Dolly Lifehacks!

That idea? That's just brilliant.
I love it. XD

 

I use a plastic Christmas ornament box with dividers to store floating heads. (I have a lot of floating heads.)

My friend uses one of those jewelry organizers with clear plastic pockets, that are supposed to hang over the back of a door, as storage for doll shoes. I thought that was clever.

 

I keep a small piece of magic eraser inside my dolls' heads.

When I don't have a small enough rubber band, a ring of low-temp hot glue helps keep on stubborn wigs.

Doll boxes with the pillows removed are great for storing clothes, extra wigs, etc.

Leftover braces rubber bands make excellent hair elastics (even six-seven years later they haven't degraded).

Though I've never had to do this myself, having worked in floral for a while now... if you ever need a box roughly the size of a normal doll box, for moving or shipping or whatever, ask your local florist. When I first started learning how to process the shipments I kept thinking about how the flower boxes reminded me of doll boxes

 

Most of the tips I have tried and discovered that they work very well are already listed here :'D
But I use bobby pins and ribbon to string my dolls. Bobby pins are handy because they go through quite small holes so it's easier to me get the string through the holes.
And I storage my excessive wigs on hairnets, put them on individual plastic bags and to a empty shoebox to keep them organised and neat.

 

This is the best idea.
I also use dental floss and floss threaders for restringing, lost elastic stringing that escapes from me. They are both flexible and the floss is super strong.
I second the ornament box for wigs and such, but if you shop at Costco and buy apples, they come as a clam shell type plastic box with 12 spaces that works for wigs and they are clear to see the wigs better.

 

- I've cut apart silicone wig caps into smaller disks to place between smaller joints (the material is thinner than regular kips and is lightly curved to fit the joint better)

- I stick masking tape over doll ears before sealing, with the edge facing the cheeks lightly lifted to prevent a harsh sealant boundary. Less crevices makes a cleaning job much easier.

- Hoodies make for great wrapping material for dolly transport. They can then be tucked into any bag.

- I place small towels over my doll to distribute pressure from my doll carrier straps/or to prevent clothing damage.

 

A vice and a tea towel is the best helper for restringing. It's like having an extra hand. Also, a steel bodkin with a string square knotted onto it, then hawk's head knotted onto your elastic. Much better than floral wire or needle nose pliers, IMO.

Tennis balls fit really well inside larger wigs, and keep them in better order. I made a couple of wig stands with some thin dowel and tennis balls, and a bit of plywood for the base.

Toe tape/athletic tape is the best tape. Stays on strong, but comes off with no residue or fuss. (Unlike scotch tape, which can leave residue)

Similarly, dancer's moleskin is great for sueding. It comes in pre-cut squares with adhesive backs, a bit like bandaids. Very simple to trim to size and stick on, and it holds up great.

Sanding needles are The Best Thing.

 

1. I use a short flat art brush for paint removal in difficult accessible areas. It is noninvasive and effective.

2. I use white Fimo alternatively clay. This material does not stain.

3. I make "underwear" of surgical gloves to protect the body from the ink clothing.

 

Doesn't the poster putty dye the resin?

 

(WOW! Great ideas here!)

-I usually get doll acessories at dollar stores or cheap accessories stores. You can find lots of interesting things.

-Small coin purses can make pretty purses for SD girls. It is not only pretty but also useful, as I usually tuck in a piece of magic block, an extra rubber band, hair accessory... A picture of some I use for this:

 

I usually use the white poster putty. The blue only occasionally. Never keep it on for long. Though, now I think of it, I've used it as eye putty before and can't remember ever seeing any staining. BUT I honestly hadn't thought of it so haven't looked. Sorry.

 

I like to use dog and cat collars as belts for pants. Belt wrap bracelets work well also. It's easy to trim the length of the belt and add my own holes or hammer in some eyelets. I use the smaller metal buckles as shoe and boot buckles.

Jewelry fittings like jump rings for doll rings, or twisted jump rings as bracelets. Filigree connectors as embellishment on clothing.

Soft bristle make-up brushes and especially make-up sponges. For holding parts for blushing I like to use bamboo skewers, wrapped painters tape, slide the part over the tape on the skewer and my cats cardboard scratching post, the slots in the cardboard hold the skewers securely.

 

This is an excellent idea for shipping dolls as well.

I use inexpensive ear cuffs as doll bracelets. You can get many designs for very little cash layout

 

I love all these hacks! Very useful for me since I'm new to the hobby.

Recently, I got myself an SD size girl and I have very limited clothes for her now.
The other day, I was clearing out my wardrobe and saw that I had some old hankies ready to discard. Then an idea popped up. Why not, I try to wrap it around my doll? It worked flawlessly and now I have to get some bikini for her to match the "sarong" I just made using old hankies.

 

My hubby bought a giant computer mouse, so it was packed into a giant plastic bubble. I kept this bubble, it is excellent as a face protector for my 70 cm men.

 

Not sure if this has already been said but for doll hairstyles bobbypins & straws are really nice for curls. Different straw widths for different effects! The Bubble-Tea straws are especially nice!

 

-thrift stores never cease to amaze me with how much stuff you can find
-walmarts, toys r us', and targets usually have off brand American girl props, accesories and more that are great for msd sizes and up.
-anime shops and arcades usually have trinkets and plushies perfect for doll size toys.
-a toothbrush makes a great hairbrush
-baby hair clips are perfect doll size
-dont have a storage bin for doll clothes? Keep old birthday and holiday gift bags, you can hang em on hooks near your doll shelves, and even separate them by dolls
-old insulated food bags from thrift shops work wonders as protective carry cases
-dont have eye putty for the eyes you got a doll? If you have a small ziploc, or even some tissue, bundle up the eyes and hide em in your doll's head, so you can keep track of em
-unfolded paper clips make great stringing tools to grab elastic stuck down in a hole