Here at Lullaby Lane Nursery each and every baby is given my full attention.  I never work on more than one doll at a time.  This allows me to remain focused on the personality that is developing in each doll that I am creating.

There are actually two different types of dolls I create-Reborns and Newborns.  Newborns begin as a clean "canvas" as they are offered as unpainted vinyl or vinyl/silicone mix head and limbs.  Reborn dolls, on the other hand, begin as play dolls and have already been painted and usually have a wig attached.  Reborns require several more time-consuming steps to ready them for the reborning process.

First, a play doll must have the wig removed and all the underlying glue carefully removed along with any factory paint.  Then the doll must be soaked and washed with a deep cleaner so that any residue is fully removed.  Once these steps are taken, the doll should be ready to paint.

painting a reborn doll

Each doll here at Lullaby Lane Nursery is created with only the finest paints available.  I use Genesis heat set paints, which are guaranteed not to fade, rub or scratch off over time-assuring that each doll will remain a cherished heirloom for many generations to come. 

The painting process begins with adding subtle veining on the doll's head and limbs.  Next, several very translucent layers of mixed flesh tones are layered on to get just the right skin tone for each baby.   

Several layers of translucent blushing, bluing and mottling are then applied in all the right places.

Finally all the details are addressed.  Finely painted brows, creases, fingers and toes all get the utmost attention.

All said, each doll has had approximately 12 separate layers of translucent paint applied-which has been heat set between each new layer.

When I am satisfied with the final look of each doll, I then work on a coat of heat set matte finish to assure that the doll will remain shine free and to give the skin a realistic texture.

custom made body and weighting of my reborns

Each baby has a custom made body that is made from a soft fleece or suede-like fabric.  The body is then weighted with poly pellet filled bags and soft poly fill to give it just the right weight and feel of a newborn baby. 

All the vinyl limbs are weighted with finely ground glass pellets for weight and to allow the baby to pose in "real baby" positions.

The baby's head is also weighted with a small bag of poly pellets and then stuffed tightly with poly fill so that the head is a bit floppy-just like a real baby.  The dolls head will need support just like a true newborn!

Each of my baby's feel so wonderful to carry.  They conform to your arms and cuddle to your shoulder.  You will never want to put my babies down!

Micro rooting of the baby's hair

My baby's heads have all been micro-rooted with the finest, softest and highest quality mohair I can find.

Micro-rooting is the most time-consuming process in creating the most beautiful reborn dolls and can take up to 25 hours to accomplish. 

A felting needle is used to insert one to two pieces of mohair at a time so that the hair looks as if it is actually growing out of the baby's head.

I root the entire head-all the way to the nape of the neck-unlike some other reborn artists who only root the top of the head and comb the hair down over the back, front and sides.

The hair is rooted sparingly so that the scalp shows through-as it would in a real baby and the hair is rooted in a direction on the top to give each baby a crown.

Once I am satisfied that each baby has the perfect head of hair, I seal the hair inside the head with a strong waterproof glue so that the baby's hair can be gently washed, conditioned and styled by his new parents.

The hair is then cut into a style that perfectly fits that dolls face and personality!

baby's final touches

All of my babies have strong earth magnets placed in their heads so that they can accept the magnetic pacifiers and hair bows they come with.  Some of my babies will also have magnets placed in their fist so that they can be posed to look as if they are sucking on their fist.  These magnets are strong and may interfere or damage items that are affected by magnets, such as pacemakers or computers.  The magnets in the head can be removed at the request of a new parent.

I generally choose to open the nostrils in my babies-particularly those made of vinyl.  The nose area is then covered inside the head with felt to give added depth and realism to the doll's nose.  It is more difficult to open the nostrils cleanly on the dolls made of a vinyl/silicone mix and so I generally only open the noses on these dolls if the nostrils are very shallow and absolutely require the opening to look realistic.

Each baby will also come with his or her own special layette, usually consisting of two outfits, hair bows (if it is a girl), magnetic pacifier, layette blanket, disposable diaper, tee shirt, birth announcement and name bracelet.

All babies are packed with care and attention to detail, making them ready to present as a gift to yourself or to someone special in your life.