How to Restring a Doll

Some porcelain and plastic dolls are held together with string that runs inside the body of the doll.

Toy and collector dolls are often held together using string that attaches the legs and arms to the torso of the doll. However if the doll is a favorite play toy, or it is quite old, it is not uncommon for these strings to break, causing the doll to lose a limb. If you have a doll that is in need of serious surgery you need to restring the doll in order to attach the missing limb.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Stringing cord
• Wing nuts or joint hooks
• Wooden bead

Instructions

1. Remove the rest of the dolls limbs by pulling them tightly and cutting any remaining string inside the dolls with a pair of scissors. Also, remove any plastic cups that were used to hold the doll's limbs together --- these are quite difficult to reinstall, so should be discarded. A traditional restringing doesn't require the plastic cups to be successful.

2. Attempt to place a plastic joint hook through the holes in the doll's limb. If they fit, you should use these to help you restring the doll. If not, you will need to use a length of cord with a small wing nut.

3. Cut a length of stringing cord and attach the nut or plastic joint hook to the end of the cord. Double knot the cord so the end will stay firmly in place. Push the knot into the hole first, followed by the wing nut --- if you have used the plastic hooks these can be easily hooked into the hole.

4. Repeat step three for all the remaining limbs until the doll's arms and legs all have a length of cord emerging from them.

5. Insert a small wooden bead inside the torso of the doll --- the bead must be wide enough to allow all four strings to pass through its center. This bead will help keep the cords arranged inside the body of the doll.

6. Align the four limbs on the outside of the torso, exactly how you would like them to fit on the doll. Then, thread the arm strings down through the center of the bead. Thread the leg strings up through the bottom of the bead.

7. Pull the cord of one arm and leg tightly, inside the torso of the doll and tie the strings together in a tight knot. Repeat the same step to attach the other arm and leg together. Make sure you pull the cord very tightly inside the torso so the doll's limbs are firmly attached.

References

• Prilly Charmin Dolls: Our Classic Restringing Instructions