Sonia Singh is an artist and scientist from Tasmania who’s latest project involves the “make-unders” of second-hand dolls. Singh attributes her line of Tree Change Dolls to her love of “taking old things and giving them a new lease on life.” This new lease on life is one celebrating natural beauty as Singh strips away the overly dramatic and unrealistic features of the dolls with acetone and repaints the dolls to look more like a real little girl.

“These dolls have been rescued and rehabilitated from op-shops and tip shops around Tasmania. These lil fashion dolls have opted for a “tree change”, swapping high-maintenance glitz ‘n’ glamour for down-to-earth style. I hand repaint the dolls faces, mold new shoes, and my Mum sews and knits their clothing,” writes Singh on her Tumblr page.

Singh believes that it is important for kids to have toys and dolls that they can relate to. It is clear that Singh is not alone in this belief, as all the dolls that she advertised on her Etsy shop sold out almost immediately. Singh also put two of her dolls on Ebay, which earned Singh a total of $406.  She is donating 20% of the proceeds to the International Women’s Development Agency. Although Singh’s dolls are in extremely high demand, she claims that she does not plan on becoming a doll manufacturer. Instead, she encourages her fans to go out to thrift stores themselves and to “rescue” the dolls just as she has done.

For those crafty ladies out there, Tree Change Dolls creator Sonia Singh has made a video to explain how she removed factory paint from the dolls so she could re-create their faces:

For more on Sonia Singh’s Tree Change Dolls, visit: http://treechangedolls.tumblr.com/

Photo courtesy: Sonia Singh/Treechangedolls.tumblr.com