How to Restring Antique Dolls Using Hog Ring Pliers

Lay the towel down on your work surface to prevent the doll from getting scuffed or scratched.

Cut away all the old elastic that has lost its stretch. Keep the pieces so that you can use them to measure the new elastic strips.

Cut new elastic to attach to the doll. Measure the elastic and cut lengths of it to size. Lay them out in the order that you will reinstall them. The elastic should either be one long piece that forms an "X" in the middle of the body or shorter, individual pieces that are joined in the middle of the body.

Wrap the K-clamp with surgical tape or duct tape, as this will prevent it from scratching the porcelain.

Fold the end of the elastic over to form a loop that is 1/2 inch wide. Slide a hog ring over the loop so that the loop is only 1/4 inch wide. Place the ring between the jaws of your hog ring pliers. Press the handles together to crimp the hog ring onto the elastic.

Hook the "S" ring over the loop you just created with the hog ring. Crimp the part of the "S" ring that goes through the elastic to secure it in place using the pliers. Hook the "S" ring to the doll's limb using the K clamp.

Crimp hog a ring onto the other end of the elastic. The bottom of the head has a large hook called a "J" hook. Gather all the hog rings at the end of the elastic together and feed them through the large hog ring. Crimp the large hog ring closed using the pliers. Hook the large hog ring onto the "J" hook using the K clamp.