Over the last few months, I have developed a new interest: OOAK dolls. It happened almost by accident–Caterina, who is nearly three years old, got interested in dolls, and I rediscovered my old passion for them. Initially, I just planned to start a collection that she would appreciate as she got older, but then, after reading a book on Cleopatra to Nicco, we thought it would be fun to make a Cleopatra doll for Caterina.
I searched a couple of how tos online, and discovered there was a whole world out there of people who turned bogstandard dolls into ancient queens, whimsical fairies and even scary vampires. Obviously, I was hooked.
I have now bought a couple of old Barbies and Bratzs and am starting to customize them. Given my shaky hands and mediocre sewing skills, I haven’t quite managed Cleopatra yet, but I have done a little princess-type doll which, though full of mistakes, is a good beginning (and most importantly, was a hit with Caterina).

That said, I don’t think I’ll ever go the whole OOAK hog (I rarely do anyway with any creative endeavour, which is probably my greatest weakness) because I just don’t see myself spending an afternoon rerooting hair on a bald Barbie. My modest ambition is simply to give the dolls a new look by styling their hair, repainting their faces, and maybe fashioning some interesting clothes for them.
For anyone who is interested in really great OOAK dolls though, I’d recommend taking a look at the work of established artists like Dan Lee. His creations are beyond lovely.