Back in 2021, I found an old Bradley doll at the thrift store and I gave her a fun makeover.
I had so much fun with that project that I've been on the hunt for another Bradley doll to update and guess what?!
I finally found one!
You can see the first doll here: Upcycled Bradley Doll
Upcycled Bradley Doll with Pink Dyed Hair
That first doll was in much better shape than this one.
You can see that this one has a dirty face and clothes, her hair is damaged, and her legs were broken in several places.
This little girl's hair was really jacked up.
I removed her dirty, dated dress first.
Since her hair was in such bad shape, I decided to try dyeing it. I read several tutorials online but most involved hair that had been removed from the doll. I could not get her hair off without damaging it further so I decided to try a technique using Sharpie pens.
I chose baby pink which turned out a pretty strawberry blond color.
These are her original pigtails which had basically fallen off. I combed them out and put them together to create a bun to cover the glue that was left from where her hat was attached to the top of her head.
I gave her some little pin curls with the flyaway hairs by wetting the hair and wrapping it around pipe cleaners until it dried.
![creating pincurls Upcycled Bradley Doll with Pink Dyed Hair](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPp4sAMhxEKI5Gy4cM-GXeZTqyaTdVm1z1BlB5ca9qvH4PBKXExNaSiOjzWiBgKBLtoD7b15KJbV-lHVCcqlQK82Z7059cXJh0IjDLp9aFmBIkTium6PofwpSbfIO9FXCrHb61BkJwvfQsz7xAUHxs-k0zEqpEBcR277AFc6LIGdGr5QAcSifNXw7UA/s16000-rw/Upcycled%20Bradley%20Doll%20-%20making%20pin%20curls.jpg)
Here she is with her new pink hairdo 😊
Now I needed to get the dirt off her face. Bradley dolls are just molded styrofoam covered with nylon so an old toothbrush and regular dish soap worked great!
I repaired her legs the best I could, but since they were so badly damaged, I decided she needed a pair of pants instead of a dress.
![fixing Bradley doll's legs Upcycled Bradley Doll with Pink Dyed Hair](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaT8hl9dQ4x62MPJ2QeAXTG5-oXXc10J-j1KNM6Yd4CvZ0mS1AhBxJ9kzMhZHuwHWbISdQpl8n38xcNW-0CCSpYwWvezkuWK_zdWlX_R30PTpcEvwXkkRiMIKWeRNhCauG_nImz1muP2bFBbZMPzEqlkqOcY699jgWlCeUOoYldasQqIx0iEQJlaCvxg/s16000-rw/Upcycled%20Bradley%20Doll%20-%20fixing%20her%20legs.jpg)
I made her pants from some fun retro fabric I had.
And then I gave her some tattoos just like I did on the other Bradley doll. (I added a necklace later to hide the leftover bits of the old beads that were there).
I use this translucent scarf to make tattoos.
Finally, I gave her plain white plastic stand an update too.
And here she is!!
I used some of the tulle from her old outfit under her shirt, around her waist.
Her little friend is a needle-felted bunny that I made several years ago.
I made her choker from a tiny piece of rhinestone chain, black ribbon, and a heart charm. Her blouse buttons are pins in colors that match her pants.
She has a full tattoo sleeve.
I reused her old millinery flowers that were on her hat and added a few newer ones to fill in around her bun.
I think she looks so much better with her updated style, what do you think? I'm on the hunt for another doll now, I want to create a Frida Kahlo version.
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I was playing around with my photo editor and created a cartoon version 😃
That doll refashion is beyond clever. Wow!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! :)
DeleteShe is looking very sassy and chic!! (I want pink hair too!!!) You did a great job and it's very creative. I really like your cartoon version---do more!
ReplyDeleteThanks Vikki! Don't use Sharpies when you dye your hair pink! haha! I loved the cartoon version too!
DeleteShe's gorgeous! Her outfit's adorable and i love the bunny! Does she have a name?
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have not thought of a name yet, any suggestions?
DeleteHow about Poppy Rose or Luna Rose
DeleteOh, this is wonderful! So much fun. It girl doll.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Thank you :)
Delete