The Art Of Reborning

Learning The Basics

Weighting The Limbs

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Preparing & Adding Weight To The Limbs

Weighting your baby is such an important part of achieving that special feel for the appropriate age. There are many ways and methods of weighting and stuffing a Reborn.

• I like to make cloth bags using white fabric so the bags blends into the stuffing mix and don't show.
  

• It's important to use clean, white, dry, sterile sand, plastic doll pellets, or micro glass beads. 
  

• You can use any combination of these.
  

• Baby fat pellets can be used for part of the weighting in the cloth bags only. 
  

• The fat pellets can cause a chemical reaction if used in the arms and legs and ruin the parts. Avoid using the baby fat in the limbs because of numerous potential problems.
  

• They do feel really cuddly inside the body.
  

• The limbs are the easiest part of weighting and I like to use white sand or micro glass beads for this.
  

• Never use any type of food products such as beans, rice, cat liter.
  

 

Micro Glass Beads  are safe 

to use anywhere on your babies.  There is no reaction to glass.

DO NOT USE this type of silicone fat pellets as pictures below. They are the type that dissolve with heat and react to certain types of paints. Heat can build up inside of sealed up limbs creating many types of problems.  Do Not Seal the limbs with an airtight product.

• Plastic Pellets have been used for years, as well as sterile white sand.
  

• Because of Custom regulations and the potential danger of lung problems with certain types of sand and molds, many countries will not accept any products containing sand to enter their country.
  

• Below are photos of the products I use most often and that we know will not cause problems.
  

The Plastic pellets that come inside most dolls are still safe to use.

Also tiny micro-glass beads.  The type used for sandblasting.

Call your local Sandblasting Companies to tract down a source for buying them locally.  They are so heavy the shipping cost is more than the beads.

Dense vinyl pellets can be used for baby fat in the body.  Avoid using any type of silicone pellets in the limbs.

Weighting

• ALWAYS make sure the parts are completely dry.
  

• Mold can also grow from even a little wetness.
  

• Use a funnel and fill the limbs about  3/4  full of clean, dry sand, plastic doll pellets, or glass beads.
  

• Pack the fiberfill nice and snug.
  

• Push it down into the limb.
  

• Make sure you can't hear anything shaking inside.
  

• If you hear it shake, you'll need to add a little more fiberfill.
  

• Cover the opening with a small circle made of poster board, cardboard, or heavy cloth.
  

• Please don't use any type of duct tape. 
  

• Glue the circles in place over the holes with E6000.
  

• Air will still be able to escape if necessary.
  

• There will be no leaking of the sand or pellets.
  

• Do all the limbs the same way.
  

• Let the glue dry.
  

NEVER never use dirty or wet sand.

• They can cause molds to grow.
  

• These molds could make someone very sick, and even cause death.
  

• Molds of course ruin the doll beyond repair.
  

• Never try to repair a doll with any molds growing, it's not worth it.
  

• Throw it out and start over if you ever see it.
  

• Don't use any type of weighting materials that has been dyed.
  

• It will end up leeching out into the the vinyl and change the color of your dolls skin.
  

• The soft vinyl that most dolls are made of, is very porous and the materials pull in paint, dye, ink, stencil cream, and changes the color in unpredictable ways. 
  

NEVER SEAL  the end with an airtight seal of any type.

Never use Caulking, Silicone Sealant, or any other type of similar products to seal the limbs closed. Changes in temperatures can cause the limbs to collapse and become distorted and extremely hard.

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