We are offering two of the most popular shades of RIT dye for Reborns: ROSE and TAN. These popular colors can be hard to find so we are stocking them for the dollmakers.

Blended combinations of ROSE and TAN have been popular for tinting the inside and outside of vinyl dolls. This helps to tone down the "plastic" appearance that some dolls have.

It seems that each reborn artist comes up with their own favorite color or formula. If you want to mix your own custom combination, you can buy other colors of RIT liquid dye at the grocery (such as blue or wine or brown) and develop your own favorite formula.

We don't recommend using oil paints inside the doll vinyl because we think there is a higher risk of bruising. Actually, there is risk of bruising no matter what paint or dye you use. Bruising occurs when the inside colors leech through the vinyl and give the appearance of dark bruises on the surface of the vinyl.

We think that RIT dye, in pastel colors, used cautiously, will give desired results with the least risk. However, there is always some risk when tinting vinyl because it's not an exact science. There are many variables that affect results, including the temperature of the dye and/or the vinyl. Or how much you prepped the vinyl before you dyed it, to remove any surface protectants or paint.

And, don't give a heavy application of color. Keep it light. You just want to tint the vinyl enough to give it a subtle natural tone.

For more explanation about doing the inside Color Wash, PLEASE read our tutorial on the subject.

PURPLE WASH & DYE TUTORIAL

RIT Dye is recommended for tinting vinyl and plastics. The company says it works well for this purpose, even though it's primarily intended for textile fabrics. We offer only the LIQUID dye, because the powder dye doesn't dissolve well enough and even when the ladies are careful with it, there are problems with specks on the vinyl due to crystals that didn't dissolve. I would rather stock the powder dye because it's less expensive and easier to ship, but there are too many problems with it.

There are fewer problems with the Liquid dye, but you still need to be careful of any undissolved sediment. If there is sediment on the bottom of the pan or bowl when you are finished dyeing, then don't save the sediment. Some ladies do save the dye to reuse.

COLORING VINTAGE DOLLS. Some of the vintage doll collectors are using RIT to re-color their old dolls that have faded. I've heard the PlayPal collectors are doing this, because the arms of the PlayPal dolls sometimes turn a ghostly white. They try to restore the color using dye. I don't know what "recipe" they are using or what their method is. The RIT dye manufacturers suggest this formula for mixing FLESH color with RIT dye: Use 1 part of Tan and 1 part of Peach dye.

DISCLAIMER. Because reborn methods are experimental, and the craft materials are used differently by each reborn artist, we must make the statement that coloring vinyl dolls is at your own risk. Having said that, we are offering the RIT dye colors which the Reborners have requested, because they like to use these colors.