Custom Modding a Monster High Doll

Modding Your Monster High Doll 

Part One

Over the years I have done all kinds of things to all kinds of dolls.  Some I have simply restored, while others I have changed dramatically.  Monster High dolls kind of beg to be played with in the modification department.  I have seen all kinds of mods done on these dolls.

I am going to take you step by step through the modding of one Monster High doll.  She is actually a rescue- and not from someone else hands- but my very own.  She started out life as a fairy- and I simply did not like how she was turning out.  So I ripped out her wings, took off her head and started over.

Meet Draken.

We begin here.

Tell me please, what self respecting dragon would walk around without horns?

Okay, that is just my view- but I have been drawing and making dragons for a very long time. 

I have some old vintage horn beads from the 1950's- but if I didn't, it would not keep me from making her some nice horns.  Don't have beads?  Make them with wire and Magic Sculpt.

This is Magic Sculpt.  It is a 2 part system.  You mix equal parts together and you can work with it a long time- up to an hour- and then set it aside for 4 hours to harden.  No oven needed- which is great in the summer, right?

My hands tend to get pretty raw with everything I like to do- so I wear latex gloves to mix this.  You don't have to- it is safe to mix with your bare hands.  One thing to remember: when you remove the amounts for  mixing- use different tools- I use 2 plastic knives or Popsicle sticks.  You do not want any part of one getting into the container of the other- or you will have 2 containers with hard unusable sculpting material.

Magic Sculpt can be sanded, drilled and painted.  It is very versatile.  It is used by those folks in Hollywood to make some pretty cool stuff.  I buy mine from morezmore on ebay- but there are other sellers- Google Magic Sculpt.

The 2 parts are mixed and ready.  The horns and head are ready...

Half of what I have mixed I make into balls and put on the ends of the horns.

I put them on the head one at a time- and then add what is left to be sure they are stuck well to the head.

Draken's head is set aside on a plastic lid to finish curing.  She is on the lid in case I need to move her.

Here are my own dragons- they are one of a kinds- made from polymer clay over wire armatures.

This is Gazer.  She has wings made from thin wire and treated paper- so I can move them gently into other poses.  Gazer loves her treasure.  She has 8 years worth of offerings in her shell.

This is Sere.  No matter where you are in the room, he is looking at you.  He loves his crystal ball and is always up to something.  His wings are made from wire and tissue paper treated with acrylic sealer.  They are delicate- mostly because he is so small.  Sere is only 3 inches tall- including his wings.

The crystal ball and stand are separate- but he won't pose for the camera without them.  They are his treasure- though he has been known to take things from Gazer's stash when she is not looking. He has an affinity for marbles... so I keep extras in the cabinet.

Dragons come in all shapes and sizes.  They are my favorite monsters.

~PB Ray

UPDATE:

I received a lot of questions about Magic Sculpt, possible substitutes and where to buy things. 

So I will share everything I know here :)

Magic Sculpt is a two part epoxy that is very slow to cure.  It dries very hard.  Since I often like to drill things I have made, I tend to use Magic Sculpt.

I buy mine on ebay from morezmore.  You can buy very small quantities from her to find out if you like using it.  http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=morezmore  She does wonderful sculptures- and has her own blog with lots of information.

Here is the Magic Sculpt Distributor page: http://www.magicsculp.com/ordering.htm  There are some sellers in places like Germany- and Australia I think- so if you don't live in the USA, you might find a supplier on this list.

You can also use air dry clays- and the one I prefer for hardness and the ability to sand/drill is LaDoll.  You can buy air dry clays in your hobby or craft stores.  If you go to Michael's, look in the section where they have Sculpy.  PLEASE NOTE:  Air dry clays dry out fast once the package is open- be sure you store the clay properly.  I triple plastic wrap mine before it goes into a sealed plastic bag.  (I live in the desert- 4% humidityy is the norm here.)

Using Magic Sculpt:

1.  Make sure you have as close to equal amounts to mix together for the best results.  It does not have to be exact- but should be close to a 50/50 mix.

2.  After you have kneaded it and mixed it together, it gets sticky.  You can set it aside for a few minutes to cool and lose some of the stickiness, or you can do what I do... have some clean water handy.  Magic Sculpt can be smoothed with water.

3.  Avoid the human instinct to mess with your creation before the cure time is up.  You could ruin what you have made.  Set it aside and do something else. It takes 4 hours for the epoxy to harden- give it the 4 hours.