Reborn doll

A reborn doll is a vinyl baby doll that has been enhanced to resemble a human baby. The process of creating a reborn doll is referred to as reborning. The technique of reborning has evolved over the past five years with heat set paints and oils being the most used amongst artists.

Reborn dolls

Completed reborn dolls are popular among collectors, who buy them on eBay or from doll artists ("Reborners"). A Channel 4 series in January 2008, My Fake Baby, explored the lives of women who collect the lifelike baby dolls.

Basic reborning methods

The technique of reborning a play doll typically involves the following processes:

* The doll is taken apart and factory paint is removed. In the last few years companies have also started releasing blank 'kits'. With these kits there is no factory paint, and the doll does not come assembled.
* A purple color wash is applied to the inside of each vinyl part to give the appearance of realistic baby skin undertones. (This was commonly done until recently when it was found that the blue or purple has the tendency to bleed or seep through the vinyl, causing a 'bruised' appearance.)
* The exterior is painted using various techniques to add to the appearance of translucent skin tones, with effects such as veins, blotching, and "milk-spots" to resemble the skin of a newborn baby.
* Hair and eyelashes, usually fine mohair or human hair, are applied using rooting tools and felting needles strand by strand, which can take up to 30+ hours per head.
* The original vinyl body is replaced with a soft stuffed and weighted body. The vinyl body can also be cut in half to create front and back 'plates' to add realism in photographing and displaying the dolls.
* A magnet may be attached inside the mouth for attaching a magnetic pacifier. Additional enhancements may include a magnetically attached "umbilical cord", magnetic hair bow, a battery powered heartbeat simulator, breathing simulator, and heat packs.

Once completed, the reborn doll is no longer suitable as a child's play doll.

Media attention

In July of 2008, police in Queensland, Australia smashed a car window to rescue what seemed like an unconscious baby only to find it was a reborn doll. The police stated that the doll was "incredibly lifelike" and that bystanders who thought a baby was actually dying were frightened by the incident. [ [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24019578-1248,00.html Frantic rescue effort saves doll, not baby | NEWS.com.au ] ]

References

cite book
last = Barrow-Belisle
first = Michelle
title = Beautiful Babies: The Art of Reborn Doll Making
publisher = Lulu.com
year = 2006
isbn = 978-1411678231 cite book
last = Holper
first = Jeanine M.
title = Excellence in Reborn Artistry: Learn the Reborning Art: Create Reborn Dolls Instructions & Tutorial
publisher = Lulu.com
year = 2006
isbn = 978-1-4357-1254-6

External links

* [http://www.channel4.com/video/my-fake-baby/series-1/episode-1/living-doll_p_1.html My Fake Baby, documentary excerpt]