The majority of our Meant To Be Babies begin as doll kits or dolls from various fine collectible doll companies worldwide. Others are sculpted by hand by me to be unique one of a kind pieces of art.

After arriving at my home, dolls / doll kits are bathed thoroughly and towelled dry, then allowed extra drying time so that no water is left on the skin. Baby is then slowly and tediously painted with non-fading Genesis Heat-set Paints. This is a very time consuming process because I pay attention to every little detail (capillaries, veins, nail beds, all folds and creases), using photos of real babies as a guide to adding "life" and realism.  The baby's skin is then sealed permanently.

Afterwards, I move on to adding the softest and finest angora mohair to your baby's head. I usually dye my own mohair and use first or second clip mohair from a local dealer here in NC. Each hair is micro-rooted--no more than 2 hairs at a time. I add tiny micro-rooted eyelashes, too. Baby's hair is sealed, and it can be softly brushed and styled.

The baby's body is then assembled using weighting and a custom body.  If baby receives a pacifier/dummy or magnetic hairbow, these will be placed at this time. I like for my babies to have a realistic weight, so I sometimes use zinc-plated weighting pellets encased in fleece or felt, polyfil, and soft pellets to help the baby meet the weight requirement for his/her length. I want each and every baby to feel just like a real baby when you hold it in your arms.

Your new baby is a high quality artist reborn by Angenette Wills of Meant To Be Babies Nursery. If cared for properly (by following these instructions), it will bring many years of joy to you and yours.

Most importantly, your baby is no longer a play doll. She/he is now an heirloom quality collectible and needs to be handled very gently. Do not allow small children to play with her. A good rule of thumb for handling a collectible is that you should not handle her/him in any way you would not handle a real newborn baby.

Your baby should be kept away from extreme heat and cold. Heat is more dangerous for her/him because his/her vinyl becomes very soft and pliable when heated and can become warped or even melt. She/he should never be left in a hot car or displayed near any type of heat source. Even though high quality, non-fading paints are used on your baby, she should should not be stored or displayed in direct sunlight due to the natural fibers found in her hair and clothing. These can fade with exposure to sun, as can any fabric if exposed to direct sunlight.

Your baby's hair is handrooted mohair. It has been sealed on the inside of her/his head to help keep it from coming out. This is waterproof sealant, but this in no way implies that water cannot seep through holes into the baby's interior. Wash hair GENTLY with little water, rinse, and dry well. Should baby’s hair become dusty, it can be gently brushed to remove the dust. Her/his hair can be gently brushed and combed, lightly moistened, conditioned with conditioners, and styled with gels. Mohair has a tendency to bunch and mat so extreme gentleness should be used when combing out mats. Again, your baby should be kept away from excessive moisture, which can cause damage to her/his interior weighting and cloth body.

Care should be taken when posing your baby. Her/his arms and legs can be gently posed but should never be forced. Extreme pressure on the seams of her/his body can cause tearing. Baby’s head can gently be turned from side to side, but again, it should not be forced.

Your baby's eyelashes, lips and nails are sealed for protection, but they should not be handled. Attached lashes can be pulled off, and nails can be chipped with force. Should her/his lashes ever come loose, they can be gently reapplied with a toothpick and clear glue. Soak the end of the toothpick in cooking oil (this prevents it from sticking in the glue) and use it to gently spread a thin layer of glue into the eye crease. The lash is then gently pressed into the glue. Allow ample time to dry.

If your baby is ever in need of repair of any sort, please contact us here for helpful tips and advice.