What to use to weight a reborn doll - By: karl donald

It is a common problem for some reborners to hit a stumbling block when trying to get the right weight for a reborn doll. As with some of the other reborning processes there are many ways you can fill the doll and various mediums you can use to fill it, but one of the most important aspects is actually getting the weight correct and balanced throughout the doll as it adds to the realism.

Typically, you can fill the limbs and body with fiberfill, polyfill, baby fat pellets or fine sand. It is probably easiest to align the weight correctly using sand, but it does also come with various problems and many have stopped using sand now, although some new artists still do so. The sand is poured into small bags and secured inside each limb and the body. This helps to keep the weight distributed evenly and they may need to be padded inside to keep them in place.

More often than not, however, one of the bags inevitably ends up splitting or leaking, and not only does this end up leaving a mess but it distorts the weight too. Since sand can and will get everywhere it will also leave a mess which is more of a nuisance than anything else, however, if the doll is to be taken or shipped oversea's, then sand can also be rejected from customs which is worth bearing in mind.

Polypellets and glass beads are perhaps the most commonly used to weight a reborn doll at the moment. They are not only easy to use, but they are also quite cheapto buy in bulk so you will never be short and are far less likely to fall out of tiny holes. They are stored in much the same way as sand, inside small bags or pouches that are padded with fiberfill to keep them in place.

Baby fat pellets aren't as common but if used properly can add a more realistic feel to the reborn doll. However, again, you may run into problems with them since they can react badly to some forms of silicon that is often used in the dolls limbs. This can put many people off so there is a trade off, however, a few people have reported good results when storing the pellets inside fabric or nylon bags inside the body with no bad effects from it.

It is a common problem for some reborners to hit a stumbling block when trying to get the right weight for a reborn doll. As with some of the other reborning processes there are many ways you can fill the doll and various mediums you can use to fill it, but one of the most important aspects is actually getting the weight correct and balanced throughout the doll as it adds to the realism.

http://www.allreborndolls.com provides many more resources on reborning and you can also buy many reborn dolls reborn doll supplies.