Make A Stand

My fellow doll rerootists (is that even a word?), have I got a DIY doll project for you!

It's a rerooting stand!

I don't know about you, but when I am rerooting, to have to keep picking up the head to put a plug in and then back down to load my needle with another plug and then pick the doll head back up and repeat over and over and over and over again - it gets loathsome.  So, I have often wondered what I could do or make that would allow me to keep the doll head propped up and in place as I plugged away.  I wasn't having any luck finding anything ready made via retail, so I figured I would probably have to make something.  Well, I had a eureka moment yesterday while I was working on my latest custom and FINALLY DISCOVERED IT!  I thought I would do a quick step-by-step tutorial so that you might be able to make one too if you need to.

Supplies you'll need:

- A plastic stand that has a domed base

- Plastic stand post (to place the head on)

- Packing tape (any strong tape would do, I just happened to have a lot of packing tape on hand)

- Scissors

- Some kind of small heavy weights (I happen to have a container of copper BB's on hand from making bears a while back.)

Step one:

Turn the base over to the underside and then place enough of the small heavy weighted material so that it's flush with the base of the stand base.

Step two:

Tape the area off making sure that it is very securely taped so as to avoid having to clean up a mess made from the weighted materials getting loose from the tape.  Again, tape it really well.

Step three:

Cut off any excess of the tape that you put around the base (or just cut enough to keep it clean and tidy).  I left mine looking a little haphazard here, but it does the trick.  And those little BB's aren't going anywhere.

Step four:

Place the stand post into the base, pop a doll head on it and WALLA!  You've got yourself a handy helper!

Best part was that I didn't have to spend any $$$ on supplies as I used what I had on hand.  It works really, really well!  It stays in place while I work on the doll head and, if I wanted to disassemble it to put it away, the stand post comes out so everything can lay flat.  Bonus!

If you make one to use, send me a photo of it and I would love to showcase it on my blog and/or Instagram feed!

Have fun!

- TR

Stain Master

Here's a doll that came to me with terrible bright pink stains on her ears.  I'd gotten ink stains out of vinyl before, so I was pretty confident that I could get these out as well.

I am pleased with the results.

Update: after one more week of treating, the stains are gone:

Nose and Finger Repair Work

Here are some examples of nose tip and finger repairs I've done. 

(New work photos added on 04/27/25.)

Chip Off The Old Toe

I usually only blog about the faces of the dolls that I restore/repaint.  So, I thought today would be as good as any to blog about the nails that I repaint.  I recently repaired a toe chip on a vintage Barbie doll for a customer.  The first two images are the repair BEFORE being painted, but the missing area had been filled.

 And here is the AFTER with the area painted and the nails done, too.

I have plans to try my hand at repairing nose nips and missing chins on dolls.  It's quite a process though and having the knack for sculpting tiny areas is a skill that you must have in order to wind up with the results you were looking for - not to mention the ability to color match the skin tone by blending paint.

I also added some toe nails to one of this customer's American Girl dolls.  I actually really enjoy painting these tiny digits.

Reworkin' It

Over this past weekend a wild wind of creative energy flew into my house and I got busy makin' stuff again.  I painted.  I painted somethings that I'd been wanting to try my hand at for a while and some things that were presented to me anew.  These are the results:

I painted a Darci stand and reworked several pairs of shoes.  I'd grown weary of the same old silver shoes and wanted something different to showcase the several outfits that I have.  So, I went for it and am very happy with the outcome!

Most of the time I have these dolls tucked neatly away in storage bins... safe from dust and cat hair.  But, once in a while, I take those bins down and fuss with the dolls.  It's actually quite a stress reliever for me and I enjoy gazing at these beauties each and every time.