Sunday 21 April 2013

How to Re-string a Miniature Doll...

If the limbs of one of your articulated miniature dolls have come off and you want to repair it yourself, here is an original Ysé's tutorial and a simple way to do it...


First of all you will need : 
2 tiny elastic bands per doll - the tiny ones on sale at the hair department in supermarkets and stores - and 2 knitting metal crochet hooks (French size 3 & 1.5 - or for the second crochet hook, in fact whichever size fits in the tiny holes of the limbs...)


8.5 cm dolls & mini elastic hairbands
It is quite easy to do for limbs with joint hooks (you'll need smaller elastic bands than the one shown on the above photo, though), but it is another story for limbs with joint holes... Here is how it can be done...



Example of limbs with holes


First, place one elastic band in the hole of the left arm this way :


Step 1.

Now place the crochet hook (nº3) inside the two formed loops...

Step 2.

and pull the crochet hook through the lower loop, tighten firmly and then free the crochet hook.


Step 3.

Next, put the left arm in place and using the same crochet hook (nº3), find and grab the elastic loop through the body until it comes out - tensed - where the right leg should be (the crochet hook keeps it outside).

Step 4.


Then insert the smaller crochet hook (nº1.5 here) inside the right leg's hole like this :

Step 5.













After that, insert the nº1.5 crochet hook between the elastic band and the nº3 crochet hook, like this :

Step 6.

At this stage, only the thinner crochet hook is in action. Pull the elastic band with the help of the nº1.5 crochet hook through the tiny hole in the leg joint and you should obtain something looking like this :
Step 7.

You can now pull out and free the bigger crochet hook (nº3)...  

Step 8.

Next - creating a noose. To do so, pull the elastic band with the remaining thin crochet hook towards you - make a loop big enough to be able to slide the foot (and the leg entirely) through it...

Step 9.
Your knot on the leg joint should end up looking like this :

The crochet is only here to give you a good view of the noose...

You have now secured the leg in place !


Et voilà !
Do exactly the same for the opposite side, etc.





And in no time, you'll have...



...a happy and complete baby !



You have just read an Ysé's tutorial...


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Si vous aimeriez avoir la possibilité de lire cet article en Français, 
n'hésitez pas à me le faire savoir en commentant ci-dessous... 
Si la demande est suffisante, je me ferai bien sûr un plaisir de publier
tous mes textes en bilingue...

6 comments :

  1. I've always wondered how to do that! Thanks so much for posting this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very welcome ! Happy to be of help...I hope lots of tiny dolls are going to find their limbs again in the same way...

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  2. Excellentes explications! rien qu'avec les photos, j'ai tout compris :)
    Nouvelles techniques dont je n'ai pas souvenir pour les diagonales jambes-bras... je pense que cela doit être mieux pour le maintien des articulations?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Je te fais travailler ton anglais ! (dommage pas de smileys ici...)
      Le post est tel que je l'avais travaillé pour le site sans modif... avec les diagonales...
      Attention si l'élastique est un peu trop petit et donc trop tendu, les membres du bébé ont tendance à se contracter brusquement (ce qui peut être éprouvant si l'on essaie de le prendre en photo dans une position donnée... Ah ah ah !)

      J'hésite à ajouter le texte en Français, ça pourrait faire long... Kektenpens ?

      Delete
  3. Great tutorial.....This knowledge will come in very handy for me.....Thank you very much, rita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are welcome, Rita ! Wishing you lots of happy repairs... !

      Delete