Materials & Supplies
The exact materials behind every doll I make - handpicked for fellow artists
Clay
There are so many wonderful clays out there for doll making! Personally, I love working with air-dry clays - they're smooth, lightweight, and easy to carve and sand. Over the past ten years, I've tried quite a few, so here are my top three favorites!
La Doll Premix-available on Amazon, Etsy
This page includes affiliate links. All products listed are materials I genuinely use in my doll-making practice
Sculpting & carving Tools
A small sculpting tool kit is more than enough for any doll artist! Aim for a mix of pointy, flat, and bent tools to cover all the basics. I personally prefer stainless steel tools - they're precise, durable, and easy to clean. For carving, I use an X-Acto knife with changeable blades, which keeps every cut sharp and controlled.
Porcelain
After researching and trying many porcelain brands, I found that Ultra Chic stands out as the best option for my dolls. I love its texture, translucency, and wide color selection. It can be harder to source - I import it all the way from the US - because honestly, nothing else comes close.
Ultra Chic porcelain - available on their website
Primer
Once your sculpt is complete, spray primer is a must! It protects and fortifies the clay, smooths out minor imperfections, and leaves a sleek, even surface - all while preparing it for the painting process or casting. Primer is typically available in both grey and white.
Grey primer - available on Amazon
White primer - available on Amazon
China paints for porcelain
Porcelain painting is a multi-step process that involves applying layers of china paint mixed with mediums and oils, firing each layer in the kiln, and plenty of patience.
China paints - available on Held Holland, Maryland China
Mediums - available on Held Holland, Maryland China
Dremel Tool
A Dremel is a worthwhile investment for any serious doll maker. I use mine for drilling channels for the elastic cord in ball-jointed dolls, sanding, and carving - it makes all of these tasks significantly faster and easier than working by hand.
Dremel tool - available on Amazon
Sanding Supplies
A variety of sanding papers is essential when working with air-dry clay. Having different grits on hand lets you work through the process gradually - from removing bigger imperfections to refining finer details. For bisque-fired porcelain pieces, I use sanding sponges suitable for wet sanding.
Sanding paper- available on Amazon
Sanding sponges- available on Amazon
Kiln
A kiln is an essential investment if you want to work with porcelain. I use the Kittec Studio Line CB20, a compact electric kiln that's perfectly sized for doll making - big enough to fire doll parts without taking up too much studio space. If you're serious about porcelain dolls, having your own kiln makes the whole process significantly more manageable.
Kiln - available on their website