Making Porcelin Dolls
Porcelain dolls are a beautiful reminder of an elegant period of European doll-making. Many antique porcelain dolls have become family heirlooms that have managed to survive generations of loving children. If you were not fortunate enough to inherit a porcelain doll, you can make your own. Following the steps for making the porcelain and learning to paint the beautifully detailed faces may inspire you to make more porcelain dolls. There are hundreds of doll molds available. Porcelain doll-making can provide a lifelong hobby of creativity and fun.
Things You'll Need
- Doll parts molds
- Soft brush
- Large rubber bands
- Porcelain slip
- One-gallon pitcher
- Piece of clean nylon hose
- Old tray with holes drilled in it
- Kiln
- Stiff sponge
- Sharp knife
- Acrylic stain and paint (variety of colors)
- Artist's brushes
- Water
- Glossy acrylic varnish
- Soft sponge (for painting)
- Muslin body (store-bought)
- White or craft glue
- Thin-gauge wire
- Wire cutter
- Pliers
- Fiberfill batting
- Needle
- Heavy-duty thread
- Scissors
- Doll wig
- Comb
Instructions
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1
Choose the mold for the head, arms and legs. A soft-bodied porcelain doll is best for most beginners, as this eliminates the need to string and attach the arms and legs to a porcelain body.
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2
Remove any dust or debris from the molds with the soft brush. Secure two-part molds with large rubber bands made specifically for this task.
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3
Prepare the porcelain slip per the manufacturer's directions. Pour it into the pitcher. Attach the piece of nylon to the pouring spout. The nylon will catch any lumps in the slip.
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4
Carefully pour the liquid slip into the molds. Gently tap the molds on a hard surface to ensure that the slip has filled in all the crevices and to release any air bubbles. Pour the excess slip out. Only the walls of the molds should be coated.
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Place the molds on the old tray with holes, where the excess slip can leak out while the slip hardens.
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6
Release the porcelain pieces from the molds carefully. Some molds may be ready in 24 hours, while others take longer. Most molds will release easily when the slip is ready. Although solid, they are still very fragile at this stage.
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Fire the molded pieces in a kiln for no more than 8 hours. When the pieces are cool, sand any sharp or jagged edges with the sponge or trim larger pieces carefully with the knife.
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8
Paint the doll parts with a flesh-colored acrylic stain using an all-over brush or sponge. Allow the stain to dry.
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9
Create a wash containing pink acrylic paint and water, and apply the wash as "blush" to the cheeks using a soft sponge. Blend carefully and apply several layers of wash until you achieve the desired color. Allow to dry.
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10
Apply an acrylic stain with a pink flesh tone (a shade darker than the skin) to the lips. Paint in the the little lines that appear naturally on human lips with a fine-tip brush and a darker shade of pink. Add a touch of gloss acrylic varnish to the lips to add dimension and realism.
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Paint the fingernails and toenails in a tone slightly lighter than the flesh tone. If you are creating a reproduction antique, do not paint the nails as if the doll is wearing nail polish.
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12
Paint the eyebrows a light to medium shade of brown. Paint tiny, fine hairs to imitate the hair on human eyebrows.
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13
Paint the right eye with a white acrylic paint. Allow to dry. Add an "iris." Choose gray, blue, green, brown or purple. Allow to dry. Add a "pupil" in dark navy or black. Add tiny flecks of colors to the pupil. Allow to dry. Outline the entire eye with a very thin line of light brown. Add tiny painted lashes. Allow to dry. Paint the left eye by repeating the steps. Look at the doll's reflection in a mirror to check that the pupils are facing in the same direction. Paint both eyes with a gloss acrylic varnish to add sparkle.
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Assemble the porcelain body parts. Turn the manufactured muslin body inside-out and lay it on a flat, padded surface. Place the neck opening to the right, the leg openings to the left. Place the arm and legs in their correct positions inside the muslin body so that when the body is turned right side-out the arms and legs are in their correct position. The arms/hands should be pointed toward each other when inside the body. The legs should be toes-up with the top of the leg in the muslin leg sleeve when inside the body.
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Each porcelain part will have a flange rim at the end of the arm or leg. Apply white or craft glue to the flange and wrap thin wire around it several times. Knot the wire, tie it off and cut off the excess. Bend the cut wire edge into the flange with pliers to prevent it from poking out of the body.
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16
Stuff the body with fiberfill batting to support the weight of the head when the doll is in a seated position.
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Apply glue to the neck flange. Place the head in the neck opening of the body. Double-thread a needle with heavy-duty thread and gather the fabric around the neck area. This will attach the head and close the body. Pull the thread taunt. Wrap the thread around the neck flange several times. Knot, tie off and cut the thread. Allow the glue to dry before handling the doll.
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Glue the wig in place. Allow to dry. Do not remove the hair net that is covering the wig until the wig has dried in place. Do not brush the wig, as this will cause the style to fall apart. Gently comb any loose hairs back into place as needed.
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Tips & Warnings
Add an extra sense of realism by lightly applying the pink wash to the knuckles of the hands and feet, elbows and knees. Blend carefully.
If you want your porcelain doll to wear earrings, carefully pierce the ears of the doll head mold before firing it in the kiln.
If you want to sign your work, either gently carve your name at the back of the doll's neck before firing it or sign your doll with acrylic paint.
Porcelain dolls are not play dolls. Take care to keep them and small children safe.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit doll image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
