Ive been wanting to customise a monster high doll for ages now but never knew where to start. Do y'all have any recommendations on what to and not to avoid when thrifting sacrifices?
I used to find the junkiest dolls imaginable at the flea market to customize, but that can often end up being a huge project that exhausts you.
Tips:
When starting out, don't use a junker. Use something nice enough that you can practice at least one skill on. Like, get a nude doll and make her a new outfit. Try repainting after that. Little by little as you try it out.
Don't fret about missing bodyparts. Finding replacement MH hands and arms on eBay is still pretty cheap. (RIP Mattel offering replacement parts tho).
The hardest thing to fix on a used doll is often the hair. If it's a ratsnest, be prepared to reroot or make a wig. Dirty hair can be washed with soap, moisturized with regular hair conditioner, and combed out in small sections from the bottom up. Curly hair usually needs to be recurled. Matted or crispy hair is for the bin.
Next hardest thing to fix is staining. If the vinyl is stained with marker, your options are slim. There are plenty of tutorials to fix something like that but it often required specific chemicals and a lot of time. Or paint over them, if you don't mind the look.
This is a weird one, but from experience... If you happen to score a rare doll for super cheap but it reeks of stale cigarettes, put it in a shoe box and cover it in baking soda. Let it sit for a few weeks air it out, repeat with new baking soda if needed. It's slow, but it works.
You can penny pinch with a lot of supplies but DO NOT skimp on the sealant. Everyone uses MSC for a reason: Because it's the only thing that actually does the job. (I learned that the hard way). It's like actual magic how it transforms the texture of a surface.
Lastly, keep in mind the different plastics used in the dolls you want to customize. Different parts of a doll will react wildly different to chemicals, because they are different plastics. Acetone, for example. It will melt straight through Barbie's chest but not her vinyl head. Different hair is made of different plastics that react differently as well.
Oh! And ventilation. Sanding plastic, resin, acetone, spray... No good for the lungs.
