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Doll Hair Shading Tutorial

Dolls today come in all different styles and ethnicities. While different hair colors are available, sometimes they may need a little change. Perhaps you want to change your blonde doll to red or your brunette doll to black. Perhaps you'd like to give your doll pink, blue or green hair. You can easily shade, or color, your doll's hair any hue you'd like. However, it's important to remember that doll hair is synthetic, so human hair dye will not work on it.

Things You'll Need

Saran Wrap
1/4 cup acrylic paint
Medium-size bowl
Water
Spoon
Comb
Cotton swab
Nail polish remove (non-acetone)
Hair dryer

Instructions

- 1
  Wrap the entire doll in Saran Wrap to keep from getting paint on its body. Wrap the doll from her neck to her toes. If the doll's head is removable, pull it off to make the shading easier.
- 2
  Pour the paint into a medium-size bowl. Add water, one tablespoon at a time. Stir the water into the paint. You want a consistency similar to real hair dye. The "shading" mixture should coat the spoon and slowly drip off without being too runny.
- 3
  Place a few sheets of Saran Wrap or a garbage bag onto a flat surface as a protective cover. Place the doll onto the cover face down. Comb her hair out past her head.
- 4
  Spoon the mixture onto the doll's hair. Use a comb to apply the dye evenly. Ensure her entire head is completely saturated to avoid splotches. Allow the mixture to set in her hair overnight to dry completely.
- 5
  Remove any dye that may have gotten on the doll's face. Dip the tip of a cotton swab into acetone-free nail polish remover. Use the swab to safely remove excess dye.
- 6
  Hold the doll upside down by her feet. Dry her hair with a blow dryer on the lowest heat setting. This will ensure the color is heat-set and will not wash out.

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