Should I Buy or DIY?

The BJD hobby is far from a “cheap” hobby. This makes a lot of BJD owners dive deep into their creative spirits and they start making things themselves instead of buying them. However, if you are like me, I have a hard time finding my creative side and wonder… “Well maybe I should just buy things for my doll?”

Things that people DIY in the BJD Hobby

There are some crazy creative people in this hobby and I am always amazed to see what people make and do for their dolls. Here are a few things people generally DIY when it comes to BJDs.

• BJD wigs
• Eyes
• Faceups
• Clothes
• Patterns for clothes
• Props
• Carrying cases
• Accessories
• Dioramas
• Modifications

Some people like to push up their sleeves and do a majority of these things for their dolls. Others like to do only a few things that they feel really comfortable with. I like to do a mixture of things but I did give a couple of these the good ‘ol college try!

It would take me forever to write out complete guides on how to do most of these DIYs but I can share what I have tried first hand. Let’s take a look at a couple of DIY ideas and maybe it will inspire you to either DIY or buy.

BJD Wigs

I actually ventured into this DIY and made some yarn wigs. I searched for a tutorial video on how to do them on YouTube. It seemed easy enough so I gave it a go. I even have a video of my attempts.

Now DISCLAIMER ALERT!

I am actually not a very crafty person at all. Especially when it comes to making small scale items for my dolls. They come out looking C rated at best. 😂

I feel like it may take some practice in order to get better at wig making and I wish I could possess this skill. It would be a definite DIY rather than buy if you can skillfully craft it. Having the ability to make custom wigs for your dolls is AMAZING.

There are so many times where I have had to purchase more than one wig because it didn’t fit right even though it was labeled for my doll. Plus the cost of making a yarn wig is so much cheaper than buying it from a company/store. And you don’t have to just stick with yarn wigs, people use all sorts of materials. I have seen some use alpaca fur, synthetic strands, clay, and even foam sheets.

This would be a do for me! (If I had more practice and patience haha)

BJD Eyes

Yet another DIY project that I got to try my hand at was making BJD acrylic eyes. Again, people can use a whole variety of materials to make eyes from including resin, glass, acrylic, or even using eye kits. I used an eye kit from the Junky Spot (http://junkyspot.com/)

It was so much fun making the eyes and it really made me want to add so many extras to the eyes like glitter and shimmer powders!

As far as acrylic eye making goes you could even go to a local hobby store and buy standard doll acrylic eyes and pop the eye chips out and replace them yourself with custom chips.

If you choose to go acrylic they are very VERY affordable. The Junky Spot’s eye kit is $20 and you get 5 sets! That is $4 per acrylic eye you get to make yourself!!

I really can’t speak much on making them with resin, glass, or any other material but I know people have gone those routes too and make wonderful looking eyes!

I think BJD eye making is so much fun and worth a try if you are considering it!

BJD Clothes

Please…please don’t force me to make clothes for my dolls. I am hands down the WORST when it comes to sewing for my dolls. BUT if you love to sew and make things then this may be your DIY. Luckily there are also several patterns out there too! I just don’t have the patience for it and have made too many horrific looking items that I made my dolls wear.

Granted, it did save me some cash at the start of my BJD collecting days because I would make them shirts/socks/underwear until I was able to save up money to buy clothes for them. So even if it isn’t your calling it may be something you may want to try for a bit while you wait to save.

BJD Faceups

I have always enjoyed playing with makeup. That being said I was actually eager to do this DIY for my dolls. Was my first faceup amazing?

HECK TO THE NO! It took me several practice sessions to learn more about good materials to use, how to do decent eyebrows, what glosses were shiny, etc. Fast forward to present day and I LOVE doing faceups. I actually even open up commissions from time to time. I think if you have the passion for faceups then go for it! If you have tried it and feel like you cannot put out the image that is in your head, then get it commissioned.

A word of caution though. Make sure to do your research thoroughly and cross check feedback on the artist you are looking into. Also know that depending on who you get can also determine what your price could be.

IF you do choose to try this DIY know that you will also have to invest in the supplies needed and some of those supplies can get pricey too. You definitely don’t want to put something on your doll that can damage it so make sure you are using the proper supplies too!

Props and Accessories

To be honest I really have not dived too deep into making accessories or props for my dolls. I have made small things like headbands and jewelry. I have seen others make really amazing small scale items for their dolls. I think this DIY skill comes in handy when there is something that you want that aids in creating your BJD’s character.

For my BJD Kai, I wanted to get him a sketch pad because he likes art. For Tre I wanted him to have a guitar because he is in a band. My sister actually made a cute sketch book for Kai out of cardboard and papers. As for the guitar, there was no way I was going to make that because I didn’t feel confident in making something that intricate. I ended up buying one from the Dollar Tree for him instead.

I think props can be something fun and easy to do since you would be making smaller scale items of things. You can also use everyday materials to craft them out of which can help with the cost.

Modifications

To the newbies that might not know what modding is, its basically altering something on your doll. That could include changing the bust size, altering the ears, opening up sockets for mobility, opening eyes/closing eyes, etc.

This can be a really scary DIY. Not to mention you can potentially damage your doll if you don’t know how to properly do certain mods. I for one am not brave enough to do epoxy and certain heavy duty sanding mods. I have done drilling though and I had to go in with the mindset that if I messed up then it was totally on me and I was going to have to live with it.

You can send your doll off to be modded but again you will want to do your research on who you send it to and keep in mind the price they will charge. I think you could definitely learn how to do mods on your doll but watch lots of videos and read lots of peoples experiences on what they did and how they did it before you jump into it.

Dioramas

I have never attempted making a diorama but have seen plenty of people do them. IT’S AMAZING!

I know it can be very time consuming and costly, but it’s yet another way to bring more life to your BJDs.

Will you DIY?

I hope reading about some of these DIYs has peaked your interest and inspired you to give them a try. I think DIYs are a great way for you to custom make things for your dolly. If you decide to buy don’t sweat it. Tons of people would rather buy that DIY and that’s ok! Whatever you choose just remember to have fun and spread the love!

What have you made for your dollies or would love to learn to make for your dollies? Tell me in the comments section below!