Preparation of the area you are using to form your reborn dolls is essential. Organisation is the secret to being prepared for each step of the reborning process.

You will need an enormous table or flat working surface to place your mixing plates, brushes and paints. The surface area must be freed from clutter and covered with a vinyl table-cloth that may be easily wiped over with a wet cloth for cleaning. A dowel rod board is also an important tool to have for drying and baking your limbs. Creating this board is straightforward. At your local hardware, you will be in a position to purchase a board of timber approximately 40cm by 10cm, and a dowel rod with a thickness of about 1cm. Cut the dowel into 4 pieces 15cm in width and uniformly space everywhere standing up with an opening between each of almost 8cm. Glue into a position and add a nail into the base of the board from the underside to hold the dowel in place. Be conscious of this area when taking it out of the stove, the nail heads will be hot.

This board will serve you well as a stable rack to hold your limbs between layers, and will keep the limbs from touching one another when heatsetting your paint. Your brushes and paint must be easily accessed and detectable when mixing your colours, having these displayed at close proximity to your work-area will allow you to mix your paint quickly and keep the mix flowing.

Always have a substantial supply of toothpicks, cotton tips, tissues and sponges. These are consistently used during the reborning process to get rid of unwanted detail or lighten heavy effects in your paint. Having them near at hand is vital when adding detail to creased areas. If you are working in the same area as your cooker, you will need to open windows and doors to be sure you have airflow. Depending on the kit you use, often the smoke can provide you with a slight headache, unpolluted air is crucial.

Once you've finished your heatsetting it is suggested that you turn your range up to an extreme heat to burn off any smoke that could be lingering. Reborning is a calming and very addictive pastime. Having the right area to make your reborns will add to the enjoyment of the craft, and keep you organized at the same time.