Complete novice to Reborning and need advice / guidance please. Tibby will be my first ever attempt at reborning, I am planning to make her a standing toddler but my question is, do I need to use an armature for her to achieve this? I am basically drawing together everthing I will need to complete her before I actually start the daunting task of making her up. I have the doll kit its self so far and have totally fallen in love with her. All hints, tips and advice will be most welcome and gratefully received
I am not sure about the armature. But my advice would be to start on a smaller kit, until you get the hang of the paint consistency, etc. so you dont get streaks, build up, etc.
Also depends what type of paint you are using and what oven if GHSP.
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That is a big baby to be your first but here is some info.
Big baby for your first but you’ll have fun doing a toddler. If your looking for a cheap armature, hobby lobby sells a little one that is flexible links. You will probably need two of them. Use the extra one to add to the other to make it longer where you’ll need it to fit.
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lawd have Mercy I have A Hailey kit in the basement
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Dolls By Sandie has them up to 28 inches. That should work for Tibby. Also, because she’s a toddler, don’t weight her head. I stuffed it halfway then used foam pipe insulation for support. I haven’t used it with armature though. You may have to slit it about 3 inches to fit over it.
Thanks, still watching all the youtube videos’s first before I actually start her.
Its a seconds kit that I got so was a wee bit cheaper, went for the bigger baby as was advised that there wouldn’t be as much detail needed. Have seen a few smaller ones I really like too though so new found hobby is beginning to grow rather rapidly! Appreciate your advice though, thank you
I did a tibby and I made a wire armature and put that in her - I think if you stuff the body firm it will still stand without it - the wire just makes it easier. Hope this helps!
What types of paint are you using?
If air dry acrylic, you will be baptized by fire on a kit that big because you have to do small sections of no bigger than 3x3 because of how fast it dries. I am going to be putting together an acrylics tips and hints post tomorrow, if you haven’t used acrylics before.
And if you don’t buy the plastic armatures, you can use thick wire coat hangers for armature wire, if you have 6 or 7 of them. Otherwise, you will need 10 or 12 gauge steel wire, in bundles of 2 or 3 wires twisted together, and fairly thick wire cutters to cut it.
(Don’t use copper or aluminum armature wire, it’s too soft and bendy.)
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I’d be afraid wire would rust or could poke through the vinyl.
You wind the ends so they are dead-headed nubs (like hip balls) and then either wrap with masking or duct tape directly, OR wrap with gray pipe insulation, then tape. Then your polyfil or pellets go around that. 
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Because of my inexperience I will go for a plastic armature if I need to use one, am planning on using a wig rather than attempt to root hair just yet and I have air dry paint as I am reluctant to put vinyl in an oven! (Hubby would go nuts if I did that too). I would be really grateful if you could let me know when your hints and tips on painting will be available. Appreciate all help and advice provide , need as much info as possible before I start putting tibby (or possible someone smaller first) together.
Never bake your vinyls dolls in your home oven. Vinyl off gasses plasticizer residues that stick to the walls of the oven and are then deposited on your food when reheated. It’s slow way of poisoning yourself. That’s a “recipe for disaster”, for sure.
That’s another reason I opted for air dry paint. I have a wee summer house that I use for craft work that I don’t want my pets getting in to and plan to do all painting and building of the dolls down there so baking wouldn’t be an option anyway.