Here I go with the last installment of my Little Personalities blog!
I hope you have been enjoying this feature and learning how to make a 27cm Dollfie from start to finish!
For the first part of this post I will be talking about Hot Water Perms.
Hot water perming is the best way to set your 27cm Dollfies rooted hair. It can help to smooth the hair, preparing it for styling. The techniques can also be used if you want to curl the hair, or set other unusual styles.
I’ll just be going over the basics here, but we have a more detailed instructional manga, which you can request whenever you make a purchase from Volks USA. Ask for it if you’re interested.
Gather your materials.
For this you will need:
Your rooted doll head (one of our sample dolls is assisting me for some of these pictures)
Plastic wrap
Electric water heater
OR
A large pot
Straws (Optional)
Tape (Optional)
Plus keep in mind regarding your water heater, or your pot, the water gets the perfect temperature in the water heater, but things are a bit trickier if you are using a pot.
The water needs to be almost, but not quite boiling hot.
Wrapped.
While you are waiting, wrap your head in plastic wrap. Try to train the hair down wherever you would like it to go.
Octopus?
I wanted my girl’s hair to be curly, so it was a bit more complicated.
I took up small to medium sized strands, wet them, and wrapped them tightly around a piece of plastic straw. I wanted tight, small curls so I used less hair and smaller straws. You can experiment with different sizes, tightnesses, etc. to get different effects. We also recommend trying braids for nice waves.
Once each strand was wrapped tightly onto the straw I then wrapped each straw/strand individually with plastic wrap. I taped it with some clear tape tightly at each end to keep it in place.
Into the pot.
Once your water is hot you will need to dunk your head in. Make sure that the head does not touch the bottom or sides of the pot as the heat can damage the hair.
Please be careful! Don’t touch the heated element or the hot water yourself.
The head needs to stay completely submerged in water for 10-15 minutes. Yes it’s boring. Watch TV or listen to some music if you can.
Curliques.
Once your head is done you can remove it from the water. Be careful here as well as hot water will be in the plastic wrap, in your straws, in the head. It will come out and may likely get on you if you’re not paying attention.
Let the head cool completely before removing the plastic, especially if you have curls. Removing it too fast may keep it from setting correctly. I sometimes leave it as long as overnight, but I wouldn’t leave it any longer than that as you run the risk of it growing mold.
Once you do have the plastic wrap removed lay your head out on a towel, or stick it up somewhere on the same stick/rod you used when dunking it. If you have it sticking up somewhere be sure to lay a towel under it to catch any drips.
Wig Mist.
Since my girl’s hair is so curly I am going to set it with some Dollfie Wig Mist. Curls can fall out over time so it’s best to set them with something and we recommend the Mist.
It’s up to you how much to use, but I sprayed her curls all over as I want them to stay in.
Curly tubes.
Side view.
I pulled her bangs to the side and set them with a little bit of white glue, thinned with water if needed. One of the great things about the synthetic hair is that you can do stuff like glue it and sew it, unlike human hair.
Side part.
You can see the meshing of her part line very well in this picture. You can also see the neat striped effect I got by using the two different hair colors.
I thought her hair looked super cool, but it wasn’t what I had envisioned for her, so it didn’t stay like this.
Fluffy Curls.
I pulled the curls apart to give her hair a soft, fluffy look. I’m really happy with it!
Big ponytail.
I wanted her hair to be really big and poofy. I could have pulled the curls apart a bit more, but I decided they looked good how they were.
After finishing her hair I added some X-22 Gloss to her lips and eyes. This is an optional step but I like to at least add some gloss to the doll’s eyes. It gives them a sheen and a bit more depth.
Finishing Notes
All done!
Finishing your Dollfie is just as important as making them. Clothing and accessories drive the character and really bring them to life.
Resting glamourously.
You can choose from clothing we have available, scavenge for things that will fit, or even make your own!
I made the dress she is wearing from some leftover fabric from our Tiki Display and I also used some 27cm Fishnets with a pair of Who’s That Girl? boots! The 27cm dolls are great because you don’t need a lot of fabric, or any other notion for that matter!
What could be next?
I really hope you enjoyed our start to finish journey. Please look forward to more tutorials!
~Bailey
Tags: Tutorials
