Reborn babies are collectable life like baby dolls usually made from a vinyl or silicon kit. They can also be made from childrens play dolls. Many hours are spent creating these beautiful works of art.
The Process:
Firstly the vinyl kit is given a bubble bath to remove any factory residue which may still remain on the kit. (I like to soak my kits for 3 to 4 days in baby bubble bath the allows the vinyl to soak in the fragrance and makes them smell lovely just like a baby!)The sculpt is then left to dry over night.
The kit is then painted in many thin layers with great attention to detail, from the top of the head down the the tips of the toes. This process can take many days to create the perfect baby skin tones and effects.
The most common paints used are genesis heat set paints or air dry paints. Each artist develops their own style over time.
I personally prefer to use bloomers*n*bows baby tones airdry paints
A reborns hair is usually hand rooted one to two stands at a time which can take many hours, or a wig may be used. Then the hair is sealed inside the head using a waterproof sealer so that the babies hair may be dampened and styled.
A newer technique is starting to be seen where the hair is painted on.
The baby is weighted and filled using a combination of polly fill, polly pellets and glass beads. The limbs and head are then attached most commonly with cable ties.
If you are interested in seeing how a reborn is created please feel free to visit my tutorials page.
Each reborn is a work of art, a unquie collectors item. Many hours of work go into making a reborn. The raw materials to make a reborn doll can quickly add up in cost.
Below I have worked out some averages of making a reborn for example paints may cost $30.00 or more a set however you may use approximately $10.00 worth to make one baby) I have not included the cost labour in these figures as making a reborn can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 months or longer!.
| Doll Kit | $145.00 |
| Body | $25.00 |
| Hair per 1/2oz | $30.00 |
| Eyes | $20.00 |
| Weighting | $20.00 |
| outfit | $40.00 |
| Needles | $5.00 |
| Paints | $10.00 |
| Sponges | $3.00 |
| $298.00 |
If you wish to see the amount of work that goes into creating these stunning reborn babies please see some of my tutorials.
What’s the difference in air dry paints to genesis heat set paints?
Air Dry paints are a polymer/acrylic based paint which dries naturally at room temperature.
Genesis heat set paints are oil based paints which needs to be cured in the over or with a heat gun to dry the paint.
Will Air Dry Paints Rub off if I change my reborns clothes a lot?
No this is a myth that has been making the rounds for quiet some time.
If the paint has been applied correctly then it is permanent. If the paint does rub off it indicated the paint has been applied to thick or there has been a fault in the paint and the reborn should be returned for repairs.
I have adopted out many reborn babies and have not been contacted in regards to any paint rubbing off, I have seen several babies that I have made a year or two after they have been adopted and they are still in the same condition as when they left the nursery
I have read that genesis paints don’t fade, do air dry paints fade?
If your reborn is cared for properly and kept out of direct sunlight your reborn will not fade no matter what paints have been used to create it.
However anything that contains colour pigments will fade if they are left in bright light for example if you left your reborn in the sun just as if you left an item of clothing in the sun it would fade, and yes that includes reborns made from Genisis heat set paints!
