Last year in September, I attempted The Journey of Fixing up an American Girl Doll that I bought from ebay that needed TLC (tender-loving-care).
In Part 1 of my journey, my sister Hope and I tried our best to fix up Megan a little bit. We washed her hair, brushed her hair, cleaned her body, and dressed her, but when I left off with a "Be continued..." Megan still was Leg-less.
I didn't want to spend money to send Megan to the American Girl Doll Hospital, so I looked up on the internet how to restring your doll, and I found out how I could do it myself. It thought it would be so much cheeper than sending her to the Doll hospital. So....
Now here we are at Part 2! Megan is having an exciting thing happening...she is getting her legs! :)
First I got all of the parts and tools I needed: A pair of scissors, a crimper (not shown), 1/8" cloth covered cord, two 1/4" brass furrles (or inserts), 2 brass flat washers (3/16" center hole). I already had the legs and four limb caps, they came with the doll.
I bought the cord at JoAnn's Fabric store and I bought the ferrules (inserts) at a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes.
Then after I had all the tools and supplies I needed, I began to work. I untied the string at the back of her neck and took out all of her stuffing.
My mom assisted me squeezing in the limb cup into the leg, along with putting on the ferrule and squeezing it tight beforehand.
We then pulled it through the body.
We threaded on the other limb cup, the washer, and ferrule in that specific order.
Then my mom used the crimper and squeezed really tight clamped onto the ferrule, while I pulled the cord really tight.
Then we cut the cord about an inch away from the ferrule.
Then she was ready to be stuffed up.
My sister Hope helped stuff Megan up.
All we needed to do next was put her head on and tie the knot. (we didn't tie it too tight though, loose enough to get off again)
Megan with her legs!
Now heres a flash-back...
When she arrived last year.
And now the present...
Megan is all dressed up and feeling Wonderful with her legs! :) Doesn't she look cute?
There is still a little bit more we need to do with her to try to get some stains off of her, but she looks like a whole different doll than when she came! :)
For Addtional help in Restringing your doll go here to Restringing your American Girl-An Illustrated Guide which helped me to learn how to restring Megan.
Hey Liz,
I was just talking about that today! :) What a coincidence!
Posted by: www.etsy.com (Quinlyn) | February 27, 2009 at 09:50 PM
Hey Hope,
Are you glad to get Megan fixed?
Posted by: Quinlyn | February 27, 2009 at 09:52 PM
Hey Quinlyn! I am very glad to get Megan fixed! Thanks for giving me and my sister a comment! Have Wonderful weekend! :)
~Hope~
Posted by: Hope | February 27, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Hey Hope!
Thanks! Would it be okay with you and Liz if I would comment to you?
Posted by: Quinlyn | February 27, 2009 at 10:49 PM
Hey Hope and Liz,
Was it frustrating that you had already taken apart and put together Megan, and then you had to do it again to put her legs back on?
Posted by: Quinlyn | February 27, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Poor Megan!!! :( Is she felling better? Does she have the cast on that you got in the get better kit? I hope Samantha doesn't have to go through that!!!
Posted by: Koda | February 27, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Hey Liz!
I found a pre-mattel Felicity doll with some clothes! And the current bid is only $41.01!
Posted by: Quinlyn | February 27, 2009 at 11:04 PM
Cool! she is SOOOO cute!
Posted by: jenna | February 28, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Wow she is really pretty! You guys did a wonderful job!
Posted by: Anne | February 28, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Wow! She's a changed doll! I bet she feels GREAT now! :)
Posted by: Quinlyn | February 28, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Nice Job!
Posted by: Lauren | February 28, 2009 at 01:02 PM
Wow, that is just so cool! Whose doll is she going to be? Are you going to include Megan in future posts?
Posted by: cara | February 28, 2009 at 02:06 PM
If anyone would like to see a picture of my dolls go to www.ourdolls.net and click on contests! In the cooking contest you can see mine its labeled Anne! You can even vote for your favorite! There are sooo many choices!
Posted by: Anne | February 28, 2009 at 03:49 PM
Was it weird to take the head off? I need to tighten all of Felicity and Samantha's limbs but was unsure about it.
Posted by: Anna | February 28, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Woah! I'm glad I don't have to do that to my dolls! :(
Posted by: Quinlyn | February 28, 2009 at 11:29 PM
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what to say other than WOW! You guys did and AWESOME job and I am SOOOOOO impressed! I've taked the head off of my Kit doll before and the inside looks funny. LOL.
Posted by: Savanna | March 01, 2009 at 08:32 AM
Wow she is very nice now!!
Posted by: Iona | March 03, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Is Megan Liz's doll or Hope's??
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 06, 2009 at 05:10 PM
Wow! That's amazong how well you fixed her up. AGPT is a great site, but I never knew it showed you how to do that sorta stuff. Totally great!
Posted by: Libby in England | March 07, 2009 at 07:22 AM
Anne, your dolls are so sweet! Yeah that was random!
Posted by: Libby in England | March 07, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Thank you Libby!:)
Posted by: Anne | March 07, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Wow! You girls did such a wonderful job on her. I have the same doll, and I got her from eBay too. I got her for $50.00, but one of her eyes is a lighter blue( I think her previous owner got water in it :(.) Bye!
Posted by: Abbie | April 10, 2009 at 12:22 PM
I bet she's feeling a lot better now...Good for you for fixing her up! You did a great job! Wow! Plus, my Josefina's hair is a mess, will washing her hair help like it did for Megan?
Also, Hope, do you have any dolls? Is Megan yours or Liz's???
Posted by: Emma | May 07, 2009 at 05:25 PM
I'll have to fix up my new used AG a little too.:) I can't wait to get her!
Posted by: Anne♥ | May 07, 2009 at 06:24 PM
Hello Emma! Megan is feeling alot better! Thanks so much! Yes Megan is my doll! I have Four other dolls as well! I have Samantha,Josefina,Nellie and Julie! :) I hope you have a Wonderful Week! :0)
~Hope~
Posted by: ~Hope~ | May 07, 2009 at 07:12 PM
Hi Hope!:)
Posted by: Anne♥ | May 07, 2009 at 08:35 PM
^LOL!
Posted by: Abbie | May 07, 2009 at 10:20 PM
you can get stains out by using acne medicine once or twice a day for a week or two,use the clear type ! my doll from ebay had green magic marker on her for head and it worked great! good luck! linda
Posted by: linda | May 12, 2009 at 10:57 PM
You two did a great job!
Posted by: Hannah | October 09, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Hey Liz
I saw in the pic of her a year later that you didn't take off the nail polish. R u going 2 do that soon?
Posted by: Shelby | December 08, 2009 at 08:10 PM
Who's doll is Megan?
Posted by: Lily | July 09, 2010 at 08:26 PM
Wow she looks all better now!
Posted by: samantha | July 20, 2010 at 10:16 PM
hey anyone who can answer this questin.
liz has inspierd me to fix up an broken american girl doll like megan. my mom dosen't buy off ebay and she wont let me. so were do get an american girl doll like that? only one thrift store is near were i live and i haven't found one. i go to plenty of yard sales and nothing!!!!!!!!!! what do i do?????????? help plez!!!!
bigzebra01
Posted by: maggie | August 09, 2010 at 06:57 PM
My name is Megan too!!!
Posted by: Megan | August 09, 2010 at 08:29 PM
hi :) that waz very amazing what u did but why didnt u just send her to the hospital thats what i did with my doll kaya it would have been ALOT easyer trust me
Posted by: Megan Thomsan | August 13, 2010 at 09:02 PM
Hello, Liz!
I had one question for you about restringing...Where did you get the elastic cord? I purchased an American Girl doll secondhand and she badly needs to be restrung, but I just can't seem to find the elastic cord no matter where I look. If you could tell me where you got the cord, it would be very helpful. :)
Thank you so much!
-Hannah (A)
Posted by: Hannah A. | September 27, 2011 at 10:34 PM