Australian Doll Supplies

What is a Reborn doll?

A reborn doll is a high quality doll that has been transformed to look like a real baby. Only certain dolls are able to be reborn. The doll must be made of a suitable vinyl and the mould used must be very realistic.

There are now many, many reborn kits available. Apple Valley Dolls, although not very common in Australia, are wonderful to reborn. The vinyl is soft and easy to work with and there is no paint to remove. They also come with beautiful 'Real Eyes'.

These are the steps in reborning a doll:

• If a doll is used (as distinct from a kit) it is dismantled and the factory-applied paint is removed.
• The doll is often painted inside to give the vinyl a more realistic colour.
• The outside of the doll is recoloured.
• The eyes are replaced with better quality, more realistic eyes.
• Eyebrows are painted on and sometimes veins are also painted on.
• The lips are repainted a more realistic colour.
• The limbs are weighted and sealed, a new better proportioned body is made, weighted, stuffed and attached.
• Hair is rooted into the scalp or a wig applied and eyelashes are also applied.
• The fingernails and toenails are painted and sealed.
• The doll is dressed, usually in real baby clothes.