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Piercing a doll's ears

PostPosted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 2:49 pm
by Livdollcity
Hi all! I just bought several dolls, two vinyl and two resin, and they all need their ears pierced. Until these, all my dolls came pierced or had a mark on their ears where all I had to do was push a needles through. It seems most tutorials online suggest a drill. I am worried about using a drill and messing the doll up. Do you have any advice on this? Thank you in advance!

Re: Piercing a doll's ears

PostPosted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 3:27 pm
by Dark Angel
Back in 2006 I pierced my resin doll's ears with a heated sewing needle. If I recall, it was fairly easy. But then, one time on a different doll, I guess the needle I had used wasn't clean or something (maybe not hot enough?) because it was much harder and the holes were black. :o It looked awful.

Nowadays I just glue on the earrings because it's so much easier and safer.

Re: Piercing a doll's ears

PostPosted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:25 pm
by E-Beth
Edited to add pictures

I use a thumbtack, the kind with the big plastic head, to do my vinyl dolls' ears. These are Barbies and the like. The hole tends to tighten up so I find a thumbtack makes a hole large enough I can get the earrings in. The posts of the earrings stick right into her head. They all have post earrings
ImagePicsArt_08-22-11.21.18 by Elizabeth Young, on Flickr

I have done a couple of my SD's ears, as well as a MSD. I used a pin vise (tiny drill) and started with the smallest drill bit I have. Like the size of a sewing needle. One of my dolls has nice big lobes so she can wear hook earrings.
ImagePicsArt_07-12-08.16.43 by Elizabeth Young, on Flickr
My other SD the holes are only suited for posts. They are just a friction fit.

The MSD is a punk rocker so she has lots of holes.
ImagePicsArt_08-29-04.57.28 by Elizabeth Young, on Flickr

Re: Piercing a doll's ears

PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 7:35 pm
by Livdollcity
Thank you for your replies, Beth and Dark Angel!

Gluing the earrings on sounds like a more permanent solution. I love changing their jewelry every now and then, though not too often.
Beth, your dolls are very pretty! Really like the multiple piercings on the one in the last pic.

My dolls are all Tonner and Goodreau bjds, and some Delilahs and Moxie Teenz. The Tonners mostly come with pre drilled holes, but I had to enforce some of them a little. There are a few Tonner dolls I have that don't have their ears pierced, and none of my Goodreau dolls have their ears pierced. These are mostly vinyl dolls, but I think two of my Goodreaus are resin.

I have never used a drill on a doll before, so this is absolutely the last resort for me. LOL, I bet my hand would be shaking so badly, I couldn't go through with it. :lol: