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Reborn Supplies Incorporated
Reborning Tutorial Copyrighted 2005 Reborn Supplies Inc. All Rights Reserved. - This tutorial is free of charge for view and printing for personal use only.
The unauthorized reprinting or copying of this tutorial for monetary gain is in violation of domestic and international copyright laws.
"How To"
How to Change Eyes!
In a reborn Berenguer doll.
See "Eye Size Chart" to learn what size eyes you will need for the face you are doing
Make your very own One of a kind OOAK (One Of A Kind)
Reborn Berenguer Doll
No two babies are ever alike.
These reborn instructions show how to change the factory doll eyes with more realistic Masterpiece ©, Glastic© or Real Eyes©.
Changing out the factory eyes is a must for reborning dolls. Don't skip doing this when making your reborn doll.
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Step 1:
Gather supplies |
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First gather your tools for reborning supplies. You will need your new pair of eyes, a precision utility knife (aka Xacto knife) and some strong, clear flexible glue like E-6000. If you choose to use super glue, beware! And don't blame me when you have to call the fire department because your hand is stuck inside a doll head. I don't recommend it. E-6000 is stinky, so use it with the windows open if you're sensitive to it. And mind your fingers with the utility knife at all times! |
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Step 2:
Choosing eye color |
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Your original eyes probably look like these. They are a pale blue color. I would recommend replacing them with a dark color if you're going for a newborn look, and a lighter color (or any color) for an older-looking doll. If you chose to not root your doll's hair, the eye-changing may be the first thing you do to your doll. You can paint the inside before changing the eyes if you want, but make sure the paint is really dry. Or just do what I tell you and change the eyes first. It's easier. |
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Step 3:
Making Room |
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When you turn your Berenguer head upside down, you will see this. The first thing you need to do in order to get at those eye sockets in there, is cut the neck hole larger. So get your utility knife out, and remember to mind your fingers! |
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Step 4:
Cutting |
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Cut the neck hole bigger by cutting towards the outside edge of the neck and then around the inside of that rim. It doesn't matter if you make a very jagged cut--you can always trim it later if needed. The only thing you cant do is cut past that outer edge, because that is where your cable tie will go to connect the head to the body later.
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Now your neck hole should look like this. You should be able to see the back of the eye sockets quite easily, like the picture. |
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Step 5:
Eye Surgery |
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Take your utility knife and start at the inside edge of the eye socket, with the sharp part of the blade pointing toward the doll's nearest ear (in this case the left). You can cut from the outside in if you want, but I find it easier to cut from the inside out. As always, mind your fingers, and mind the doll's face. If you slip, your knife can go right through the vinyl on the side there and leave a nice cut in your poor baby's temple. So go slow. Cut along the bottom of the socket until you get to the other side.
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Step 6:
Cutting the Flap |
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When you have reached the outside edge on the bottom, pull your knife out and reinsert it where you started and then cut along the top edge of the socket.... |
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....like this....
You may want to leave the vinyl flap there. I usually cut mine off just because I feel like that, but it could help hold your eyeballs in if you are worried about them falling out. I've never had that happen, so I'm not going to keep the flap there, but you can do whatever you want.
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Step 7:
SCARY BABY! |
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Push the original eyeballs out from the front, and you're left with a scary demonic baby like this. You could stop right now and be done with your reborn baby if you wanted. These heads make great Halloween props. Smear a little red corn syrup on the neck and eye sockets and put it on a stick in the front yard. You'll have the scariest house in town! Hee hee hee. However, if you're going for a good looking baby, then continue on to step 8. Oh, and don't let small children see your doll at this stage, unless you really don't like them.
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Step 8:
Choosing your eyes |
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Choose your eyes. Some of the most popular brands are Real Eyes, Masterpiece eyes, Masterpiece design series polymer eyes and Glastic eyes. We carry a large selection of these eyes in our store.
Pinch your new eyeball between two fingers. I like to use my index and middle finger, but do whatever feels comfortable to you. If you have small hands, you might be able to hold it normally and get your whole hand inside the head. But if not, hopefully your fingers are long enough to reach the sockets. The eyes I used here are 22mm Real Eyes in Tiger Eye Brown color.
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Step 9:
Inserting the eyes |
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Place the eye in the empty socket however you can manage it. Just feel around for the hole and then shove that eyeball in there. If you left the vinyl flap there, you'll have to move it out of the way first. You will do this without any glue the first time. This is to make sure you are using the right size eyes, and to see how you want to position them before you get glue on the eyes.
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Step 10:
Eye Placement |
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After you have placed your eye or eyes, move them around to see where you might like them. Try moving them to the left, to the right, up a little, down a little, etc. When you find a position you like, push the eyes out again and get ready to commit to the new eyeballs! |
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Step 11:
Applying the Glue |
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Squeeze a ring of glue around the outside edge of your eyeball. Don't worry if the glue gets all over the place. E-6000 is very forgiving, even after it is dry, so you can always scrape away glue residue with something to clean the eyeball. Just make sure you get a good ring of glue all the way around the eyeball. And don't worry if it gets on your fingers, it's very easy to get off.
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Can you see the glue all the way around it? Good....
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Step 12:
No Lazy Eyes! |
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Place the eye in the socket, then repeat with the other eye. They will look like the picture above until you position them correctly. The glue doesn't dry right away, so you will have time to make adjustments to the position. Hold the face at several different angles to make sure the pupils line up so the doll is looking in one direction. When you have them where you want them, you're done. If you have chosen to leave the flap on, don't close it over the eye if you have placed the eyes anywhere but straight, because the flap will push the eyes somewhere else. If you do want your eyes straight, put them straight into the socket and close the flap over it for extra security. |
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Step 13:
Cleaning up |
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You're all done! Don't worry if your fingers are covered in glue like mine in the picture. E-6000 dries in a neat rubbery way that you can peel off and rub into little balls. I like to peel it off while I daydream at the sink. Feel free to indulge in this yourself, it's quite fun.
If there is glue left on your eyes and it shows from the outside, take a toothpick after it's dry (leave it for at least 12 hours) and either pull the glue out or push it into the creases of the socket so it won't show. You can rub any thin layers of glue off with your finger where you can reach. It peels off acrylic eyes even easier than your fingers! Then paint a coat or two of clear gloss straight onto the eyeball to give it a nice shiny, wet look.
Some of the most popular brands of eyes to reborn dolls are Real Eyes, Masterpiece eyes, Masterpiece design series polymer eyes and Glastic eyes. We carry a large selection of these eyes in our store in a large range of colors and sizes. |
