Let's talk about dyeing BJD

So, first, a disclaimer-- I do not know everything there is to know about dyeing dolls. In fact, it's such a strange and unpredictable process that I think even if you did know everything, there's still a way you could mess up!

So I guess what I want to accomplish with this guide is to compile all the tips and tricks I've heard over my decades in the hobby, and tell you about the things I've tried My results have not been perfect-- in fact, the perfect dye job does not exist. I don't know if that makes it more or less scary for you, dear reader, but it's the truth. There will always be at least one little itty bitty flaw, which you could probably blush over or just ignore (chances are, you're the only one who will see it with such exacting eyes to begin with!).

So, I give you my official permission to have an imperfect result. You are hereby released from any expectation of perfection! And remember that you can always redo and even mostly reverse this process with some elbow grease. So, let's learn!

Step 1: Obtain your materials

To dye your doll, you will need:

A large non-aluminum stockpot, which you will PROMISE ME you will never use for cooking, because we're about to use some nasty, nasty chemicals you don't want to ingest! :( Also, make absolutely sure your pot is not aluminum, because if it is, your dye will be tinted a gross grey-green-- So stainless steel would be my reccommendation. Your pot should be large enough to fully submerge any of your doll parts in-- if your pot is too small, you will really need to wrestle the part to get it dyed evenly, and that's just the last thing we want to deal with. I don't know how big my pot is, but I can tell you that it is ___ inches tall and ____ inches wide.

Your dye packet(s) that you will be using, I strongly reccommend you use either iDye Poly or RIT Dyemore. You will most likely need a combination of colors to get your desired shade. In my case, I am using a mixture of ______ Idye Poly Brown and _____ Idye Poly Yellow-- their brown can be really pretty on its own, but it has a strong red tint and I want Arjava to be more of a deep burnt orange. I've heard people really like RIT dyemore, and find their color recipes really helpful, but I haven't personally used it.

2 bottles acetone, which will be used for removing dye we don't like from parts at our Unfuckery Station. I end up using 2 bottles generally for 70cm Arjava, but you may need considerably less for a smaller doll. Try not to let your doll parts soak in this stuff, some resin can deform and get wobbly when exposed too long with Acetone. We're using Dollstown resin circa 2018 and this stuff's solid as a brick, so don't worry about my doll here too much.

1 bottle rubbing alcohol

A clear kitchen sink

A non-plastic bowl, that you also do not use for any food applications. This will be used for our Unfuckery Station later on.

Dish soap, for our dye.

Some household string, I really don't reccommend hemp because it can shed, but I've used everything from cotton to polyester with decent enough luck. This is the traditional

OR

A few fine mesh laundry bags, which you can put doll parts in, loose and wigglin' around as much as possible. I will be using this for the bulk of Arjava's parts today. Thanks so much, Illithien, for telling me about this method!

And most importantly,

The Doll That Doesn't Feel Right Unless They Are Dyed. This is, in my opinion, the key to never regretting a dye job! If you feel like the barrier to loving and enjoying your doll is that they're just not that right shade, it's time to get dyeing!

Step 2: Ready your doll

Step 3: BATTLE STATIONS

Step 4: Ready, Set, Boil!