What Are Reborn Babies?

Reborn babies, or reborns for short, are high end collector dolls which have been painstakingly modified to become super-realistic and life like.  The process is known as reborning because a standard doll is taken and reborn into a lifelike, high end object of affection.

A basic vinyl doll is taken apart by removing the head and limbs.  The factory paint is removed using harsh chemicals and repeated until the entire doll is down to it's base color.  The reborn is then colored all over to give it a more human pigment.  Genesis heat paints are used as they are the best on the market.  As color is applied the pigment is baked in using the heat from an oven or kiln.

Minute details like veins, dimples and other human features are painted on layer by layer and baked into the vinyl.  If well done,eyebrows, lips, fingernails and other details can make the difference between good and great reborn babies.

Next the eyes are replaced with silicon or hand blown glass.  The size can be altered to give the appearance of a certain expression.  After the eyes, realistic hair is added.  Some artists use wigs, but the best reborn babies out there have rooted hair.  Angora mohair or fine human hair is attached strand by strand with a needle to maximize the life like look of the dolls.

The artist then tends to the assembly and body of the reborn. The body and head can be filled with sand, silicon beads or steel ball bearings to achieve the desired weight.  Many high end reborn babies have high tech options like breathing machines that push the chest up and down simulating real breathing.  The body can be replaced with a "squishy tummy" or similar parts simulating the soft skin of a new born.

Creating reborn babies is not easy, but can be very rewarding.  Check out the latest Ebay auctions for reborning kits for more information: