Doll Makeovers

Introduction
Do you have a doll you would like better "if only...", or a doll that is old and has seen a lot of wear and tear? If so, giving a doll a makeover is fun, quick, and easy. I'm working on giving four dolls major makeovers. Follow along as I work on making my dream dolls!
  • Bitty Baby needed a makeover because the doll is very old, and I've never liked the fact that Bitty is bald. As the years have passed, portions of the paint on the back of Bitty's head have lost their coloration from sitting against the wall while on display. Bitty needed hair! I have also decided, after never naming Bitty, to turn Bitty into a boy doll. Bitty will be a Cubs fan with a Cubs baseball uniform on.

  • My Twinn Friend Emma needed a makeover because the wig she came with was not styled at all, was poorly attached, and was too dark to match her light coloring and green eyes. When completed she will wear a poodle skirt. She's also the doll on this page I sew and craft for a lot, so she'll get a lot more clothes! But I'll include a photo of the poodle skirt one to show how a modern doll can be turned into an historical one.

  • My Twinn Cuddly Sister Rachel had a very bad haircut (which is my fault!). But the coloration on the doll (light eyelashes and eyebrows, for example) and freckles did not go with brown hair. When completed, she will be wearing a sailor dress.

    • Doll Clothes:

    I'm a huge fan of http://www.morrisseydolls.com/ for doll patterns. They even have patterns for dolls no longer in production, such as the My Twinn line. For three of the four makeovers, I will be using the following patterns:
  • Bitty Baby (no name yet): Baseball Uniform (http://www.morrisseydolls.com/bitplay.html

  • My Twinn Friend (Emma): Poodle skirt set (this pattern is not available yet, but you can see it here: http://www.morrisseydolls.com/twinnclub.html)

  • Rachel My Twinn Cuddly Sister: Sailor Dress three piece set (http://www.morrisseydolls.com/cuddly.html)

    • Instructions to change a doll's wig:

    The website http://www.justmagicdolls.com has clear and worry-free instructions for changing a doll's wig at: http://www.justmagicdolls.com/articles/rewig/rewig.htm.

    Doll wigs:

    All of the wigs I used were from http://www.allaboutdolls.biz. The wigs there are on clearance and are incredibly inexpensive--as little as $5. You can check the Just Magic Dolls site mentioned above for recommended brands.
    I suggest taking inventory of all the dolls you want to put wigs on (and their head sizes) before sending for wig(s), since their flat shipping cost can be more than the price of an individual wig. By ordering everything at once, you'll save a lot of money. They ship these so quickly that you may likely be changing your dolls' wigs the same week you place your order. [I have no connections to the company; I have just been happy with the wigs and service.]

    Doll Makeover #1: Bitty Baby, the old, unnamed, bald and un-treasured doll

    Bitty before: No name, no gender, and a banged up head
    Bitty goal: A boy (Raul) with dark brown hair and a Cubs baseball uniform. [Note: I chose an "infant" wig for Bitty. After seeing how full it is, I would recommend sticking with a wig marked "whispy" or "newborn."]

    Post Makeover:


    Well, Bitty is back to being a girl named Bitty! There are just cuter doll fashions for girl dolls, and the wig was cut more in a girl's style with long sides.

    Doll Makeover #2: Emma, the '50s Redhead

    Emma before: Dark brown hair, thin purple jersey pajamas
    Emma goal: '50s girl with curly red hair, freckles, and poodle skirt outfit

    Post Makeover:

    And in other clothes:


    (Sorry about the unclear photos...the camera has its good days and bad days!)

    Doll Makeover #3: Rachel, the chronic bad hair day doll

    Rachel before: Frizzy brown hair, no nice clothes to wear
    Rachel goal: A blonde sailor girl

    Post Makeover:

    Doll Makeover #4: Leang, the AGT whose hair I ruined

    I never liked Leang's hairstyle, so I tried all sorts of things with it: putting all but a fringe of bangs back in a tight headband so that they were like that permanently, curling her hair permanently (and kind of frizzing it up!), and painting on it with hair pencil. The first photo is the before picture. I know not much difference can be seen between the two, but the wig looks much better and doesn't have any bangs. The wig is basically the way I wanted to try and make her hair look!

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