- 1). Place your doll body and head on the worktable. Often doll parts are sold separately or in kits with some assembly required. Or, you can rescue a doll from a thrift store that is the right size and shape and renew the doll with a cleaning, new hair, touch up paint and new clothing.
- 2). Assemble the head. Usually the doll eyes are glued in or caulked into the head after the eye openings are cut with an artist knife. Use acrylic paints and a fine paint brush to paint in the eyelashes and eyebrows before installing the eyes. Add lip color and blush to finish out the face of the doll. Paint the head to focus on the theme of the doll. If the doll is a Mardi Gras-themed doll, for example, the face might include glitter and large eyelashes.
- 3). Glue a doll wig to the head following the suggestions of the doll head manufacturer. Often older dolls look best if the wig is glued from the nape of the neck to the forehead. Some modern dolls reverse this. Dolls that require rooted hair have tiny holes where the hair is inserted with a needle. Follow doll hair rooting directions to root your dolls hair. Select hair that matches your theme. A fairy-themed doll might have pink wispy hair with sparkles in it.
- 4). Create a costume that matches the theme of your doll. If the doll is a cultural doll, look at photos of people of that culture for ideas on how to dress the doll. If your doll's theme is fantastical, you can use almost any types of materials and colors to create the thematic effect. Good theme clothing can be made from old clothing, particularly if there is embroidery or lace in your theme. Ask friends for fabric pieces and trim pieces, so you have a lot to choose from.
- 5). Decorate your doll by making themed jewelry, bags, accessories, shoes and other items. If your themed doll is a belly dancer, create chained belts and hair pieces along with lots of bracelets to enhance the look.
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