Creating my Gothic Girls and Other Zombies to Cuddle

I usually find them perched on higher shelves just out of reach of small children and above the eye level shelves usually reserved for more desirable items. Some steadied in an upright position clipped to white metal stands but many I can only see the bottom of their shoes where those less fortunate to have stands of their own lie in repose.

I'm speaking of porcelain dolls donated to one of my favorite thrift stores, Rolling Hills Ministry, where I started my collection of previously adored dollies.

Stretched out elastic, missing shoes, chipped or broken appendages, or hair in disarray have turned these once "collectible" dolls in to garage sale fodder and thrift shop wares. I grab up as many as I can!

I didn't start the Zombie/Gothic doll craze by any means, but I did just on that wagon as soon as I could get my materials together.

I started three years ago in honor of "The Walking Dead" series and the character, Michonne.

But you can find out more about her HERE!

Originally, the inexpensive plastic doll was a sweet girl with 2 ponytails whose voice box said a little prayer, but when I found her, the run down battery gave only enough energy for her to emit a creepy sound. How perfect.

I took down her ponytail and styled her hair in twists that resembled Michonne's hair. I replaced her sleepy brown eyes with clear glass marbles and added visible decay with the use of a primer for plastic, a glue gun, acrylic paint, and a sealer formulated to work on plastic.

I kept her for about a year where she hung out with me in my studio but ended up selling her on eBay.

Then came my Zombie Baby whom I enjoyed taking on an outing Halloween. S/He is great! Weighted down with reptile sand, this cutie even feels like you're holding "dead" weight!

Using a wood burning tool, I created a "Glasgow Smile" and lines around the eyes. Then I accentuated it with hot glue. Unfortunately, the hot glue only lasted three years when after being stored in a NON climate controlled storage building, the glue began separating from the vinyl.

As a result, this baby has been through a few "looks" and I'm not sure I when I will be able to settle on something permanent.

But my first attempt on porcelain/bisque was on a Dynasty Clown doll. Oh, he's worth a few bucks before his being zombiefied but I think he's so much more adorable with his new look.

Other than crafting his hat out felt and adding some remnants of faux fur for hair, his look was created with acrylic paint and a matte all purpose sealer.

I sold him on eBay shortly after I made him and I still regret letting him go.
Now, I've given you some ideas on how to create your own zombie/gothic dolls but let me take you through "a day in the life" of a zombie doll.

After admiring the work of other one of a kind zombie doll crafters and piddling around in my studio, I came up with my own version as hauntingly beautiful effigies based on the stories (true/legend/fictional) that inspired them.

I use "used" and generally mass produced dolls. Occasionally, I'll pick them up in a lot and end up with a few collectible and limited edition dolls that deserve another chance at remaining their adorable collectible selves. I put them on eBay, but it is only a matter of time before they themselves become zombies.




I start by stripping them down and because I work with several dolls at once, I toss all the clothes together so sometimes the dolls end up with different clothes.

I pull off the wigs. Some are harder than others but if you soak the top of the doll's head in hot (or boiling) water you can dissolve the glue. Even if you are going to use the wig, it is easier to paint with the wig removed. Believe me, I know...I've tried it both ways.

I've pulled a Dr. Frankenstein and swapped out broken appendages and heads with other bodies to make the dolls complete. However, some faces or limbs are unique so I patch them up the best I can but work their damage into their undead "look".

I clean the porcelain parts of the dolls with alcohol to remove oils and dirt. Then I put two coats of a multi-surface primer. I have tried a few types but I prefer the paint on versus spray. I like the rougher skin texture that the paint brush creates because it looks more like decaying skin and it holds on to the charcoal better than the smooth surface of the spray version.

I let the primer dry or "cure" for a couple of hours in the sun. Then I apply a coat of paint. I've been using "Snow White" because it is a little less stark that the regular white.

I like to the let the paint cure at least overnight if not for a few days because I'm pretty rough on the surface between using the charcoal, my fingers and/or a small stencil brush for smearing the charcoal.

I also use a wet brush with a stick of charcoal to get into some of the tighter areas that the pencil can't reach. Using water on charcoal sticks is much like the old  paint tins you used a child. Actually, I still use old paint tins for small projects and sketching.

Then I spray the pieces with an multi-surface sealer.

If I need to do any white touch ups, I do it after I spray. If I need to do any charcoal touch ups, then I use a paint called "Charcoal" because the charcoal sticks won't adhere to the sealer.

I have read the raves and reviews on "Mr. Super Clear" and purchased two cans; however, I find that the product is hard on my asthma. I use one of a couple of other matte sealers first and use the Mr. Super Clear occasionally as the final coat to flatten out the matte sealers that have a little bit of a satin sheen.

With the eyes, I dull them down. Now this is my preference and I've seen other artists keep the eyes glassy. I actually scratch the surface of the acrylic eyes to make them dull but I do add a finish that is considered gloss, but is still rather flat. I like the look of the charcoal around the inner eye and the more "dead" look in the eyes.

On some, I've added new eyelashes and I had to buy a tool in order to attach them. Check out CR Crafts if you're looking for one. On some, I kept the eyelashes that were stuck on good.

When not using the synthetic wigs, I use Tibetan Lamb Hair pelts to create their hair. I read and article on creating wigs from the pelts but I have arthritis and it is rather difficult to hand stitch. So, I prefer to glue on small pieces turning the pieces in different directions (much like they do when piecing together the rugs) to give the hair more body.  Some hair I pull up, others I let go wild, but either way, in order to blend in the seams, I use charcoal sticks. I like using bits of white in honor of the bride of Frankenstein.

I dye the clothes, bloomers, socks, slips, ribbons, and veils in black Rit dye. I have used the "Gunmetal" for synthetics but I it doesn't cover as well as I had hoped.  So I re-dyed that batch in regular black. Maybe the next batch, I'll add the dyes together.

Some fabrics take the dye well, others don't which is kind of fun seeing what colors they turn in the process.

At first I rinsed my clothes but then I decided not to because I preferred the streaked and sooty look if you don't and just lay them flat so that the color will pool and eventually soak in. I feel this makes them look more Earthy and aged. The smell a little like dye and some like vinegar and dye. Hopefully, they will air out eventually.

When I dress the dolls, I usually remove the Velcro. OH, how I HATE Velcro! Then I sew the clothes on the doll. I also sew on the socks, attache the sleeved to the body and stitch up the waists of the bloomers. Since I didn't rinse or wash the clothes after dying, I usually get a little dye residue of my fingers from handling the fabric so much.

I add embellishments when needed and have even become a millenary creating little hats and fascinators. I've also put a lot of effort into giving their bears and other props more character.

I prefer black shoes so, since most of the shoes that came with these dolls are white, I paint them with a multi-surface paint and then distress them by dry brushing them with the charcoal gray paint.

I wanted to spray paint all the white, glossy stands flat black, but it is not sticking as well as I would like and tends to scratch easily. I'm still working the kinks out of that one!

How I Create Gothic Girls & Zombie Babies from Repurposed Porcelain and Baby Dolls

I search for porcelain and baby dolls in resale shops, online, garage/yard/rummage sales, etc. On the average, I’d say I pay about $5 for a doll depending on the condition. I prefer to use dolls that are in sad condition. I have purchased broken (porcelain) dolls and have a collection of parts so the table in my studio sometimes looks like Frankenstein’s laboratory! I’ve paid as low as $1 (RARELY!) all the way to $28 (shopgoodwill.com and ebay.com) for a doll (including shipping). But when looking for dolls at shops, I tend to stick to $5 or less.

eBay purchase. I later sold the boy in the baseball cap w/bear on eBay to help me with my costs.

One of my favorite places to shop resale in Ruston, LA is at Rolling Hills Ministries Thrift Store. I feel like purchasing from a charitable organization is a win/win! We don’t have any Goodwill or Salvation Army stories in my town, but I do hit a few in surrounding cities when I get the chance.

I find some pretty good bulk purchases on shopgoodwill.com but if you haven’t read my scathing review of shopgoodwill.com’s shippingpractices, maybe you should.  I’ve received a LOT of broken dolls!

Because I purchase dolls in lots, I tend to pick up a few highly collectible ones in the lot that I sell (unaltered) on eBay or Facebook groups. It definitely helps me with my costs.

Now that I’ve told you my secret…I’ll NEVER find another good deal on eBay or shopgoodwill.com! But with over 100 dolls to paint…I think I’m good.

The materials I use and links of where to find them:

Porcelain and/or Vinyl (Cloth/Vinyl) Baby Dolls

Mr. Clean or Off-Brand “Magic Eraser”

Alcohol

Paper Towels

Rit Dye (both regular and for synthetics) 

Multi-surface Paint (shoes).

Mr. Super Clear FLAT (eBay) I buy 3 cans at a time for $42 and I go through it pretty fast or a Multipurpose Primer.

Tibetan Lamb Hair/Wool Pelts (eBay) I buy remnants for $4/bag that will do 2-3 dolls.

Tiny Black Rubber Bands (Like the kind they use on bracelets)

Eyelashes (eBay China) $1.50 each 7”-8” strand. Order WAY ahead of time and in bulk! One strand will to about 6 porcelain dolls. Order extra because you WILL drop lashes and NEVER be able to find them! Occasionally I will use their original lashes but when pulling them off, they tend to get stretched out or broken).

For the baby dolls I use Wispy Lashes $3.50/pair.

GLUE (I WAS using E-6000 but it is pretty toxic and working so close to my face…not a good idea! So now I am using Eileen’s Tacky Glue and so far, so good. I also recommend Judikins Diamond Glaze. I haven’t used it yet, but I have ordered some of the glue and dimensional adhesive. (We don’t have a Michaels or Hobby Lobby in our town) Right now, I am using Mod Podge GLOSS.

Acrylic paint (I use craft paints. I have used the acrylic in tubes, but I have not seen that much of a difference.) I prefer snow white because it is not as stark as regular white. I use other colors like muted grays, antique whites, parchment, light tans, and black especially on my Zombie Babies.

Antiquing Medium (This is something I’ve just started working with.)

SOFT Charcoal Pencils and Sticks.

Pastels (Soft Chalk) I’ve purchased the Rembrandt “professional” but I actually prefer a student set. However, I recommend purchasing a few extra white pastels or white charcoal sticks in the professional grade.

Watercolor Pencils

Multipurpose Sealer

Tools:

Small sea sponges

Disposable Foam Brushes for paint on primer. (1” or smaller)

Paintbrushes for acrylic paints,

Stencil Brushes for blending the charcoal and pastels because they don't wear down as fast (mostly I use my fingers)

Toothpicks

EZ Lasher (eyelash applicator tool for dolls) (CR's Crafts or eBay) There are two sizes...get both!

So, as you see, without even touching the dolls, I’ve invested a lot of money into my art.

First, I strip down the dolls wigs and all. Save the head plates. If any get damaged, you can either make your own SEE VIDEO using a similar doll's head with a intact cap or purchase some through a doll supply store.

Let me give you some pointers here that I failed to do the first time. Safety pin your socks together as well as any small pieces that go specifically with your outfit. I mix and match clothes, but you might want to photograph the dolls in their outfits if you want to redress them in their original clothing.

There is a secondary market for used wigs on eBay so if you could sell them by lots. But don’t expect much money for them.

Second, I use the Mr. Clean Eraser to get rid of any marks or stains. Then I wipe down the doll’s porcelain or vinyl parts with a paper towel soaked with alcohol.

You can do the third step one of two ways or both if you’d like. If you are spraying, you might want to mask off the body and the top part of the head where the wig/hair will be glued.

1.     Spray the Mr. Super Clear and us it as a primer. I don’t do it this way but I have read where others have.

2.     Use a spray or brush on multi-surface primer and coat all the porcelain pieces.

Give these a day or so to dry and “cure”.

Fourth, while the dolls are drying, I dye the clothes (for the Gothic Girls) by following the directions on the dye. But first, remove feathers and any parts that you do not want dyed.  I do not do a final rinse and lay the clothes flat to dry. This gives the clothes that sooty look that I want for my Gothic Girls.

Rinsing the clothes will take out a lot of dye. Most colors do not turn “black” but come out in a dark tone. Most of my whites ended up gray with a lot of blues and purples

I paint (multi-surface paint) my shoes randomly while I’m waiting on something else to dry.

Fifth, I paint my all my dolls snow white but on some porcelain and the vinyl dolls, I sponge muted colors of grays, antique white, parchment, and pale tan. I did use a brush to paint the primer and the white on my dolls but now I use the sponge because I like the texture it creates. Let the dolls dry at least overnight.

Sixth, you can do one of two ways.

1.     I use charcoal pencils to get in close to the eyes. I also use a wet paintbrush on my charcoal sticks (as if you were using cake watercolors in a tin) if I need to get into really tight places around the eyes and ears.

2.     I have just started using Black paint mixed with Antiquing Gel.

a.     Spray the painted doll with another coat of sealer. I used a MATTE multi-surface sealer for this step to prevent the gel from soaking into the paint.

b.     Wipe the gel/paint mixture over around the dolls ears, eyes, nose, and mouth then gently wipe away. This is a step-by-step process of adding and wiping off the gel until you get the look you want. Then do the hands and feet if your doll has toes and you want her to go barefoot.

c.      Let the gel dry over night.

d.     Spray with the Mr. Super Clear sealer.

3.     Now I add charcoal to smooth out around the eyes and enhance the features of the doll. I use the stencil brushes to blend but mostly I use my fingers.

4.     On some dolls I add a little color with the use of pastels. I have a rust color, a pale tan color, and a light blue that I use on some of my zombie baby dolls to give them a lifeless look. But I prefer to leave most of porcelain dolls white.

5.     Spray Mr. Super Clear between coats to add more color/charcoal.

6.     I use a multi-surface matte sealer on my last coat and to dull that down, I use more Mr. Super Clear.

Seventh, I found patterns and instructions on Pinterest on how to make a doll wig out of Tibetan Lamb Wool/Hair pelts but since I have arthritis, sewing through the suede is painful and because most of my dolls’ heads are different sizes and shapes, I prefer to glue small pieces  (1/2”-2”) of pelt straight to the dolls head using Eileen’s Tacky Glue. I also switch the directions of the small pieces of hair so that the hair will look fluffier and have the unkempt look I want for my girls.  I have no set way of doing this. Each one is unique. But…I always have fun doing this step. You can use any color you like and even mix them up! I use the black rubber bands (like they use to make bracelets) on my black haired dolls but you can use clear if you can find any.

On the Zombie Babies, I use pastels (brown & light tan mostly), charcoal, and watercolor pencils (browns and tans) to achieve the look of hair on their bald heads. I did purchase a rooting tool...but I can't find it in my crazy studio! But that is an option for adding hair to the vinyl doll heads.

Eighth, I MUST use my EZ Lasher tool for applying my eyelashes. I use the toothpicks to apply the glue and to help me position the lashes. THIS is the part I like the least! I prefer to have my eyelashes drooping downward to give my dolls a “sleepy” look. It has taken me a few dolls to master this technique!

Ninth, I sign and date the porcelain dolls because it will be impossible to do after the next step.

Tenth, I dress the dolls.

GOTHIC GIRLS

1.     Start with the socks. Since the elastic is most likely stretched out, either glue the socks on or baste them to the fabric “knees”.

2.     Bloomers. Since the elastic is probably stretched out, I do a gathered stitch to fit the doll’s legs and waistband.

3.     Some dolls have slips. If your doll does not have a slip but needs one, they are easy to make.

a.     Cut a strip of netting (not tulle) about 20-30” in length and a little shorter in width as the distance from your doll’s waistline to the hem of her skirt/dress.

b.     Baste around one side of the length of netting and gather the fabric in to the size of your doll’s waist.  Then I stitch the slip to the doll. This technique also works on stretched out waistbands, sleeves, etc.

4.     I should add here that I HATE Velcro so I remove it and sew the opening closed. This way I can adjust the fit for a better look.

5.     Add the shoes.

6.     EMBELLISH! This is where you can do your own thing to make your doll’s dress a little more “one of a kind”.

ZOMBIE BABIES

1.     I used cotton diapers with large safety pins.

2.     Most of the vintage Christening gowns I use are damaged. In some cases, I repair the damage but most of the time I leave it to keep that “ghostly” look.

3.     I stitch the clothes to fit the dolls better with easy to snip basting or whip stitches.

4.     I make a lot of my bonnets from vintage handkerchiefs and linen napkins.

5.     I collect vintage booties and I have been lucky enough to find a few crocheted doll booties…but they weren’t cheap!

  

I do have one last thing I need to do and that is to order black doll stands for my Gothic Girls. I really don’t like the white ones that came with the porcelain dolls. I tried coating one with cheap flat black spray paint but the paint scratches easily. So, looks like I’ll have to invest a little more money in the dolls and buy a better paint.

AND FINALLY, I made (and ordered) business cards to use as hang tags and created my own certificates of authenticity.

I add to each certificate a photo of the doll that I have enhanced with Photoshop.

See, there is a LOT of work that goes into my Gothic Girls and Zombie Babies so don’t get a case of STICKER SHOCK at my prices! I’m just a starving artist looking for a little validation but I also want other collectors to enjoy my work.