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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Soccer Dolly's Spa day- A Springfield Doll Make Over

My Niece Laura's Favorite doll is her Springfield Doll Soccer Dolly, Now Soccer Dolly has been her constant companion and favorite doll since I gave the doll to her on her first birthday. I purchased Soccer Dolly from Micheals the craft store in 2007 for Laura's birthday. I also bought her Sister Thea an Emma doll for her birthday last May.

The above photo shoes how well loved and dirty Soccer dolly was before her trip to Aunty Karen's Dolly Day spa.
To clean any 18 inch doll you will need one very important item. Baking Soda,  I have used no name it really doesn't matter.
For dolly skin care you will need:
-Baking Soda
-a small bowl
-a wash cloth
-water
First undress your doll completely.
Wet a corner of your wash cloth and the wet part in the soda. Apply to the surface of your dolls legs, rubbing up and down, removing dirt and oil.
The difference is really surprising and gratifying. As you can see in my photo above the top leg has been washed with the baking soda and water.

Next move on to your dolls arms. Rubbing up and down the same way you did to the legs.

Soccer Dolly's face was really dark and well loved. When cleaning your dolls face you need to be careful not to get the eye area wet! Or your dolls eyes may not open and clothes properly!
Wet your cloth and work the baking soda over the surface of your doll. You may need to use a Q-tip to get the mouth ears and nose area sparkling!
Her face is happy fresh and clean!
Next we moved on to her hair. Soccer Dolly required a hair trim. **Never cut your dolls hair as it will not grow back, if trimming is required as in Soccer Dolly's case, have an Adult do the trimming!**

For Hair Care you will need

-Baby Shampoo and conditioner
-A Wire wig brush
-A pair scissors
- A towel

First I un braided Soccer Dolly's hair. Then I brushed out her hair with the wire wig brush. NORMALLY I WOULD MIST THE HAIR FIRST LIGHTLY WITH WATER. However as I was washing and trimming the hair I did not this time.
As you can see the ends of Soccer Dolly's hair are matted and un tameable.
I trimmed Soccer Dolly's hair, only trimming the matted ends.


Next I washed and conditioned Soccer Dolly's hair  with COLD WATER. Then I towel dried it and combed it. Never use a hair dryer on your doll. Doll hair is made of special plastic that will melt so even when washing be careful not to use hot water or a blow dryer.
Let your dolls hair dry naturally!
It is important to not get the Dolls body wet also, however I spot cleaned Soccer Dolly's cloth body as well.
I was so pleased with Soccer Dolly's Make over and when she was dry I dressed her in a new dress I got through Swap-bot and took her over to my Niece's home and put her on her bed so when she returned home from her vacation, Soccer Dolly would be waiting for her.
I would love to hear from you so please feel free to leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

10 comments:

  1. Wow, Soccer Dolly looks fabulous after her makeover! I've never heard of using baking soda to clean the doll's limbs, I think I'll have to try that. Great job!

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  2. Thanks so much for this post! This really helped! I have heard to use tape to cover the doll's eyes. Would that work?:)

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  3. So great! She is a cute doll!
    @ Emma...I have heard to tape cotton balls over the eyes to keep them from getting yet. I normally just cover wish a wash cloth and have one of my little assistants (my daughters :)) hold it in place.

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  4. To get rid of frizz, you can also get the hair damp and run a ceramic hair straightener over it (using the "gentle" or "low" setting). Heat doesn't ruin a doll's hair. Too much heat, maybe, but a little heat can be good.

    Soccer Dolly looks very refreshed after her spa treatment! I'm sure Laura is pleased. But what a unique name! "Soccer Dolly" - I love the imagination of little girls! I had some very uniquely named dolls, too, when I was little. ;)

    -Laura

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  5. To much heat will melt their plastic hair! Thank you Laura

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  6. Yes, A flat iron does not work on all dolls, it does work on an AG wig, however you have to MOVE QUICK or it too will melt. I don't really recommend it. Even with a flat iron that has a thermostat in it you can't be certain that it is working correctly and some irons will have a hotter temperature than you think. You can Steam a wig as well but again the eyes have to be covered. (clothes steamer, I actually used the steam setting on my iron.) I have this dream of buying some human weft and a doll wig cap, and sewing my doll a new wig that I can do anything to, including color.
    I have now re-wigged 5 different dolls, made 3 of them boys.

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  7. Actually, I've had great luck with flat-ironing several of my dolls' hair. Granted, you DO have to make sure the hair is damp first. Never flat iron dry doll hair! It really helps de-frizz the ends of the wig. I periodically refresh Rebecca's curls, for instance, but before I put the curlers in, I get her hair damp and run the flat iron over the ends. I've actually had much more luck flat-ironing doll hair than flat-ironing my own hair.

    Also, just like a small amount of heat de-frizzes doll hair, a small amount of heat will restore curl. After I put curlers into my doll's hair, I always pour some warm water (NOT boiling, just slightly warm water from the sink) over the curlers. Let the curlers stay in the hair for around a week, take them out, and the curls will look really nice. They stay in much longer, too.

    A small amount of heat will not ruin your doll's hair, if you know what you're doing.

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  8. Okay, thanks!:) I will try both of those!

    ~Emma

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  9. I spay a little silicone spray (the edible kind I bought in a bakery supply store) on my dolls hair. It keeps it soft, shiny, and defrizzed. I used it on my horses manes, too, to get the knots out and to keep it from getting tangled (yes, real horses!). It's great for spraying on metalic thread to keep it from breaking, too. Only problem is that my hands get very slippery when I use it.

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  10. She looks great after her "spa treatment"! I have used magic erasers to clean my daughters' dolls before, but had never thought of baking soda. Might have to try that. I bet your niece is pleased with her clean dolly :)

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