Here are some directions for using Rit dye to revive pale-faced Dawn dolls (with many thanks to whomever first posted the recipe on the newsgroup!) followed by photos of the process:
Buy one box each of Rit powdered dyes Peach and Rose Pink. (You may have to look in a craft store to find them. Rit has a color chart online at http://www.ritdye.com/b.asp if you want an advance peek.) Empty both boxes into a lidded glass jar or other container; close it tightly and shake well to mix the colors completely.
When you are ready to begin, bring water to a boil and pour one cup of hot water over 1/8 teaspoon of the dye mix in a container (I use a small stainless steel or glass mixing bowl) and stir. Hold the doll's feet and dip the head fully into the dye - it shouldn't stain the harder plastic neck, but keep the arms and legs out of the dye - or remove the head and dangle it under by the hair. (This solution should be weak enough not to stain the hair, but blondes may turn reddish depending on the fiber, especially if you've used too much dye per cup water. I had this happen to a Dawn and a Jessica, when I think the dye was too strong. I've not had a chance to try it on Fancy Feet or Dinah. If you're worried, try a weaker solution.) Sixty seconds is usually about right, but keep an eye on the color, especially when you're trying this for the first time--the dye will be more potent if the water is fresh from boiling, less so if it has been sitting a few minutes. You can always do it again if the result is too light. When you're happy with the color, rinse the head well in cold running water, then leave it to air dry.
I have noticed that the dyed heads seem to fade slightly after a few weeks; if this happens to you, give them a touch-up. Once you've had some experience, you may want to overdye them slightly on the first go-round. (Conversely, if you dye a head too dark, don't despair; wait a few weeks and see if it doesn't look better! Rit also makes a color remover that seems to work reasonably well on fabric, but I haven't had a chance to try it on an overdyed head.)
This process works best on evenly faded or white heads with no discoloration. It will not hide blue, green or gray tints, though it may improve the look of the doll by restoring the pink. It won't help with isolated white spots (you could try dabbing it on with a cotton swab or brush; I want to try a pale peach artist's marker on those white spots but haven't had the chance yet). A yellowed face (if you have any you'll know what I mean) can be dyed to a tan color and put on a tan Starr friend body (Taylor, Dawn or Misty) or one of the darker Checkerboard bodies. (You can try dyeing bodies, but it's difficult to get an even tone on the harder torso and hips.)
If you want to give a Caucasian head African-American coloring, Cocoa Brown works well using the same process - just keep a Dale body, or whatever you want to match, nearby to check the color against. (I've dyed a Triki Miki head to go on a black Triki Miki body, and some newer Wilton cake topper heads for Starr Toya bodies. The Wilton heads worked especially well.)
Remember, this is at your own risk; proceed with caution until you get a feel for the results!
Here's a set of pictures showing both the Cocoa Brown dye and the Peach/Rose Pink mix in use:
I had dyed these new Wilton cake topper heads previously, but I wanted them a little darker, and I decided to give Perm Dawn a new look.
Here's the after picture, for the sake of comparison. (I think the Wilton heads are a better match than they look in the pic.)
It's really tough to get the colors right in the pictures, but trust me... these heads were pale and sickly-looking. (A truly white face would be a better example, but I didn't have any handy.)
They all came out better, by my reckoning. The highlights look warmer in this pic, but I don't think the blonde hair was noticeably affected by the dye in real life. The old Wilton hair did frizz some from the hot water, and it and the long-haired Dawn each got a tiny pink spot on the left cheek, which a dab of Remove-Zit would probably take off if it bothered me.
Ready to begin: one cup measure, and 1/8 teaspoon of Rit Cocoa Brown dye. (I had only a quarter teaspoon handy, so I had to eyeball it... not recommended for beginners! :)
I put cotton swabs in the heads for easier handling. You can leave them on bodies and dunk them in, but I think they're easier to rinse out loose, and most of these heads were loose anyway. If you need to keep track of the proper bodies, leave them on.
Mix the dye in boiling water.
Dunk! Sixty seconds is usually a good base time, but keep pulling the heads up to check the color until you have what you want.
Rinse!
No, I mean it... RINSE!!!
Perm Dawn goes under.
And comes up... well, she'll need some repainting now, but it's a start.
Okay, here's the Peach/Rose Pink mix (one box each)... 1/8 teaspoon (remember, the pic shows the lazy writer's half of a quarter teaspoon--do as I say, not as I do! :) to a cup of boiling water.
Dawn Kebabs ready for dipping, with a body to provide the target color sample.
Mix!
Dunk!
Again, 60 seconds will usually be about right, but don't take that as a given--have a look every 10 seconds or so.
Once again: Rinse! Rinse well!
In fact, it wouldn't hurt to let them soak for a while. You don't really want dried out dye on the hair or inside the head. Well, I don't, anyway.
Put the healthy-looking heads out to dry.