Maybe don't join the new up-and-coming BJD forum called Resin Grove.

I know it looks really promising, I fell for it too, but not only do they use genAI for coding (and probably other things), the husband of the creating duo is very pro-AI and super MAGA. Apparently the wife/main creator is "apolitical", but yeah.

basically all of my dolls have their hair glued directly to the head. i've made one or two wigs, but i don't really like using them because a lot of my dolls have visible hairlines & hair that lies very flat. i avoid gluing anything on top of the head cap seam so the head can still be opened, but it tends to be a hassle with the way i make dolls.

for materials, i love unconventional stuff like paper, fake plants, or craft foam.

silk clay is a fun new discovery i've used a couple of times & will use again. in both of the above examples i rolled the clay into a thin sheet, cut into strips, and then curled them, but you could do so many other things also.

feathers are cool & versatile because you can embrace the clear feather look, or use the fluffy parts to make something more like fine hair. i've also made feathers out of felt when i've wanted the vibe but not to deal with the finickiness of actual feathers.

all aforementioned materials are just glued straight into the doll head without needing to make wefts of any kind. then there is proper hair-hair, which i don't like working with, but sometimes we Must.

the few times i've done ultra long, sleek hair, i've used old wigs from either my own or friends' cosplay stashes. i've also harvested doll hair. i usually make wig fiber into wefts using hot glue, and then glue them to the head in whatever pattern works for the hairstyle. i hate wig hair though. it's thick and hard to style in doll scale and too slippery to stay put. very situational.

i vastly prefer acrylic yarn. it can be sleek when straightened with a hair straightener, frizzy when left as it is, or curly when styled with a heated metal stick. if you want to curl acrylic hair on a small scale, i would recommend gluing it into small wefts, curling them, and then gluing the hair to the head.

there are a million tutorials about making acrylic wefts, and i recommend following NONE OF THEM. i Do Not Get why the common method is to cut the hair to the length you want and then forcefully tear it open with a brush. you lose most of the hair that way.

instead, buy your yarn as thick and loosely spun as you can. i personally use this one with only two strands. cut it into 50cm - 1m pieces. while keeping the yarn under tension, unravel the strands from each other. then you can just pull the fibers apart gently, and get the maximum length of hair [usually a little over 10cm] out of it without wasting material. if you cut the yarn into short tufts and brush it open, you will get shorter fibers and also a lot of them will come loose and be an unusable ball of fluff.

after unraveling the yarn, i glue it into wefts with white glue on top of a plastic cutting board it's easy to pry of off when dry.

my favorite thing about acrylic yarn is that it can be posed with the doll, and can easily hold gravity-defying positions. also really the only type of hair that it's easy to do short styles in.

you can also do fun things like soak it in glue for a wet look.

About me: I have been dyeing dolls for around 5 years now. It's an enjoyable part of the hobby for me, and as someone who is unable to work, I hope it can be a source of some income.

I exclusively use Rit Dyemore. Turn around time is 1-2 months. 3 slots available. You may claim multiple slots.

Slot 1:

Slot 2:

Slot 3:

At this time I will not be mixing custom colors. This takes more time and trials and I cannot guarantee I will get what you want. You may request a mix I have done for myself previously. *Exact color match is not guaranteed.* Rit Dyemore offers a wide range of colors and I am happy to use any of them straight. I can get a light or deep color with most of them. *Note: I may add a small amount of another color if toning is needed. Ex. Graphite must be toned with blue or purple to get a more pure black. Otherwise it will only look very very dark brown.

Prices for full dolls, one solid color start at:

Yosd/tinies: $50

Msd: $60

Sd: $75

I am no longer accepting dolls over 62cm! I have a hard time fitting them in my pot.

Parts, one color:

Hands/feet only all sizes: $20

Head only: $30

Legs/arms (including hands/feet) only: $40

Torso: $40

For fantasy dolls and parts (mermaids, centaurs, etc.) please message me as prices may vary by complexity and i need to be sure all parts will fit in my pot.

Extras:

Additional color (only 1 additional color): $10 (ex. An msd: torso, head, arms-blue, lower half-pink. This would be $70 rather than $60)

Restringing: $15 for fantasy dolls. $10 for everything else.

*if you choose restringing you must send your doll in a large enough box. If the box is not large enough (i.e. doll was sent unstrung in a smaller box but you want it returned strung) you will be charged for additional packing materials. Cost may vary and will be added to your return shipping invoice.

Body shimmer: $10 all sizes. Your doll will be covered in a resin-safe liquid sealant that has been mixed with shimmer color of your choice. All shimmers have a duochrome shift. Message me for available colors. *chipping or rubbing off of sealant will occur over time in the joint areas and may rub off with a lot of handling*

I do not offer body blushing or tattoos.

Payment is due upon my acceptance of your commission and you have read and signed the google form containing my terms and conditions. I will send a link to the form when we have agreed on your service. Failure to properly sign will result in rejection of your commision.

Customers are responsible for shipping both ways. When you ship your doll to me, please send me a picture of the receipt so i can charge the same amount on your return shipping invoice. *I highly recommend getting insurance. IF YOU DID NOT BUY INSURANCE TO SEND TO ME, I WILL NOT BUY INSURANCE TO SEND IT BACK. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNINSURED PACKAGES. If you did purchase insurance, please tell me the amount.

Return shipping will be charged when the dye job is complete. *I will not ship your doll until the shipping has been paid*

Please send your doll to me completely blank with no sealant residue. *sealant residue will result in blotchy dye. However, if you are going for a vitiligo effect this will achieve it in most cases. The residue will dye darker and then when it gets cleaned off the resin underneath will be significantly lighter and in some cases, undyed. **Let me know if you have purposely left sealant residue. Results of this process will vary.**

Dolls will be wiped with 99% alcohol and rinsed in water prior to dye jobs.

Companies that i have experience dyeing:

The best: Dollzone, Little Monica, Migidoll, Luts (consistently very even)

Very good: Akagi Doll (not perfect but just a bit uneven)

Decent: Dream of Doll, Dividing Line/Fenjiexian, Xagadoll, Resinsoul (some unevenness)

Not great: Doll Family-A and H (very noticably uneven), Shoushou Doll (however others have had good experiences so i'm willing to try again)

Absolutely not: Loongsoul (extremely uneven. I will NOT take commissions for Loongsoul!)

Companies i do not personally have experience dyeing but others had good results:

Myou doll, Doll in Mind, Withdoll, Soom, Doll Chateau, Lillycat, Fairyland

Examples:

Little Monica Sarubia head- $100

Bought directly from Little Monica in 2021 right before they went hiatus for a few years. Faceup by Asenva. Comes with eyes shown.

I'll be so for real, I have no clue what happened to the little plate in the head or the CoA. I was 100% sure they were in the box but when I opened it, they were.. not. The plate had already fallen out of its slot when I received her. It was winter and I think it messed with the glue.

I will keep looking for them, but for now I do have pictures from when I first opened the box upon receipt. Here is the link to the box opening on instagram. *If bought before I find them, they will not be included. She will come inside the official box.

Doll Family-A Jiuyu head-$70 SOLD

Purchased through BJDivas in 2021 as a full doll with company faceup. I am keeping the body. Horns painted by me. I had done an addition to his faceup, and have removed it. There may still be very light residual markings or a little bit of sealant removal. I can't tell but the faceup itself is intact. He has what appears to be a tiny chip in the eyeliner. I never noticed it until Inwas taking these sale pictures. Comes with eyes shown and CoA.

UFDoll 1/3 girl body- SOLD

Made of ABS/PVC *not resin

Even after years of experience and learning a craft, it's still pretty common to slip up and ruin something. The ability to push through that and make more things is almost more important than the skill itself.