Fashion Doll Customizing
I asked for tips and tricks from our customizers in the CustomDolls group. Our group has many talented customizers, artists and designers. Here are a few of our tips.
"When
auctioning off your dolls, be sure to type in keywords in your
item description. For example, if you are auctioning off a Geisha
doll, include keywords such as: ooak, one of a kind, custom,
geisha, japan, japanese, orient, oriental, chinese, asian, doll...etc.
That way, people who do searches for specific items will
guarantee to see your doll." Loanne
"Nail
polish works just great to paint those weird colored doll shoes
to a shade you can use. The black is great! (Sand the shoe
lightly first.)" Jean M.
"Use fraycheck after
painting fingernails on dolls. It helps seal the paint so it will
not rub off so easily." Imelda
"Look for odd fabric
at flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales and rummage sales."
Dolla
"Use
tiny manicure scissors to trim your newly rooted eyelashes."
Phyliss N.
"Keep a bottle of spray
conditioner handy for those small tangles in the hair (saves
washing the entire head of hair). I use it on the newer dolls
after I take them out of the boxes and the hair gets a knot or
two in it; just spritz and comb out - good as new, and smells
nice too!!!!" Zena
"Toothpicks make great
tiny paint brushes." Loanne
"Maybe count to ten when
that neck knob breaks." Dorothy
"The tiny coffee stirrers make
wonderful tight curls for Barbie's® hair. Remember to dunk Barbie's®
head in ice water after a boil perm to set the curl."
Phyliss N.
"Use
a cigarette lighter to remove stray hairs. Slightly brush it over
hair
in a sweeping motion." Dolla
"Place
the dolls head on the end of a wooden spoon to paint & do the
hair. Gives you great control!" Laura G.
"I really try to do
something really different for my dolls, my theory is 'less is
more'. " Jason W.
"To end
microbraids use a cigarette lighter. Beware though, it makes a
very hot resin that will burn the skin. I burn the ends and then
wait awhile and squeeze it with my fingers to seal." Dolla
"Drape
fabric WET to get a good drape on dolls." Bill J.
"Try thread or
embroidery floss for rooting lashes." Dolla
"Regular cotton thread in
double strands makes wonderful eyelashes...do about 8-9 plugs."
Phyliss N.
"A
metal pet comb and brush works wonders on unruly doll hair. Also
eliminates static. Separate those permed curls while wet to
reduce frizz." Dolla
"Try sketching
eyebrows on with a pencil first....you can always erase them. Do
the left eyebrow first if you are right-handed and vise versa if
left-handed. Then paint over the pencil...and if you don't use
all of the pencil lines after you have painted them...just erase
them!" Debbie M.
"Create a molded
hair look by using Tulip fabric paints." Dolla
"I just
gave a Ken® a hairy goatee. I just made little shaving type
hairs from fake hair and then put glue on his face and sprinkled
the hair on. I guess it's just like flocking." Tess
Eyebrows - "I draw one first, then do three
pencil dots matching the high and low points and connect them.
Also, remember this guideline: The eyebrow should start directly
above the inner corner of the eye. The arch should peak at the
outer side of the iris (if the eye were looking straight ahead).
The outer tips should line up with the outside of the nostril and
the outer corner of the eye - try it on your face using a pencil
to guide the lines." Karen C.
Mailing Packages - "Enclose in the box
something with your address, the recipients address, or both. If
the outside gets damaged, the p.o. can identify where it belongs
if they inspect it." Sheryl
"Cover
the address sections with clear tape after writing the address.
Then if it gets wet, the ink won't smear." Sheryl
"Don't
wrap boxes with brown paper or use string. They get caught in
machines." Sheryl
"When buying on Ebay© or similar places, enclose a slip with what
you're buying and your address to make it easier for the seller
to keep track of what item goes to who." -Sheryl
