r/CustomDolls

Mattel really nailed it with this line, I feel they have best face sculpts even compared with many Disney collector dolls
I actually love her factory face paint but just wanted to give her makeup suits this outfit better 🧜‍♀️

ig Chiroptera.dolls ❤️

I’ve started working on a sculpted mermaid doll using beads for the articulation. Each clay section gets poked through with a needle while drying to allow me to thread it and the beads together. Right now the movement is about the same as a fidget toy when held up. My plan for the neck is to thread a wooden bead onto that piece of a chopstick and embed it in the neck/shoulders, then have a hole in the base of the head that sits on the length of chopstick above the neck, and another bead or clay capping it off once seated so that it stays on and swivels without falling off.
I also had the thought that I could thread all the pieces together on one length of floss, and then use that as a base to micro-crochet side fins the length of the tail.
Sorry if this is kinda rambly, it’s just what’s been on my mind. The goal of this piece is to make a doll that can move, without being a true ball-jointed doll OR having the points of failure that a wireframe doll would have.
If anyone has done something similar but has a better way to go about it, please comment.

I started by sketching out the wings on paper exactly how I wanted them to look. I made two of the same wing, just mirrored so I’d have one for each side.
Then I took some clear plastic from thick doll packaging. I definitely recommend using thicker plastic rather than the really flimsy kind because it holds the etched vein details much better.

I placed the plastic over my sketch and used a pen with a fine metal point to trace all the wing veins first, then the outer shape. You can also use the pointed end of a fine-tooth comb! I applied a decent amount of pressure while tracing so the veins would actually etch into the plastic and become visible.

Once both wings were completely etched, I carefully cut them out with scissors. Oh, and if you used a pen, wipe away the ink markings with a little acetone once you’re done! The etched lines will stay behind, which makes the veins look much more natural and delicate. If you use the pointed end of a comb, you can skip this step since there’s no ink to remove.

For attaching them, I made an extended attachment added to each wing instead of cutting them off exactly at the wing shape. Then using a clear rubber band I joined the 2 sides of the wings together (the rubber band can help the wings not slide off easily as well). That extra piece slides underneath her dress from the back, which keeps the wings surprisingly secure without needing a bulky attachment on her back or even using any glue!

I included a photo of my original wing sketch too in case anyone wants to print it out and try making their own! 🧚‍♀️💚 Let me know if you have any other questions!

If you make a pair, please tag me! I’d genuinely love to see how yours turn out 🥹💚

as you may or may not know, i have been working on a custom using a broken down Anne Arctic i found as a base. well i finally finished doing her face and eyes! the face up was pretty easy to do, but the eyes were really tricky to open up and change the colours of, especially since i didnt have the specific materials needed.

next step is probably filling up her body with the liquid in Rainbow High's Whitney doll, doing her hair and then sewing her clothing. im so excited!

this is my first ever custom so im really proud of how it turned out! just wanted to share my process :) and if anyone has any tips, please let me know!

Found Luisa at goodwill and thought she’d made a good Rose Quartz base. However, one of her hands is a bit chewed and different vinyl/material than her arms. Any way to fill in or restore her hand?