Like many parents I know, I have never been a fan of the pouty-lipped, heavy-lidded, overly-made-up Bratz line of dolls. But after I saw what this mother-daughter team has been doing to "rescue" the discarded toys, I was totally charmed by the sweet little dolls who it turns out were were hiding behind all those false eyelashes and lip injections.
Renamed Tree Change Dolls, from an Australian phrase that refers to a move from urban glitz to a more down-to-earth style, these repurposed dolls aren't even recognizable as their formerly wide-eyed selves. Their eyebrows are repainted to be more natural, their lips look less injected, and even their hair is reconditioned and styled to look more like a little girl who just wants to play. That is, somewhere besides a nightclub accessed with a fake ID.
The Tasmanian crafter behind Tree Change Dolls then enlists her mother to sew age-appropriate play clothes like overalls and, well, anything that isn't fishnet stockings, for a completely new, completely adorable doll. The transformation is amazing, isn't it?
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Like the feeling I get when I can kick off a pair of heels at the end of the night, these dolls just look thrilled to be free of their former personas. In a way, it feels to us more like an intervention than a makeover. The result: An adorable doll now ready to play with a child who is willing to give her a second chance.
Tree Change Dolls are currently just photos on a Tumblr blog created by the artist, but they will have their own Etsy store soon. We will be sure to keep you updated when the store is up and running.
