These tips, hints and techniques are compliments the friedns of Mini World Mini World does not necessarily endorse any of these methods; we offer them only as something you may want to try. If in doubt about any doll repair or restoration, consult a professional doll restorationist. Mini World is not responsible for any damage incurred to a doll using any of these suggestions. Click on the links to read about these tips. Body Building Cleaning Clothing & Fabric General Hints Rubber Dolls Wigs Vinyl & Plastic Dolls Storage         General Hints · To store doll patterns, keep them in envelopes with size and doll name written on the front. File in a shoe box.   Susan's hint: I store individual patterns in sheet protector sleeves you get at office supply stores. All the pieces go into the sleeve, labeling the sleeve with the doll, size, and anything else that I may need to remember about the pattern. I keep all my patterns in several 3-ring notebooks. · To make your iron operate smoothly, place a piece of beeswax (eye wax) or paraffin between two pieces of flannel and rub your iron over them now and then. · If in doubt about a procedure you may try to pick up an inexpensive doll of similar material at a thrift store and experiment on this doll rather than using one in your collection. · Cracked china and bisque heads should be painted inside with a coating of either paint or glue to strengthen them. · Use dry cake rouge if cheek color has faded. · Powered blushes from your make-up is great for making the cheeks on a cloth doll "rosy". · Dental floss is great for attaching arms and legs to Teddy Bears or sewing buttons.   Back to Index of Topics Body Building · To repair hard plastic dolls, clean broken parts and paint with nail polish. Hold firmly until set. After 24 hours the mend is invisible. · Ball joints for jointed bodies can be made from kindergarten wooden beads. · Unpainted drawer pulls or spools cut in half and sanded make good neck plugs. Ball Joints may be made from fisherman's plugs or wooden beads. · To rebuild fingers on a ball jointed doll, drill a hole in the end of the remaining part and insert a pipe cleaner and build around it with Weldwood. When thoroughly dry, sand smooth, coat with shellac. When shellac is dry enamel with paint of a shade to match the rest of the hand. · When repairing doll fingers, a straight pin with the head removed makes a good dowel to cover over. · Broken fingers can be rebuilt by adding a bit or wire and building a finger with plastic wood around the wire. Sand when dry and paint. · Many times a "third hand" is needed in restringing dolls. A clamp on the side of the work bench or table will help when just one "doctor" is working. · Add a small amount of Borax to sawdust when making bodies to keep out bugs. · A good filler for cracks in composition or paper mache is made by mixing talcum powder with glue. · Use Durham Rock Hard putty mixed with white glue to make a pliable dough to build parts for paper mache or composition bodies.   Susan's note: you can also just buy a package of LaDoll or Premier clay :} · If a doll's cloth body is in poor condition, remove the stuffing, cut a new pattern, then restuff using the original stuffing. Put the original body material on the outside over the new. · When making cloth bodies, a drop of glue on the knots will prevent slipping. · If a rag doll's neck becomes wobbly, unstitch the neck, insert a tape roll or gift ribbon tubes depending on size. Add cotton or other stuffing around the tube and neck and reshape. · Old dolls should not be restrung too tightly to avoid damage to neck cavity or arm or leg sockets. · Very thick paint mixed to match skin tones on composition with hairline cracks helps cover these satisfactorily without repainting. Take a small brush and dip in paint and brush into small space of hairline crack. Rub well into crack, then quickly rub off excess, Let dry and fluff on face powder. Then wax and shine. Works wonders. · If hard plastic is warped, it can be heated and pushed back to normal shape and cooled. Some hard plastic bodies have vinyl arms and legs. Do NOT steam the bodies: some hard plastics change color and can warp. Test first.   Back to Index of Topics Cleaning Tips · Do not use newspaper under dolls when working on them The newsprint may rub off and no amount of cleaning will remove this discoloration. Use plain butcher paper or something similar. · Chlorine bleach will beach hairline cracks in a china head. · Clean bisque and china heads with a mild soap and warm water and a soft rag, then dry. · A little glass cleaner added to warm sudsy water will help clean composition. · To remove magic marker or ink from plastic dolls, spray with hair spray and wipe off quickly. Use sewing machine oil also. · A cleanser, such as Brillo or Comet, in warm water will clean plastic.   Back to Index of Topics Clothing & Fabric Tips · Check your public library for books on how to dress and restore antique dolls. · If possible keep original clothes on antique dolls. If you do redress the doll, store the original clothes. These clothes can also serve as a pattern for making the new dress for the doll. · Press woven edge ribbon wrong side to keep from curling. · A nice trim, especially for shoe pompoms, can be made by weaving lace or ribbon in and out on an even-toothed comb. Spray with hair spray and let dry thoroughly. · Lace and ribbon can be renewed by pressing between two pieces of waxed paper. · Antique clothing (doll or human) usually requires some reviving when pulled out of the trunk or secondhand shop. To restore old white, fill an enamel pot with warm water, add a handful each of baking soda, mild detergent and powdered bleach, and soak clothes until brightened. Treat old silk and rayon the same way, but use cool water and omit the bleach. · If you are dressing dolls for children to play with, make the costumes simple and easy to remove. Use snaps and velcro fasteners rather than tight buttons and buttonholes. Leave openings as large as possible because so many dolls are hard to dress. · Silk may be washed as follows:   Wash gently in lukewarm water and detergent. Rinse in warm water and then cold. Then rinse in one quart cold water in which you have added one teaspoon vinegar. Dry on towel and press with warm iron on wrong side. Too long of soaking, too hot water and soap can cause silk to yellow. This may be bleached with hydrogen peroxide - NOT chlorine bleach. · A useful trim for petticoats is to make 1/4" hem and run in cord and fasten securely. Several of these will make the skirts stand out. · When making short puff sleeves take three stitches at top and bottom on wrong side and pull up tight. This keeps the sleeves in a permanent puff. · Use a sheer dolly for a parasol cover with darts to simulate folds in the parasol. · Line dress and and jackets with net as it leaves neat edges. · To wash lace, wind it around a glass jar. Scrub gently with soft brush, rinse and let dry. No pressing will be needed. Another way to clean lace is make one part borax, two parts cornstarch and spread over lace. Let stand overnight, then brush carefully. · Trace your pattern on light cardboard, then trace around them on your material, Saves pinning plus a lot of material. · Always use hooks and eyes or buttons on old dolls. Snaps were not used in early clothes. · Shoe or belt buckles can be made of aluminum from a pie plate. · Make tiny buttons from plastic bottles by punching them out with a paper punch. Make eyes (holes in the buttons) using a hot needle. · To remove rust stains, dissolve four teaspoons of cream of tartar to a pint of water, dip material in it, then rinse well If stain is bad, allow it to soak overnight. · To color feathers, mix a drop or two of artists oil paint in mineral spirits, swish back and forth, and then let dry. · To clean old velvet, brush carefully with a soft brush. Hold pile down over a steaming pot of ammonia water. Hold pile up over heated iron to dry clear through. Pile will stand up straight. · To clean mildew stains, rub soap on stains and put in strong sunlight until stains are gone. · For scorched cloth, rub spots with clean cloth dipped in vinegar until spot disappears. Rinse with water and press with warm iron. · Doll gloves can be made by cutting shapes from each hand and buttonhole stitching together. · To make special shoes to match the dress, use standard shoe pattern and use thin iron-on mending fabric. Iron-on fabric on even satin and linen. Cut out and sew. Edges will not ravel. Trim and tie with ribbons and add tiny flat embroidered flower trim. · A solution of gum Arabic in water may be used to stiffen fine laces or thin material. If pleating material, the pleats will hold their shape better. ·   A tip from Mary Jo Harbour is to add vinegar to your water when spray ironing pleats or trouser creases. The vinegar helps to hold the sharp crease. · For easy gathering, lay a piece of dental floss along the edge to be gathered 1/8' from the edge. Zigzag stitch across the dental floss and pull ends together. · Need a hoop skirt for a special gown? Use wacker plastic whip cord in the special casings. Works better than metal wires. · When sewing a sleeve for a small doll, sew it over a pencil. Makes it much easier.   Back to Index of Topics Rubber Dolls - oh my, how we cry · There is not much that can be done to repair the rubber dolls except to exchange parts. · Keep rubber from extremes of hat and cold. · If extremely soiled, they can be washed with mild soap and thoroughly rinsed and dried. After drying, dust with baby powder,. The powder prevents the rubber from becoming sticky.   Back to Index of Topics Vinyl & Plastic Dolls - Do's & Don't · Waterless hand cleaner will sometimes remove crayon marks and deep soil on vinyl dolls · If used right away, alcohol may remove ball point ink and lipstick.   Hairspray sometimes works well on removing ink. So does toothpaste. · Cleaning Ink from Vinyl: This is another tip I found on the FOCD list. Thanks to Mary Lee and Misty! - susan   " I have had much success restoring mass produced vinyl dolls with terrible ink, (and similar stain) problems, using a teenage acne formula called oxy 10. Be sure to buy the clear (it comes in flesh tone also). This is sold at all grocery stores, and drug stores. The only drawback is that this isnt a 'quick fix' it takes a few weeks for it to work, however the results are wonderful. Coat the ink area generously, and then set the doll aside for a few weeks, the darker the ink the longer it takes. I had one doll completely ruined in the face, she now looks like new!!" · Do NOT use chlorine bleach on stains because it sets the color. · If after cleaning the doll stains are still evident, put the doll in a south facing window and the sunshine will finish removing the stain. Have patience, this may take days, weeks, or sometimes months. · If a vinyl doll needs to be sewn together when the arms and legs have pulled from the body, use heavy fishing line. Use a small half circle needle (upholstery needle) to sew with double fishline. · If soft vinyl body is not repairable, remove and make a cloth body and replace head, arms and legs of the original doll on this new body. This makes a soft, cuddly doll, as good as new. · Strong soap and cleaners can be used on vinyl dolls without damaging the material. · Deep rust and scorch spots cannot be removed. · Vinyl is difficult to glue with any success. One good glue is sold by Prego, for laminate floorning. You can find it at do-it-yourself home stores or where laminate flooring is sold,   Susan's note: I've had good luck using this glue when all other glues, including hot glue, have failed. It cleans up just like any other white glue and dries clear. · If a vinyl doll has faded, blend some permanent lipstick with petroleum jelly and rub the faded spot, using cleaning tissues. Keep adding color until it is the right shade and no more will rub off. It is better to go easy, adding a little at a time, then to get too red. Add extra color on knees, cheeks, elbows, top of hands and feet. · Arms and legs of vinyl are inserted easier if the body has been softened with heat.   Back to Index of Topics Wigs · To clean an antique doll wig, carefully remove the wig form the head. Put sufficient dry cleaning fluid (French Dry Cleaner - sold under the name of Dip-it works fine) in a glass fruit jar of a size to accommodate the wig and giving room to shake vigorously, add wig and shake. Let stand a few minutes and shake again. As fluid becomes soiled, empty and put in fresh. Continue until the wig is clean. Remove the wig and put in the air to dry for several days or until odor is gone. · Use mucilage glue to put wig on head of doll. If it is necessary to remove the wig it can be done easily by lightly carefully with fingernails oar a small tool. Elmer's glue will penetrate wig and dry hard and ugly. · When applying wigs on vinyl doll which had hair, clip slightly, then glue wig to original hair, because vinyl is hard to glue. · Wash hair on doll's head with regular shampoo. Comb carefully and put up in style desired. Set aside until dry, then remove curler, comb slightly and use ordinary hairspray to hold in place. · Strong soap and cleaners can be used on vinyl dolls without damaging the material. · Fabric softener can be used to rinse dolls hair to make it soft and manageable. Us small amounts in cool water. · Glue wigs on doll heads using rubber cement. It will peal off at a later date without damaging the wig or the head. · To clean wigs with long curls, put the curls in the cap of the wig, then put it in an old nylon stocking and tie tightly. Then off to the coin-operated dry cleaners. It comes out clean and you need not re-curl the hair. · To remove soil from wigs on doll's head, dip a small piece of cotton in alcohol (not to wet) brush it lightly over the wig. Don't make wig wet, only damp. · If the wig is off the head, place it over a glass, cup or whatever will hold it. Work Woolite in gently. Try not to muss up the hairdo. Pour cool clean water over until soap is cone. Leave on cup until completely dry. · To make a doll wig to fit your doll from another wig: measure doll head carefully where wig cap should come. Usually only slightly below crown used to cover top of head. Measure side to side across top, also front to back. Cut pattern roughly a rectangle fit to head for pattern. Turn wig inside out and fit pattern to front and crown of wig.     Carefully cut base only, following lines of wig you are using to make new wig from, following lines where hair has been stitched on. Do take advantage of part, etc on the wig - however any boning or stiff edges must be cut off.     Most wigs you would only be cutting out the center, leaving all edge sections with a hole in the center. The left over hair may be taken off in strands and hand stitched to another base, using as you would wafted hair.     Fit to the doll around edge, turning up, with running stitch. Draw this smooth (not snug) to fit head. Stitch a row over top of hem for nice finish.   Susan's note:You can use a piece of old nylon stocking as a wig cap instead of making a pattern and stitch the new wig hair to this. Take a section of stocking, fit to dolls head. Gather one open end with thread, and tie off into "top-knot". If you're not using the already finished edge of a stocking, you might want to make a finished hem on the non-gathered side. · To style a wig, wash carefully in baby shampoo and rinse several times, using a little fabric softener in the last rinse Put plastic bag over head of doll and shape damp wig over head. Wig may be curled at this time. · To curl synthetic hair, first try a curl just like you would human hair, let dry overnight. If this won't curl to your satisfaction, put on heated rollers. Remember synthetic hair is made from different fibers, just like dress material, and takes different temperatures to set. To be safe and get exactly the curl you want it is always better to run a test on some extra hair. Too much heat will ruin any synthetic fiber. · Dippity-doo or a similar heavy-duty styling gel sometimes helps keep the curl in place. · Mohair, synthetic mohair and human hair takes curls better than synthetics. If the synthetic is made of a viscose material, heat will curl the fiber easily. You can use drinking straws to make ringlets. Let the hair dry on the straws before taking the "rollers" out.   Back to Index of Topics Storage · After cleaning composition dolls, smooth the surface with a thin coating of mild white glue. It will dry transparent. · When storing your dolls, put a cardboard tube, such as the ones from paper towels, over each arm and leg.   **See Tips from Friends about another great idea using old shoulder pads. · Store dolls with sleep eyes face down to help prevent these eyes from loosening or falling out. · To protect cloth bodies, spray with a clear plastic spray. The body may then be cleaned with a damp cloth if soiled.   Back to Index of Topics