney Rainbow

Draculijah

Minor alterations and crafting:

My Froggy Stuff

Delightful Dolls

Adult Doll Collector

Repainting and Full Alterations:

Of Crafts and Curios

Dollightful

Poppen Atelier

hisnameisAkin

[tanuki-kimono]

Adorable papercraft/pepakura kimono made for Sylvanian Families (Calico Critters) figurines. Patterned origami paper is cut to form 3 different pieces (top, bottom, collar). You’ll find the measurements and step by step on OP’s website (example below is found here):

[umbratundra]

Making of Eevee ✴️