How to suede your ball-jointed doll

Does your new ball-jointed beauty kick you or fall over when she should be posing? Sueding might fix your problems! It adds friction between the ball and socket to give your doll a little more stability and control when she stands and poses.

I learned this no-burn method from Pam of DollLovely at the San Diego BJD Convention in December last year.

Supplies:

• Sharp scissors 
• Dr. Scholl’s Moleskin Plus (self-adhesive microsuede available at Target)

I suede my doll’s hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows and neck. You will need to remove your doll’s head, but should be able to complete the sueding without restringing.

The moleskin adheres to the socket part of your doll’s joint. We’ll suede half of the joint at a time.

First, cut a half-circle about the size of the joint you want to suede. Then, cut pie slices from the center of the circle nearly to the edge of the circle, but don’t cut all the way to the edge.

This way, the moleskin will lie flat in the the socket. Remove the adhesive backing and adhere it inside the socket, being careful not to block the canal through which the elastic runs, and keeping the moleskin below the outside edge (so it isn’t visible on the outside).

Repeat with another half (or quarter) circle, as needed, till the entire socket is filled. Then, allow the ball to fit back into the socket, and it will push the moleskin into place. You’ll see the difference immediately.

If you don’t like the effect, you can easily peel off the moleskin and cut smaller or larger pieces, as desired. It doesn’t leave residue and is easily removed.