Doll Repair Seminar

Learn Doll Repair and Restoration

Email me to schedule seminar dates of your own choosing!

rubiemae@gmail.com

You choose your preferred dates, then inquire if open.

Students working on their dolls.

What will I learn?

Whether you want to take a doll repair seminar to restore your own dolls or as a full-time career, Forget Me Not Dolls will give you hands-on, step-by-step instructions for becoming a doll restoration artist. Doll repair and restoration is time and labor intensive but is so rewarding. A variety of classes are available, or

I can do a custom class with only dolls that you are interested in.

The five-day Composition & Hard Plastic Repair Class will include:

  1. basic repairs for composition dolls: cleaning and craze control; repair of head cracks and missing fingers; wigs; stringing; blush, hair and paint touch-ups; iris transplants and lashes; cloth bodies; mixing paint colors.
  2. Hard Plastic dolls: cleaning, repainting, wigs, repairing eyes, restringing
  3. This class DOES NOT INCLUDE full stripping, filling and sanding compo dolls to bring them back to a factory finish.

The  10-day Doll Restoration Seminar will include much more than the following basics for repairing Dolls from about 1930-Present:

  1. Full composition doll repair: craze control; cleaning; stripping; filling, priming, painting; wigs; repairing eyes and lashes; cloth and compo bodies; stringing; rebuild missing finger, toes, paint color mixing, etc. You will also make a simple mold for hands or feet replacement.

               Primed parts hanging to dry.

2. Hard Plastic: cleaning; wigs; repairing eyes; repainting; stringing

3. Vinyl: cleaning; stain removal; eye replacement; paint touch up; bodies and stuffing; etc.

4. Paper Mache, Hard Celluloid, and tin head repair: cleaning; glues to use; repainting; etc.

5. Plush Stuffed Animals: cleaning and repairing (need the ability to sew for these)

 

The 14-day Full Doll Restoration Seminar will include all of the dolls listed for the 10 Day Restoration Seminar plus the dolls below:

  1. Full composition doll repair: craze control; cleaning; stripping; filling, priming, painting; wigs; repairing eyes and lashes; cloth and compo bodies; stringing; rebuild missing finger, toes, paint color mixing, etc. You will also make a simple mold for hands or feet replacement.
  2. Hard Plastic: cleaning; wigs; repairing eyes; repainting; stringing
  3. Vinyl: cleaning; stain removal; eye replacement; paint touch up; bodies and stuffing; etc.
  4. Paper Mache, Hard Celluloid, and tin head repair: cleaning; glues to use; repainting; etc.
  5. Plush Stuffed Animals: cleaning and repairing
  6. 1-2 Antique bisque shoulder head with damaged shoulder plate, with kid bodies.
  7. 1-2 Antique bisque head dolls with compo/paper mache ball jointed bodies. The heads should have a crack (no facial cracks or breaks), and body with no major composition loss.
  8. 1-2 Antique china head dolls with cloth bodies to learn doll repair on. The head should be cracked, or have a broken shoulder plate.

How to run a doll hospital

  1. Registering your shop name and business and applying for a tax license.
  2. Website: In a digital world you need a website to promote your business and direct customers to your business. Although I have a Master’s degree in Technology applications, there will not be time to teach you to set up a website in this class. I will offer suggestions for setting up your website, and will also recommend a professional to help you. A good website with good before/after pictures will bring you all the business you can handle.
  3. Paperwork: You will need a paper and digital trail for taking in dolls, such as; pricing; documenting condition and repairs; invoicing; etc. Samples of the documents that I use will be available for you to adapt for your use.

Tools

  1. You need the proper tools to pursue any field of study. Doll repair is no exception. Specialized tools are so critical for success in doll repair, that each student in the 10-14 day seminars will receive a basic set of the proper tools.

How much a doll repair seminar cost?

A $500 non-refundable deposit and a signed contract guarantee your Seminar dates. If an emergency comes up and you are not able to attend the seminar, you may apply the deposit to a new date. There is an airport in Oklahoma City and I will provide transportation to pick you up and take you back to the airport for your return flight. A $500 non-refundable deposit and a signed contract guarantee your Seminar dates.

5 Day Bisque and China Doll Repair – This is a 5-day seminar focused on the repair of bisque and china dolls: composition/paper mache bodies; cleaning and styling human and mohair wigs; and setting sleep eyes. The cost of this seminar is $1750.

5 Day Vinyl, Composition, and Hard Plastic Doll Repair – This seminar is 5 days long and the cost is $1750. This seminar is focused on minor repairs like craze control, iris transplants, paint touch-ups like blush and hair, wigs, stringing, repairing head cracks and missing fingers, etc. It will not include a full restoration like completely repairing and repainting a doll.

10 Day Composition and Hard Plastic Restoration Seminar – A full seminar is 10+ days, not including your arrival or departure day. Day of arrival we will need to put in 2-3 hours to take apart and prep the composition dolls. The full cost of this seminar is $3400.

14 Day Full Doll Restoration Seminar – Full Doll Restoration includes restoration for most dolls and takes 14+ full days, not including your arrival and departure days. Day of arrival we will need to put in 2-3 hours to take apart and prep the composition dolls. The full cost of this seminar is $4700.

  1.  Lodging – The price of lodging is not part of the package, but you are welcome to stay with me as a convenience to you, at no extra charge. You may also choose a local hotel at your own expense.
    1. You will have a private room with either twin beds, or a queen sized bed.
    2. Classes will be in my home at 5716 NW 112th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73162
    3. If you choose to stay at a hotel, there are several close-by and Uber is a great way to get around. I could also pick you up in the mornings and take you back in the evenings.
    4. Laundry – I have a laundry room that you are welcome to use while you are here.
  2. Meals – If you choose to stay with me, I prepare simple meals. If you have special dietary needs or preferences I will work with you on that. There is also carry out and delivery available from local restaurants at your expense.
  3. Payment – 
    1. To secure your class dates, a $400-500 non-refundable deposit must be made at least 4 weeks in advance of the class. This way the tools and materials that you will need in class can be ordered. You may pay by certified check or money order, or make online payments below.
    2. You may bring or mail a certified check or money order to class, or pay online with a credit card, or bring cash for the final payment. Full payment must be paid before the first day of class.

When can I come?

Dates – Doll Repair Seminar dates are scheduled for each student’s convenience. Seminars are scheduled on a first deposit paid, first scheduled basis. The student chooses the dates that work best for them and that fit into my schedule.

Students – Each Doll Repair Seminar is limited to one or two students. Couples or business partners may take the seminar together for a $400 savings ($200 each) for the 10-day seminar. Each person will restore their own dolls, so each person will need to have all the dolls on the bring list.

What dolls should I bring?

Each student will bring damaged dolls to fully restore during the doll repair seminar. The best way to learn is hands-on. During the 10 day seminar, you will be repairing 6-10 of your own dolls. The dolls that you will need to bring are listed on the bring list.

Full Work Days

It will take long full days to complete all the dolls that are on the bring list. There will not be time on the last seminar day to pack your dolls, so you need to arrange your flights so you can pack the day you leave.

  1. Schedule – Plan to work 9-12 hours each day. I will start instruction at about 9:30 each day. If we don’t accomplish the materials on the syllabus for that day, we will need to take a supper break, then go back to the shop for a few more hours.
  2. Note Taking – Video recording will not be allowed. I will have some brief handouts, so you may want to bring a notebook and take notes. You may also bring a camera to take before and after pictures.
  3. Health Caution! – We will be working long hours. If you are not able to stand for 1-2 hours at a time, this class may not be for you. We will also be using oil-based paints, which are toxic, although you will be provided with a respirator. If you have chronic health or lung problems, this class may not be for you.
    1. IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE YOU ARE PREGNANT or MAY BECOME PREGNANT, do take a pregnancy test and be certain that you are NOT pregnant. You will be working with a variety of chemicals that could be hazardous to an unborn child. The contract that you sign includes a statement that you guarantee that you are not pregnant.

Why should I take THIS doll repair seminar?

This seminar will give you career training to professionally repair and restore vintage dolls. It not only gives you practice in key skills for doll repair and restoration but covers the business end of doll repair. You will receive suggestions for marketing your skills and key documents that you may use in your business.

You will receive a good foundation in doll repair. Learning a new skill is an investment that is well worth the price if you receive proper instruction. There are too many people who repaint and repair dolls, but leave the doll in worst condition than before they started. I get many of these kinds of dolls in my shop. It is a lot of work to undo what they did to the poor doll before I can start a professional restoration. It is worth learning to do it right, to begin with.

I have been involved in dolls professionally for 35 years and have a good reputation in the doll community. Before taking a seminar from someone, look for good before/after pictures so you can see if a finished restoration looks amazing or not. If their pictures are small or blurry, then ask for better closeups of the faces.

My before/after pictures speak for themselves. When you finish with this seminar you will have received instruction and have practiced the repair and restoration for the dolls that are covered in class. You will receive a certificate for doll repair, and will also have lifetime support for any repair questions that you have.

JoAnn Morgan repaired dolls for many, many years. She highly recommends this class. https://joannmorgan.com/learn-doll-repair-and-restoration-a-lifetime-career/

Ready to commit to a doll repair seminar?

Let’s set the dates for your doll repair/restoration seminar. This is a copy of a sample contract: seminar contract Send me an email rubiemae@gmail.com to schedule your dates. Once we agree on the dates, I will send you a contract. You will then sign and return the contract with your $500 deposit. Get ready for an exciting work filled seminar in Oklahoma City!


Doll Restoration and Repair Seminars
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