Reborn dolls have been around for a long time and are becoming more and more popular. Reborn babies or dolls are actually life-like baby dolls made of vinyl. Reborn dolls get their name from the fact that they start as ordinary dolls and are then taken apart and reassembled, and hence the name reborn. They are designed to look like real babies and are very popular as collector dolls. Reborn babies take the doll idea to the next level and make babies that look extremely real.
Customized reborn babies these days may have a mechanically beating heart and realistic hair and even veins that, at a casual glance, make it very difficult to see the difference between a real baby.
Dolls may be one of a kind, or one of a limited series made from the same vinyl mold. As odd as it may seem, a popular choice for many people is the recreation of a child or grandchild’s likeness. Because children grow so fast, these dolls can be a really special keepsake. They can sometimes even be exact replicas of a parent’s own child who may have died at birth or in infancy.
Reborn artists invest a lot of effort to make the dolls look and feel as real as possible. The art of rebirthing a doll includes a very careful process, during which the artisans spend hours putting in intricate details. The result is that you can almost expect a laugh or cry aloud. Naturally, then, reborn dolls become unique masterpieces. With all the professional design involved, these dolls are not things for kids to play with!
Many reborn dolls start life as normal vinyl dolls usually from doll manufacturers like Berenguer. During the process of rebirthing, the doll maker takes the doll apart and removes all its factory paint and hair. The doll is washed and stripped of all remains of paint and glue, and then completely dried. Once the doll is clean, the artist installs its hair with customized styling and hair dye. Next, body is painted to look like a real skin. Then, doll is fully dried, and the artist uses oil paint or oil pastels to highlight the natural folds of skin. Eyebrows are painted with acrylic paint and painted lips are sealed.
Then the doll is reassembled. The doll baby’s limbs are filled with high-quality sand for a realistic weight. Each part is topped with poly filled and sealed with glue. The reborn “baby” is also given a realistic weight by using granules, glass beads or metal balls.
In a stroke of savvy marketing, many reborn dolls are sold with a diaper and baby clothes. Some dolls even come with a birth certificate, magnetized pacifier, and other fun things unique to each “baby.
Reborn Doll Kits can be found online from about $50 to $400. Some of the higher-end kits contain similar instructions as described above. Custom ordered reborns can run into the thousands of dollars. Just think, with enough practice, one can make this art into a full-time business!
